Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/11/14

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Subject: [Leica] Yet Another Sign of the Times
From: dpost at triad.rr.com (Dan Post)
Date: Sun Nov 14 05:22:30 2004
References: <20041114062921.20351.qmail@web41109.mail.yahoo.com>

John Mason wrote:

>Not a good sign.  Not for photographers or anyone
>else.  But you knew that.
>
>Bill Emory just posted this on his website:
>
>http://www.billemory.com/NOTES/pocket%20litter.html
>
>--John
>
>
>
>
>=====
>J Mason
>Charlottesville, Virginia
>  
>
>>>New! Democracy of Speed, a Photo Documentary Project:
>>>      
>>>
>http://www.people.virginia.edu/~ds8s/john-m/john-m.html
>
>
>               
>__________________________________ 
>Do you Yahoo!? 
>Check out the new Yahoo! Front Page. 
>www.yahoo.com 
> 
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>  
>
John-
I can feel your pain. You did exactly what any reasonable person might 
do when confronted with superior force- you backed down. My fear is that 
enough of us would eventually back down, to submit to unreasonable 
authority,  and cower in the face of jack booted storm troopers that the 
land of the free and home of the brave might shortly become the land of 
the intimidated, and  the home of the meek. I don't know tour exact 
situation, if you have family that needs your immediate presence, or if 
there were enough witnesses that a slight chance of plans might not 
gotten you a spot on the 6 o'clock news.
Taking photos in a public place, of public events, of fellow Americans 
speaking their mind is not in anyway a threat to 'National Security'.... 
depriving others of the chance to see freedom in action by destroying  a 
photographer's film depicting Americans exercisng their constitutional 
right to free speech is an extremely grave threat to national security. 
I am not a rabid anti-government militant type at all, but the 
government is supposed to be ME! By ME! and For ME!- and all my fellow 
Americans.
Personally, I am old enough (58) not to fear the blathering of assholes, 
just passive-aggressive enough to tell him to 'bring it on, and just 
hope that being a disabled veteran who fought to preserve the rights of 
others to do what you did, and with a good lawyer, make life a living 
hell for the assholes who wanted to press the issue.

He may have been a good family man, doing his job, but I would bet 
dollars to doughnuts that nowhere in his job description (and if he is 
like many of the TSA folk- probably unable to even read the job 
description...) does it say he should hassle law abiding folks going 
about their business.  If our government can let a crowd of  wild eyed 
militants in far off Boogastan march and wave automatic assault rifles 
in the face of our troops with impunity, then the idea of the govenment 
threatening a citizen here for merely taking photos is outrageous.

I'd complain- make a stink- don't let it happen again! 

Dan (Pissed off) Post


In reply to: Message from profmason at yahoo.com (John Mason) ([Leica] Yet Another Sign of the Times)