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Dangers of Photography in the Land of the Free

Every once and a while I read something or find a link to something that really, really pisses me off. Every day I'm exposed through various websites and TV shows to politics from my neighbors to the south, the good old US of A, land of the free and home of the brave. They're talking (again) about new terror threats from Al Aaida, the two presidential candidates are going after one another, etc etc. Amidst all of this a citizen can be harassed by the authoraties, you know, those folks who are supposed to keep us safe and feeling secure, for no reason at all.

Actually let me re-iterate, those folks who are keeping us white folks feeling safe and secure. Apparently if you're not white you could be a terrorist, and therefor you're subject to all the harassment that the law feels they need to give you to keep people safe from you and your terrorist activities. You know, like taking pictures of public landmarks.

Anyway, have a read of The Artist's Statement from the website Brown = Terrorist, a disturbing story of the several encounters of a photography student and security, police and homeland security. The author in question, Ian Spears, regardless of his lifelong residence in Seattle and his 10 year residence in the area where his horrible and nation-threatening activities took place is of course not white, and therefor looks like a terrorist.

Land of the free my ass. I know that most americans aren't crazy and nuts, just your administration and government policies.

Man people piss me off sometimes.

Posted by arcterex on July 8, 2004 12:07 PM |

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» It's illegal to photograph the Ballard Locks from eclecticism
That is, it's illegal if you look like a terrorist. [Read More]

Tracked on July 9, 2004 07:46 AM

» Guilty of taking pictures while brown from What the heck is he thinking
The Artist's Statement If the story in question is factual, then I'm ashamed for our Police force. Sadly, recent supreme court rulings have made it illegal to refuse to offer ID when asked by a police officer in a move reminiscent of East Germany ... [Read More]

Tracked on July 9, 2004 03:11 PM

Comments

They are inches away from the steps they took in world war II, putting all people of asian decent into concentration camps.

That guys story makes the Homeland Security look like the beginnings of the SS in Nazi Germany. "Do you have your papers? Are they in order? Come with us, please".

I'm concerned and sickened.

Posted by: Oorgo | July 8, 2004 03:05 PM

Pisses you off? I have to live here.

Posted by: Gregg | July 8, 2004 03:32 PM

Gregg - guess if I lived there I'd be scared. Of course, I'm white, so I'm fine right? *sigh*.

Posted by: Arcterex | July 8, 2004 04:13 PM

No, the more I think of it (and the more I see of the U.S.) the more I think that it isn't just the politicians who are crazy and nuts, its the whole lot of us. The U.S. is a bunch of crazy cocknockers.

Posted by: engel | July 9, 2004 04:18 AM

Land of the fearful, home of the cocknocker. Where you can take my papers but not my firearms. Where you can impead my freedoms as long as you don't impead my SUV.

Posted by: fozbaca | July 9, 2004 10:46 AM