Wow - and I thought the danger was going to be some esoteric extension to the PATRIOT Act which would make photography of public places a form of terrorism (or at least reasonable grounds for a CIA "rendition" to G'itmo or some former Soviet-bloc country in Eastern Europe.)

-EdT.

This is pretty disturbing - and with the incompetent clowns we have in government, it is likely to become law.

I guess I'm still Ok for now... that is until the gov't decides to Tm the Eastern Sierras.

Ed: You are not too far off. I've read many complaints of photographers being harassed by 'authorities' while taking pictures of public structures.

Bob

The current situation is clearly discussed for lay people in Bert P. Krages' Legal Handbook for Photographers, Chapter Four (see esp. p. 64).

thanks for the book info. i'm still learning about photography (enrolled in a distance learning course) and anything I can do to CMOA (cover my own ass) is greatly appreciated.

it's b.s. though that congress passed that law. what happened to the 1st amendment?

it's b.s. though that congress passed that law. what happened to the 1st amendment?

What happened to the first ammendment is government! It no longer exist's for the people,but rather to insure it's own longivity at any and all cost.

Sorry about that. Don't really want a political debate but some things really irk me!

Good info David I have sent letters to my senators and congressmen. But thats about All I can do. However if everyone in the forum would do the same, prehaps the clowns in washington would be better informed.

David,

Yes everyone should speak up when their freedom and liberty is threatened. And I won't even give those in Washington the benefit of possibly being ignorant of what they do, that would prefer upon them a kind of innocence they surely don't deserve.

David

You must realize it is impossible for any one human being to be informed on every different subject or profession in the world. Case in point, at a recent truck show in Louisville Kentucky several congressional candidates were invited to talk to an audience of OOIDA members(owner operator independent driver Association) all of the candidates seemed to have the same speech. They all wanted to talk about improving the roadways and lower fuel costs. However when the candidates took questions from the audience it was quite obvious that he had no idea of all the nuances of the job. They had no idea that truck drivers are forced to work for free on many occasions nor were they aware that drivers are regularly not compensated for the excessive hours they are detained at shippers and receivers docks.

Much the same is true with the field of photography; the representatives and senators may only hear one side of the story presented by a lobbying group with interest contrary to ours. Therefore the responsibility rests with you as a responsible journalists to inform us, so that we as a group can then inform our elected officials that the lobbying group does not speak for the majority.

:)

PS public Citizen is an organizationthat regularly attacks our freedoms, they have been going after truck drivers,firearms owners and now photographers!