This video which seems to have been released by Houston Mayor Annise Parker as a part of the…ahem… Run, Hide, Fight series is nuts. I understand the need for awareness and diligence toward creeps (not just in the USA and not just terrorists) but this ummm “awareness” is over the top – particularly with regard to photographers.
After watching the video and others in the series, there are basically two groups that appear to be the focus.
1) people planting bombs – a multitude of examples including vests, backpacks, people trying to gain access to do this; and…
2) people taking photos – of public spaces? and exits? and… huh?
Seriously? Those are the two groups we should fear? I’m particularly referring to roughly the 1:45 mark where the specific vilification of photographers or “people with recording devices” is a big WTF.
So, in short, yes Mayor Parker we should keep a collective eye out for nutjobs. I’ll all for awareness, but I hate fear mongering. And pull your head out.
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Wanna know more about photographers rights? Check out this post or this post AND… very importantly…tune into the next chasejarvis LIVE episode on August 29th in collaboration with ASMP.org where I’m hosting a world class panel that’ll discuss the current and future state of photographers rights…the good, bad and ugly about some changes in our landscape.
(Thx Trey for link)
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I recently was stopped from shooting the Federal Building in downtown Cleveland…went home and found the same exact image on Google!
This video is an act of terrorism… terrorism: the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization.
How do photographers come up all around here?
Well here in New York lots of people don’t dress for the weather. In fact, in SOHO just the other day I saw several people in all black on a 90 degree day. Hmm they even looked suspicious, does this make them a threat. Maybe I should of called the cops.
This is the incredibly stupid. People should not be afraid to go about their daily lives. Terrorists typically fall into 2 categories: 1. Troubled individuals that many know/knew are/were troubled. 2. Sponsored groups or individuals with a hierarchy of political, ideological, monetary, or religious gains. Stop ignoring troubled individuals. Stop meandering about in other countries that do not want to host us. Stop being ignorant and thinking America can do whatever it pleases on foreign soil (you are a huge part of the problem and a lot of the blood is on your hands). Start going after the people that benefit the most from acts of sponsored terror (sponsors, banks, industries, solicitors, and even politicians). It is called a money trail.