UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

Common sense dictates when to take the shot, in the situation Rocco was in there was absolutely no alternative.
He handled it properly.

joehel2 Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

I would have done the same thing you did but considering how moved you were by the emotion of the scene, could your photo haved moved 50 or 5000 people the same way?

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

I can't see why guns should have any play in this discussion, Rocco made no mentionof one. The WWII museum is a public venue in New Orleans. The gentleman in the wheelchair was experiencing a private moment upon leaving. I would say he earned his privacy.

Callihan

Sometimes words are worth more than any picture.

Callihan

Sometimes words are worth more than any picture.

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

Joe, I think it is a moot point.
Ones personal grief, pain, misery, loss is not something to be shared among 50 or 5000 or even 5 people especially in the form of a covert picture.

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

Public in the sense of a city owned building only, but it requires the payment of a fee to enter and see the presentation. Therefore becoming a private event only by payment. Being city owned property, no guns are permitted.

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

Take the shot and be damned for being a cruel obnoxious individual that would intrude on a veterans private moments of obvious grief. There are times when common sense if expected to prevail.

Unknowingly, he could possibly have recognized a family member or a close personal friend in the film presentation.

I've personally seen it several times, the first time brought tears to my eyes. Watching the film brought back memories of several conversations I had in the past with my Father, a veteran of D Day. To actually see some of the reality of what we had discussed ripped into the depth of my heart. Bodies covering a beach, boatloads of troops gone in the blinding blink of an eye.

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

Hey Rocco, I didn't intend to hijack your post, it's just that there are times when a response is necessary, I found this to be one of those times.

The next time your down this way the cold one is on me!

ebbote Loc: Hockley, Texas

Rocco, you did the right thing, not many like you around.

anotherview Loc: California

You correctly identified the act of photography as intrusive, and followed your judgment of the moment. I applaud you.

billgdyoung Loc: Big Bear City, CA

I’ve wrestled with your question for the last hour. In your heart, I’m sure you did the right thing…

I think I would have taken the picture, but I wouldn’t have stood right in front of him and his family with flash ablaze. After taking the picture, I would have waited till I thought the instant emotion had settled a little, then approached the man and family and respectively asked them if I could show them the image… if they said no, I would apologize for the intrusion, and delete the image. If they wanted to see the image, I would have shown it to them and offered to send them a print of the image… and told them that I had no intention of capitalizing on the picture. If that had been MY dad in the wheelchair, I would want the picture… I’m sure the family wouldn’t forget the reason for the tears, but I’m also pretty sure they didn’t break out a camera to record the dad’s emotion either. That instant in the family history could have lived forever and been something that their next generations could see. By the way, I’m one of those vets from Viet Nam who can’t even think about the Wall without dropping a tear or two. On the other hand, I applaud you for what you didn’t do… make any sense?

charles brown Loc: Tennesse

Rocco:

I think that you made the right decision. You received many thoughtful responses and even those who said take the picture made valid arguments for their point of view. To expand on this discussion, I think the wi fi capability of the new generation of cameras will eventually cause many so called public spaces to examine if not change their policies governing the taking of photographs. And most likely the issue will end up in the federal courts.

d2b2 Loc: Catonsville, Maryland, USA

Rocco,thank you for doing the respectful thing. Although, on the other hand, I probably would not have faulted you for doing otherwise, because although it was a privately, emotional event, you were apparently not being physically intrusive. I will admit I find myself to be incredibly angry at a reporter who sticks a microphone in the face of someone who has just had a memember of their family murdered, and asks, "How do you feel?" Yours was a much more difficult question to answer, particularly in the instantaneous manner in which you had to make that decision.

amehta Loc: Boston

Just to be clear, I wasn't the one who introduce guns in the conversation. And I was having a discussion with Bobbee where I would NOT have taken the picture.

The forum keeps things cleaner by not automatically pasting the entire thread in any reply, but sometimes it makes it difficult to follow what transpired. :-/