The Government's War on Cameras!
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- rodstradamus
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Who will watch the watchers? In a world of ubiquitous, hand-held digital cameras, that's not an abstract philosophical question. Police everywhere are cracking down on citizens using cameras to capture breaking news and law enforcement in action.
In 2009, police arrested blogger and freelance photographer Antonio Musumeci on the steps of a New York federal courthouse. His alleged crime? Unauthorized photography on federal property.
Police cuffed and arrested Musumeci, ultimately issuing him a citation. With the help of the New York Civil Liberties Union, he forced a settlement in which the federal government agreed to issue a memo acknowledging that it is totally legal to film or photograph on federal property.
Although the legal right to film on federal property now seems to be firmly established, many other questions about public photography still remain and place journalists and citizens in harm's way. Can you record a police encounter? Can you film on city or state property? What are a photographer's rights in so-called public spaces?
These questions will remain unanswered until a case reaches the Supreme Court, says UCLA Law Professor Eugene Volokh, founder of the popular law blog The Volokh Conspiracy. Until then, it's up to people to know their rights and test the limits of free speech, even at the risk of harassment and arrest.
Who will watch the watchers? All of us, it turns out, but only if we're willing to fight for our rights.
Produced by Hawk Jensen and Zach Weissmueller. Camera by Jim Epstein and Jensen. About 7.30 minutes.
Go to http://reason.com/blog/2011/05/26/reasontv-the-governments-war for links and more articles, including Reason magazine's January 2011 cover story, "The War on Cameras" and the companion piece "How to Record the Cops."
Go to http://reason.tv for downloadable versions of the video and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.
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attilatheblond
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Since most streets in America are not federal roadways, but rather state, county, or city roads, unless private, one would assume Google Street View cameras make for an interesting point. If states, counties, cities decide they can ban photographers from taking pictures or video on those governmental properties, a shutter bug might just charge unequal treatment.
If you try to stop Joe Blow from Kokomo from taking pictures while on public roads, you best be forcing Google to take down that whole program. Thinkin that is highly unlikely.
- 12 months ago
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attilatheblond
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Incredulous
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If you can see it, you can film it, which is why cops work so hard to create a wall around their misdeeds. Fuck the Supreme Court, they can't be counted on anymore to issue a ruling based on the Constitutional rights of citizens, and it shouldn't be up to them to declare whether or not we can RETAIN the rights that are already ours.
- 12 months ago
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Incredulous
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HSouixZ
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Wow...this probably the most informative thread and video I've run across on Current Tv in my short time on Current Tv.
Mad, mad, mad props to rodstradamus; who is the poster of this video and the compilation of materials and starting of this thread.
I doff my hat to you, sir....dude...it's official...you totally rock!
- 12 months ago
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HSouixZ
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rodstradamus
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HSouixZ:
http://current.com/groups/conspiracy-films/
Check out my group if you want get hardcore. - 12 months ago
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rodstradamus
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figgdimension
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great stuff and very important to what we do all of us thanks for posting
- 1 year ago
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figgdimension
