Objections to TSA's Anti-Photographer Poster

Rigatoni RoosterRigatoni Rooster Registered Users Posts: 4 Beginner grinner
edited October 4, 2010 in The Big Picture
1. When citizens lose their love of liberty and are unwilling to object to government's usurpations, no law book, no Constitution, no judge, no court, can save that kind of citizen from themselves.
2. TSA [Transportation Safety Administration] is distributing a poster that insinuates that photographers are terrorists or suspects who citizens should sic the cops onto and against.
3. I experience this poster to be an inept, misguided, counter-productive, despicable, demonization of photography and photograhers, consistent with police state scare tactics, which forshadows making photography a crime, which threatens freedom and photographers' vital interests.
4. Consequently, I wrote a 27 page letter to Janet Napolitano, Secretary, Dept of Homeland Security, which I mailed to her yesterday, 27 Sept 2010.
5. I tried to attach a copy of that letter to this thread but SmugMug's system rejected it because it is too long.
6. To read my letter, please do this: A) go to my Internet site, www.cloud9photography.us ; B) click on my Blog; and C) look for a line that deals with TSA's anti-photographer poster.
7. Assuming you value your liberty, you are well advised to read this letter and to follow through by writing and sending your own letter, objecting to this poster, and to talk this up among yourselves and others.
8. Please forgive me for preaching "Liberty" and restoring the real Constitutional Rule of Law. I do not intend to preach but, if you do not value your liberty, you should. This is because liberty is at least as important as good health and a good reputation that is well deserved.
Kindest regards to all.
Thanks.
-- Peter J. Mancus

Comments

  • AngeloAngelo Super Moderators Posts: 8,937 moderator
    edited September 29, 2010
    Peter:

    Thanks for sharing. I know several people here share your passion for preserving liberty and individual rights.

    I see you're a Smuggy! wave.gif some really great images on your site.

    Hope you come visit us here on the GRIN more often.


    .
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited September 29, 2010
    4. Consequently, I wrote a 27 page letter to Janet Napolitano, Secretary, Dept of Homeland Security, which I mailed to her yesterday, 27 Sept 2010.
    5. I tried to attach a copy of that letter to this thread but SmugMug's system rejected it because it is too long.

    When I emailed you from our help desk, I said you'd have to have the letter hosted somewhere like google pages or dropbox. We don't do 27page attachments on Dgrin :D

    Making it easy for people to see your letter is KEY to viewership, Peter. Just give the link:

    http://pmancus.powweb.com/blog/objection-to-new-tsa-poster/

    or even easier: Download the letter at this link. thumb.gif
  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited September 29, 2010
    1. When citizens lose their love of liberty and are unwilling to object to government's usurpations, no law book, no Constitution, no judge, no court, can save that kind of citizen from themselves.
    2. TSA [Transportation Safety Administration] is distributing a poster that insinuates that photographers are terrorists or suspects who citizens should sic the cops onto and against.
    3. I experience this poster to be an inept, misguided, counter-productive, despicable, demonization of photography and photograhers, consistent with police state scare tactics, which forshadows making photography a crime, which threatens freedom and photographers' vital interests.
    4. Consequently, I wrote a 27 page letter to Janet Napolitano, Secretary, Dept of Homeland Security, which I mailed to her yesterday, 27 Sept 2010.
    5. I tried to attach a copy of that letter to this thread but SmugMug's system rejected it because it is too long.
    6. To read my letter, please do this: A) go to my Internet site, www.cloud9photography.us ; B) click on my Blog; and C) look for a line that deals with TSA's anti-photographer poster.
    7. Assuming you value your liberty, you are well advised to read this letter and to follow through by writing and sending your own letter, objecting to this poster, and to talk this up among yourselves and others.
    8. Please forgive me for preaching "Liberty" and restoring the real Constitutional Rule of Law. I do not intend to preach but, if you do not value your liberty, you should. This is because liberty is at least as important as good health and a good reputation that is well deserved.
    Kindest regards to all.
    Thanks.
    -- Peter J. Mancus

    Hi Peter,

    It's obvious where your political views are, but if you want to get peoples attention, and present a view, 27 pages are way too much.

