Suspicions Warranted?

[eclarke]

The good news is that the scaremongers here in the USA are gone now and there is talk in the congress of prosecuting administration officials..3 cheers...Evan Clarke

 

[John Koehrer]

The good news is that the scaremongers here in the USA are gone now and there is talk in the congress of prosecuting administration officials..3 cheers...Evan Clarke

Trust me they're still around, just not as obvious.

 

[Rich Ullsmith]

Democratically elected civilian leadership has straight little to do with it. It has nothing to do with who you did or didn't vote for.

Anectdotally, my last run-in was making a pinhole image at the park. An anti-Bush park in an anti-Bush town filled with anti-Bush young moms; surprisingly, no anti-Bush stickers on the beer-cooler sized helmets protecting the precious contents of their children's skulls. When one found out I was "taking a picture," you could see the piloerection on her unshaven legs. She didn't want me taking "pictures" of her kid, never mind the explanation of what a minute-long exposure means. The herd was alerted to this weirdo with the box, and I can guarantee you that their avowed respect for the U.S.C. stopped way short of title 18, section 242.

Paranoia and fear-mongering is personal and cultural, not political.

 

[nc5p]

Democratically elected civilian leadership has straight little to do with it. It has nothing to do with who you did or didn't vote for.

Anectdotally, my last run-in was making a pinhole image at the park. An anti-Bush park in an anti-Bush town filled with anti-Bush young moms; surprisingly, no anti-Bush stickers on the beer-cooler sized helmets protecting the precious contents of their children's skulls. When one found out I was "taking a picture," you could see the piloerection on her unshaven legs. She didn't want me taking "pictures" of her kid, never mind the explanation of what a minute-long exposure means. The herd was alerted to this weirdo with the box, and I can guarantee you that their avowed respect for the U.S.C. stopped way short of title 18, section 242.

Paranoia and fear-mongering is personal and cultural, not political.

You are absolutely correct. In fact, over 90% of all law enforcement officers are municipal, county, and state. Many problems come from municipal officers in cities with long time democrat mayors. Albuquerque has a democrat mayor and is frequently mentioned. I had problems with them well before 9/11. It's just another excuse along with burglars casing places, child molesters, industrial espionage, retail espionage, and identity theft.

 

[Adrian Twiss]

Adrian; spot on! As far as I'm aware there has never been any suggestion that any terrorist group has resorted to photographic surveillance (of any kind) prior to perpetrating any act. I am firmly of the opinion that the UK and US governments are using the paranoia that they've created to keep people fearful and maintain their grip on power. Every government needs a bogeyman to 'protect' its people from so that it can say 'What a good govenrment are that keep you safe. Please vote for us again...."

Actually the ones that really get my goat are the "intellectuals" who tap you on the shoulder and say "if you don't stop photographic kids I'll shove that camera up your a%%e". The irony being that I don't like to have ANY people in my photographs. And what makes it really sad is that there usually aren't any kids around anyway. :rolleyes:

 

[viridari]

Actually the ones that really get my goat are the "intellectuals" who tap you on the shoulder and say "if you don't stop photographic kids I'll shove that camera up your a%%e". The irony being that I don't like to have ANY people in my photographs. And what makes it really sad is that there usually aren't any kids around anyway. :rolleyes:

This is why the second amendment is important to protect the first. People tend to be a lot less likely to initiate violence if there is a reasonable assumption that you might be armed.

 

[Steve Smith]

This is why the second amendment is important to protect the first. People tend to be a lot less likely to initiate violence if there is a reasonable assumption that you might be armed.

Please note that Adrian Twiss is in the UK where it is illegal to be armed.



Steve.

 

[viridari]

Please note that Adrian Twiss is in the UK where it is illegal to be armed.

Note that it's not too late to pick up where Guy Fawkes left off.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

This is why the second amendment is important to protect the first. People tend to be a lot less likely to initiate violence if there is a reasonable assumption that you might be armed.

The violence of the "wild west" gave proof to the lie that a well-armed society is a very civil society. As does the near-omnipresence of AK-47s in current-day Iraq.

 

[Steve Smith]

Note that it's not too late to pick up where Guy Fawkes left off.

He was only planning on turning the palace of Westminster clock tower* into the first space rocket though!

*More commonly, and incorrectly, know as Big Ben.



Steve.

