Photographing Dams

Tim May tcmay at got.net
Tue Oct 2 17:25:16 PDT 2001


There have been several panicky calls that "Arabs" were seen at national 
tourist spots, including photographing the Hoover Dam. Some on Usenet 
are calling for steps to "crack down" on these photographers.

This is an article I wrote for Usenet:

This is not the Soviet Union. Anyone may photograph _anything_, except
on a military base or the like. There are no restrictions supported in
the U.S. Constitution supporting bans on photographing, drawing, or
making notes on anything not explicitly forbidden by military
classification laws.

I know that I if I am ever stopped for photographing a dam or a bridge
I hope I'll have the courage to tell the cop to fuck off.  If arrested
on such a bogus charge, things will escalate dramatically and I would
be forced to Plan B.

(Sounds harsh. "They're just doing their job." Nope. They don't have
any legal right to stop persons without probable cause. Looking Arabic
is not probable cause. Photographing a dam is not probable cause. Being
suspicious is not probable cause.)

I realize many of the survivalist and gun owner types are now adopting
the "My country, right or wrong" stance. Not me.

Things are going to get very, very violent if this stampede toward a
police state continues.

--Tim May





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