    While I too am afflicted with the notion that the Constitution, and the rights provided by the writers are critical to our way of life, I couldn't even read to whole 27 pages.

    I will go out on a limb here and say that Napolitano, or anyone at her office will not read you letter. Even if they read it they won't understand it or take any positive action.

    Feel lucky if you get a "Thank you for your concern, and rest assured we here at homeland security are doing everything possible within a politically correct insane illogical policy to make you semi, sorta safe."

    Sam
  • GlortGlort Registered Users Posts: 1,015 Major grins
    edited September 30, 2010
    I agree 27 pages is way too long.
    Champion effort though! I thought some of my letters were novels at 3.5 pages!

    I think you are more in a marketing scenario here than that of a legal brief or Commissioned report.
    In that respect, I'd be trying to keep the letter to 2-3 pages of the very most significant points and then maybe refer the reader to a PDF of all the issues where the document is hosted online.

    I aslo think that as a one person letter, it's unlikley to have much weight. you need to get a mass of people organised as polititians listen to critical amounts of voters, not the ones off which they will probably consider to be nutters anyway.
    Maybe you would have some luck contacting a newspaper or Current affairs TV program. If you can spin it the right way, they may be interested.
    Maybe send them something like a press release with a title like, " If you own a camera, you might be considered a terrorist".
    That will probably get your cause at least noticed because it would encompass everyday Mums and Dads, not just pro photographers.

    The US strikes me as a very funny place. You have rights and entitlements we don't have but at the other end of the scale, some of the rules imposed upon you seem quite draconian. ne_nau.gif
    Unfortunately we tend to ignore the freedoms but use your laws and restrictive rules there as models to undermine the rights of people here.
  • angevin1angevin1 Registered Users Posts: 3,403 Major grins
    edited September 30, 2010
    Pardon me for always coming at things from another direction...but

    The TSA blog post.

    I haven't yet found the resultant photo/poster they intend to use. If it is the one Andy Linked, fine and dandy, it looks like a GWC hoodie Terrorist of sorts. But for me the first thing I thought of is; Great! They want us taking photos!

    TO be continued...still reading.
    tom wise
  • angevin1angevin1 Registered Users Posts: 3,403 Major grins
    edited September 30, 2010
    Oh Man...some of the Blog posts comments are a hoot!
    tom wise
  • basfltbasflt Registered Users Posts: 1,882 Major grins
    edited September 30, 2010
    where is the poster ?
  • r3t1awr3ydr3t1awr3yd Registered Users Posts: 1,000 Major grins
    edited September 30, 2010
    tsa-poster.jpg

    Hi! I'm Wally: website | blog | facebook | IG | scotchNsniff
    Nikon addict. D610, Tok 11-16, Sig 24-35, Nik 24-70/70-200vr
  • r3t1awr3ydr3t1awr3yd Registered Users Posts: 1,000 Major grins
    edited September 30, 2010
    cctv1.jpg

    Hi! I'm Wally: website | blog | facebook | IG | scotchNsniff
    Nikon addict. D610, Tok 11-16, Sig 24-35, Nik 24-70/70-200vr
  • r3t1awr3ydr3t1awr3yd Registered Users Posts: 1,000 Major grins
    edited September 30, 2010
    Apparently fear mongering has taken over the whole world!!

    I didn't read all 27 pages but I get the gist of the writeup. I'm always amazed at the thoroughness of lawyers.

    Hi! I'm Wally: website | blog | facebook | IG | scotchNsniff
    Nikon addict. D610, Tok 11-16, Sig 24-35, Nik 24-70/70-200vr
  • basfltbasflt Registered Users Posts: 1,882 Major grins
    edited September 30, 2010
    thats it ?
    what a fuzz

    1 post in two years , and then start this
  • AngeloAngelo Super Moderators Posts: 8,937 moderator
    edited October 1, 2010
    r3t1awr3yd wrote: »
    Apparently fear mongering has taken over the whole world!!

    so true. and the more we allow our rights to be trampled the more we deserve to lose them!


