Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

I am an avid supporter of personal rights and it frustrates me when I think of all the rights and privileges we are losing in this nation. It seems you need a permit (all come with a charge of course) to do most anything. You can’t put up a simple fence in many parts of the country without a building permit all because folks kept putting up unsafe fences so the lawmakers decided to regulate them. Think about it, if we in photography don’t start using some common sense and extending some common courtesy the lawmakers will step in. Courts are beginning to rule against the more aggressive paparazzi even now. Maybe we should start giving some thought to how we approach our craft from a moral perspective instead of jumping on the “It’s my right” bandwagon. The liberals in this country swing a big stick and they are all about the good of the whole and have little respect or interest in individual rights. If we continue on the course we’re on and continue to support rude and invasive attitudes and constantly proclaim “It’s my right” I promise the lawmakers will change or at least modify how “your rights” are defined. You don’t think so? Try going fishing or hunting or even buying a gun without uncle Sam’s permission, those used to be common rights as well. Think about it next time you jump to support some obnoxious creep with a camera.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

It's not Uncle Sam as much as cousin Willard. The towns, counties, and states are usually the entities that regulate activities. They do it partly out of public safety and partly to raise revenue. As soon as they start issuing permits, they need people and a building. That costs money, and part of the fee goes to paying salaries and maintaining the facilities. What's left over goes into the general fund.

As much as we all like the thought of "living free," we'd soon find that life without laws would be very unpleasant.

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

Yepper that's exactly what I'm talking about. Soon we'll have law governing the use of cameras in the name of public safety and of course we'll need funds to pay for this regulation. The bottom line is if we don't learn to govern ourselves Uncle Sam or Cousin Willard will be more than happy to step in and take charge.

BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

The people making all these laws are not after the common good, they are control freaks. Their main interest is getting away with forcing others to do something. For example, smoking bans. I don't smoke, but, I was amazed that when our football stadium first went non-smoking, you were banned from smoking in the seating area, which was outside in the open air, but had to go INSIDE under the roof to smoke. Made no sense to me. Now, I have some friends that smoke those goofy steam, non tobacco electric cigarets. They tell me lots of non-smoking places won't allow them to "smoke"those, even thought there is no smoke, no fire, no tobacco. Seems to me any excuse to control others make some folks happy campers. Government will never stop making laws controlling your behavior, it's what they do. Only sticking to the constitution as closely as possible can save us, and that seems highly unlikely.

Annie_Girl Loc: It's none of your business

For many parks and locations there is a permit fee for professional photographers (and some require proof of insurance before they will even think of taking your permit application and fee).

A couple of bad apples have spoiled it for the bunch. If as a group (professional and not) we don't smarten up many locations might change to "no photography allowed" or permit only locations :(

chrisscholbe Loc: Kansas City, MO

Even though I fundamentaly agree with what I think you're trying to say here, be careful.

I also believe that people scream about their "rights" when the issue at hand has nothing to do with "rights". Like, it's my right to smoke. No, smoking is NOT a "right". It's a privilege based on your ability to buy smokes. If it was a "right" the smokes would be provided to you.

WHen you say lawmakers would regulate them.....remember you're talking about the people you elected to do what their constituents want. This is very much a double edged sword.
I agree we have to be very careful.

Basically, it all boils down to the individual.
Do you give the whiner what they want or do you protect everyone else's "rights"? The squeeky wheel get the grease.

We should not let the wants of the few dictate to the many.

P.S. This is NOT a liberal thing. This applies to ALL political parties.

BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Do I have a right to own a house? A pair of shoes? Land? Food? Are you from the USA. No one in the USA provides me with these things, and I always thought I had the right to own private property. I guess not huh?

It's a left right thing. All the way left being government owns and controls everything, all the way right, government owns and controls nothing.

The more government control you want, the more left you are, the more individual freedom you want, the more right you are. It is very much a left/right, liberal/conservative thing. You can screw with the definitions but you can't change the concepts.

chrisscholbe Loc: Kansas City, MO

I'm sorry. I think you completely misunderstood my post.

I am NOT advocating for more government control.

I attempted to say that we elect people to do what WE want.

Unfortunately, WE do not always want the same thing.

This is a basic problem with our system. No matter what they do, they're going to make someone mad.

And it DOES apply to BOTH parties.

Elliern Loc: Myrtle Beach, SC

We recently moved to South Carolina. An article in one of the local papers recently disclosed that SC is one of only 2 states that has not outlawed texting while driving. The reason....according to a state legislator..."it boils down to individual rights and freedom." So what they are saying is the right of someone to text while driving supercedes my right to be safe on the roadways in SC. SC is an extremely conservative and "right" leaning state.
The state law enforcement agencies are lobbying for the law to be changed. Does that mean they are left and liberal?

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

Yes, however this does not mean that everything the left is attempting to do is wrong or bad. Many on the right would also support the liberal in this cause. We have to learn that it's okay for liberals and conservatives to agree on some issues without turning everything into a war. If you look at the congressional attitude on the filibuster for example, when the conservatives want to regulate it the liberals violently opposed it now they want to end it and it's the conservatives who are just a violently opposing it. We've lost sight of right and wrong, good and bad, we just oppose whatever the opposite party is for...and so it goes.

BTW we need to keep this thread on topic which is photographer's rights or Admin will move it to chit chat and then it'll lose all perspective.

dooragdragon Loc: Alma , Arkansas

As it is now here where I live, Most concerts etc forbid anyone but their staff or selected photographers to bring in any camera ( yet I phones and cell phones are in abundance there)
That policy kept me from attending 2 concerts as taking photos at the show of the performers is just as entertaining as seeing and hearing the show .
I purchased a Nikon 50mm lens specificaly for concerts and never got to use it at 1 so far.
Even the rodeo's and PBR are adapting a no camera policy in some areas.

Elliern Loc: Myrtle Beach, SC

I agree with you!
We have lost the ability to work together to get things done. Everything is warfare....even over things that most would agree is good.
Also agree with moving the thread.

billjohdoittoday Loc: Arkansas

You have a right (in the US) to private property. That which you can buy and own. You do not have a right to a house -- unless you can afford to buy yourself a house. You don't have a right to land -- unless you can aford to buy yourself land. I'd say you don't have a right to food, but 47,000,000 Americans are being given food they didn't earn, so perhaps you do have a right to food.

The "right" to property -- The Declaration of Independence was amended from speaking of the rights to life, liberty, and property -- doesn't mean you have a right to be given it; it means you have a right to be secure in the property you have earned. That particular right, unfortunately, is becoming less and less meaningful with each passing year.

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

You don't "own" property in the USA anymore. You rent it from the government, now they don't call it rent they call it property tax. Stop paying your rent (tax) and see how long you keep your property. If you own something that means you have control over it, again not so with property. You own a home and want to build an addition or an outbuilding you better get permission, you want to rent it out? Don't expect to just rent it to whoever you want, there's rules you have to follow...and on and on.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Pepper , your last few posts HAVE lost all perspective. They had not one iota of photography.
It's time to take your political rant to the chit chat graveyard.
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