 

[viridari]

The violence of the "wild west" gave proof to the lie that a well-armed society is a very civil society. As does the near-omnipresence of AK-47s in current-day Iraq.

My great grandmother, who grew up in the "wild west" (her father was Dead Link Removed, noted photographer in his time in Cripple Creek, Colorado), told me a very different story about what life was like back then. Your spaghetti westerns are entertaining but largely revisionist history. Yelton was a simple photographer, not a marshall or bank robber or anything, and his daughter (my great grandmother) told me he had a pistol on his hip everywhere he went, and a shotgun on their coach. And unlike the movies, people were pretty civil to one another. It was just understood that if you pulled your gun on someone, 10 others would be pointing back at you if you weren't in the right.

You're probably safer in the parts of Baghdad that have no U.S. military presence than you are in the streets of Gary, Indiana.

 

[Ian David]

This is starting to get a bit off thread, but any society where anyone who believes they are "in the right" is able to pull a gun to defend that belief is a basket-case. Most fools believe they are in the right (and don't recognise that they are fools).

That being said, I confess to having Dirty Harry fantasies when confronted by someone who irrationally decides I and my camera are a national security threat. (I guess that's probably why I shouldn't be allowed to carry a gun

 

[viridari]

This is starting to get a bit off thread, but any society where anyone who believes they are "in the right" is able to pull a gun to defend that belief is a basket-case. Most fools believe they are in the right (and don't recognise that they are fools).

I note the irony that this post originated from a penal colony for violent criminals.

 

[Ian David]

Touche! But things here have come a long way in 200 years. Violent criminals are now discouraged from carrying guns and roaming the streets here. Sadly not so in many parts of the States...

 

[Steve Smith]

I note the irony that this post originated from a penal colony for violent criminals.

Well, some of them just stole loaves of bread!



Steve.

 

[Frank Szabo]

Touche! But things here have come a long way in 200 years. Violent criminals are now discouraged from carrying guns and roaming the streets here. Sadly not so in many parts of the States...

Unfortunately, the violent criminals didn't heed the call to the law-abiding to turn in their weapons.

Your country's own stats say that Australia's crime rate has risen considerably - could that be due to the real criminals having nothing to fear anymore?

Criminals have a built-in dislike for armed citizens.

 

[Frank Szabo]

I'm thinking of having a similar one made along the lines of

"I'm a photographer - Not a peadophile, nor a terrorist - just a photographer

NOW PISS OFF!!!!"

Somewhat rude, I know, but I'm getting sick and tired of being treated with suspicion when I'm out doing something completely lawful. How many perverts do you see with a Bronica on a tripod for God's sake??

I LOVE IT !!

 

[Dave in Kansas]

I certainly don't want to offend any of our good friends overseas, but I'm afraid that many people think the U.S. has a crime problem and it's all due to prolific firearms. The image of the wild West that has been etched in everyone's minds by Hollywood is really false.

I think I know more people who are generally armed (legally, of course) than unarmed, and none of them has ever experienced or displayed any sort of violent act. For those APGU members in the U.S., remember all the talk about parking lot shoot-outs over parking spaces when most states were adopting concealed carry laws? Well, it didn't happen, did it? It won't either.

You want to meet a nice polite group of people? Go out on a shooting range where everyone is extremely well armed. You won't find a more polite, pleasant group of people to be around.

The only place violence is a problem in the U.S. is in the big cities where most good people are not armed because their corrupt ignorant local government officials don't have the brains or testicles to admit that they really have a criminal problem and not a firearms problem. They always look for excuses to blame for their shortcomings.

Now, back to APUG and film. I'm dreaming of putting a roll of film through a recent camera I picked up. Can't wait until the weekend.

 

[viridari]

Touche! But things here have come a long way in 200 years. Violent criminals are now discouraged from carrying guns and roaming the streets here. Sadly not so in many parts of the States...

Violent criminals are indeed forbidden from owning guns here.

That's the pesky thing about criminals; they don't obey the law.

 

[removed-user-1]

Speaking of guns, I don't own any, but one of my favorite toys is a Nikon pistol grip ... it works nicely with lenses with tripod mounts. Unfortunately, I wouldn't dare to carry it in public in the US these days. I'd be afraid of the consequences, seriously.

 

[jamusu]

I finally made an elargement from the roll of film, and must say I am delighted with the results, but seriously doubt if I will ever photograph a bank again in the near or distant future; unless it is warranted of course.

Jamusu.