important awareness

[Pol]

An update.

Thanks for that link. Our MP hasn't signed yet so I've just written to him and urged him to consider the issue and hopefully add his support.

Pol

I've attached a copy of a letter I've just received from our MP. He's added his support and also written personally to the Home Secretary.

That should swing it, eh.

Seriously though - do please email or write to your MP if he/she hasn't already added their support.

Pol

[Patrick]

Re: An update.

I've attached a copy of a letter I've just received from our MP. He's added his support and also written personally to the Home Secretary.

That should swing it, eh.

Seriously though - do please email or write to your MP if he/she hasn't already added their support.

Pol

Taken your advise Pol and written to my MP.

Patrick

[Pol]

Re: An update.

Taken your advise Pol and written to my MP.

Patrick

Here's hoping you get a positive response too.

I'd only sent a brief email to him and thought I'd probably get no direct reply. I was merely hoping he'd just add his signature. I was very pleasantly surprised when the snail-mail arrived this morning and he'd not only signed but also written personally to the Home Secretary. If he does get in touch again, regarding her response, I'll post another update.


Pol

[Ian]

Re: important awareness

Do Not blame the Authorities or put everything down to paranoia, Blame the terrorists and people that kill and maim innocent citizens, Ask what if one of those "STREET" photographers were really planning an act of terror in which your loved ones would be put in danger, would you be being paranoid? or just careful?

I completely disagree

Our way of life, that so many generations of our predecessors have fought for and developed, should not be skewed by forces that the terrorists have sparked. It's exactly what they want us to do.

Is there actually any evidence that any terrorists have used overt street photography for planning attacks in the UK?

And this whole nonsense about children being photographed in public is another paranoia which is getting out of control. Where is the evidence that kids in the street are being targeted by paedophiles? Maybe we should lock our kids in their bedrooms for their own safety? Oh - sorry, real statistics show that the vast majority of child abuse is entirely contained within the family...

Let's all just be suspicicious of everyone - would make things so much simpler, wouldn't it?

Ian

[Ian]

Re: important awareness

Are you offended by my anonimity or by by what I said? I did not "have a go" at anyone, merely put another point of view, I did read and digest what others, including yourself have said, I did not say that "Street photography should be banned, just that We cannot blame the authorities, whoever they may be, for the acts of the minority called terrorists. Ask youself this, if someone was taking photographs of a shoping center unchallanged, and it was later bombed and your loved one was killed or maimed, if it was then proved to be that the unknown photographer had used the photographs to assess the security and layout of the center for the said purpose of terror activities, Would you not question why the security people/shop keepers or center manager did not challenge the photographer? I think you would.

This simply says to me that you are already a victim of the terrorists, as are those in public office who ask us to be suspicious of people going about their lawful business in public. The terrorists don't need bombs, they just need people like you who defend zealous civil servants run anti-social campaigns in the name of anti-terrorism.

Of course we need to be vigilant - but that's just common sense. When you start to make everyone suspicious of certain sectors of the community, be they photographers, racial minorities, youths, whatever, then things can get very bad. Why destroy the very thing we are trying to protect?

Ian

[Patrick]

Re: important awareness

This simply says to me that you are already a victim of the terrorists, as are those in public office who ask us to be suspicious of people going about their lawful business in public. The terrorists don't need bombs, they just need people like you who defend zealous civil servants run anti-social campaigns in the name of anti-terrorism.

Of course we need to be vigilant - but that's just common sense. When you start to make everyone suspicious of certain sectors of the community, be they photographers, racial minorities, youths, whatever, then things can get very bad. Why destroy the very thing we are trying to protect?

Ian

Well said Ian

Patrick

[Patrick]

Re: important awareness

I completely disagree

Our way of life, that so many generations of our predecessors have fought for and developed, should not be skewed by forces that the terrorists have sparked. It's exactly what they want us to do.

Is there actually any evidence that any terrorists have used overt street photography for planning attacks in the UK?

And this whole nonsense about children being photographed in public is another paranoia which is getting out of control. Where is the evidence that kids in the street are being targeted by paedophiles? Maybe we should lock our kids in their bedrooms for their own safety? Oh - sorry, real statistics show that the vast majority of child abuse is entirely contained within the family...

Let's all just be suspicicious of everyone - would make things so much simpler, wouldn't it?

Ian

Well said again.

Ian

[coupekid]

Re: important awareness

This simply says to me that you are already a victim of the terrorists, as are those in public office who ask us to be suspicious of people going about their lawful business in public. The terrorists don't need bombs, they just need people like you who defend zealous civil servants run anti-social campaigns in the name of anti-terrorism.

Of course we need to be vigilant - but that's just common sense. When you start to make everyone suspicious of certain sectors of the community, be they photographers, racial minorities, youths, whatever, then things can get very bad. Why destroy the very thing we are trying to protect?

Ian

This is a sign of the times I am afraid.

We live in a 'cant do this, cant do that' world. There is no freedom of speach any more. You say anything against an imigrant, or minority, and your branded a racist. You speak out against inmates in prison, and what you say is against their 'civil rights'

Frankly, this country has just about gone to pot in my opinion!

I wanted to take a picture of my daughters first day in nursery, and was stood outside waiting for the wife, with my camera round my neck, and my god, the looks I got. I ended up putting the camera back in the car until she arrived.

It really does come to something when you cant take a picture of a McDonalds sign!

[Patrick]

Re: important awareness

We live in a 'cant do this, cant do that' world. There is no freedom of speach any more. You say anything against an imigrant, or minority, and your branded a racist. You speak out against inmates in prison, and what you say is against their 'civil rights'

Just so, but the rights of the majority, and the law abiding of whatever race, are trampled underfoot.

Patrick

[Pol]

Re: important awareness

It really does come to something when you cant take a picture of a McDonalds sign!

The point is that you CAN take a photo of a McDonald's sign and you can do so legally - provided you're in a public place.

That's why we're all urging our MPs to support the EDM that will hopefully result in firm guidelines for the Police and security services to ensure they act within what is legal and lawful, what is within the law - rather than 'making it up as they go along' ... as a lot of them seem to be doing at the moment and increasingly so too!



Pol

[Pol]

UK Photographers' Rights

I knew I had a link tucked away somewhere.

You can GO HERE to download and print a copy of a .pdf explaining the UK rights.


Pol

[Josh Bear]

Re: important awareness

all,

I wrote to our MP John Redwood. I got this back.

Best Regards

Josh

"Thank you for your email. I do support freedom for people to take photos in public places, and have written to the Minister to take this matter up. EDMs are never debated and have little impact so I think it is more sensible to make Minister consider it."

[Pol]

Re: important awareness

all,

I wrote to our MP John Redwood. I got this back.

Best Regards

Josh

"Thank you for your email. I do support freedom for people to take photos in public places, and have written to the Minister to take this matter up. EDMs are never debated and have little impact so I think it is more sensible to make Minister consider it."

Good on ya Josh!

Another excellent response!

Pol

[Patrick]

Re: important awareness

Good on ya Josh!

Another excellent response!

Pol

I to have had a response not quite as encouraging as your replys.

Copy of the letter attached

Patrick

[Pol]

Re: important awareness

A link to an article on the front page of the BBC UK news website HERE

Another relevant article HERE

.... and HERE

There are more but those are amongst the most recent articles.

Pol