    .
  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited October 1, 2010
    Angelo wrote: »
    so true. and the more we allow our rights to be trampled the more we deserve to lose them!
    .

    While I think you and I are political polar opposites, we can agree on this!!

    (We can probably agree with even more than the puppet masters would be comfortable with) :D

    Sam
  • BradfordBennBradfordBenn Registered Users Posts: 2,506 Major grins
    edited October 1, 2010
    I did not read the document. But I have seen the posters before; remember it is an election year for 1/3rd of Congress; don't forget your elected officials would be very happy to talk to anyone right now. I know when I saw this poster on Flying with Fish I already contacted my Senators and Congresspeople.
    -=Bradford

    Pictures | Website | Blog | Twitter | Contact
  • AngeloAngelo Super Moderators Posts: 8,937 moderator
    edited October 2, 2010
    Angelo wrote: »
    so true. and the more we allow our rights to be trampled the more we deserve to lose them!


    .
    Sam wrote: »
    While I think you and I are political polar opposites, we can agree on this!!

    (We can probably agree with even more than the puppet masters would be comfortable with) :D

    Sam

    if we can agree on this, those poles can't be located too far apart. :D


    .
  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited October 2, 2010
    Angelo wrote: »
    if we can agree on this, those poles can't be located too far apart. :D


    .

    It depends on what you call far. The poles are actually 12,416 miles apart.

    As to the other kind of polls, the distance is dependent on the pollsters not any objective criteria.

    Sam :D
  • gecko0gecko0 Registered Users Posts: 383 Major grins
    edited October 2, 2010
    On a funnier note, I think it's hilarious that they assume the guy with a HUGE OBVIOUS CAMERA is the terrorist taking pics. If someone wanted to take photos for evil purposes, you'd think they would try to be a bit less open about it. Maybe one of the nice new superzoom models with 34x optical? I'd lose the hoodie too.
    Canon 7D and some stuff that sticks on the end of it.
  • cab.in.bostoncab.in.boston Registered Users Posts: 634 Major grins
    edited October 4, 2010
    gecko0 wrote: »
    On a funnier note, I think it's hilarious that they assume the guy with a HUGE OBVIOUS CAMERA is the terrorist taking pics. If someone wanted to take photos for evil purposes, you'd think they would try to be a bit less open about it. Maybe one of the nice new superzoom models with 34x optical? I'd lose the hoodie too.

    No no no... bad guys don't operate that way. They're not smart enough to conceal their activities. You can safely assume that if you don't see an obviously nefarious character out in plain sight that they're not interested in that particular target. eek7.gif

    It's similar to the increasing reports we are seeing regarding building security. I know some people (and have read of others) who are interested in architectural photography. So they set up their tripods and spend 10-15 minutes getting the composure and exposure all set up, out in plain sight. Of course the security will come over as soon as they notice and claim "security concerns" or even "copyright of images of the building" and try to shoo off the photogs. As you say, if they were interested in doing bad things, they'd likely be a lot less out in the open, probably just searching online for existing pictures and/or any existing blueprints/plans of the buildings... But getting the security guards to see this side of the story (or recognize 1st Amendment rights of photogs in public places) is a little difficult sometimes.
    Father, husband, dog lover, engineer, Nikon shooter
    My site 365 Project
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited October 4, 2010
    gecko0 wrote: »
    On a funnier note, I think it's hilarious that they assume the guy with a HUGE OBVIOUS CAMERA is the terrorist taking pics. If someone wanted to take photos for evil purposes, you'd think they would try to be a bit less open about it. Maybe one of the nice new superzoom models with 34x optical? I'd lose the hoodie too.

    I would be more worried about the person sending gps info with a phone cam...........
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

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