I spent most of the day trying to decide how I could better react when authorities infringe on my rights as a citizen and a photojournalist. I haven't had too much time to work on it, but figured joining the ACLU was a good start.
[This is a pumpkin on my neighbor's porch. Like a Cinderella carriage my freedom turned into a pumpkin at the strike of a Nazi-fied Patriot Act.]
The Secret Service had me erase my camera's memory card today when I took a picture of them kicking a psycotic man off the steam grate in front of the Corcoran Gallery. They actually used force against me! It was somewhat scary, not that these guys were going to do me any physical harm. (The two that had ahold of me couldn't have run a block without stopping to catch their breath.) It was scary to see the rights i supposedly have, vanish by the hand of two should-be rent-a-cops!
[I felt trapped so I surrendered my fake (or Constitutional) rights as a U.S. citizen. I was caught by surprise. Hopefully next time I'll be better prepared to argue my rights . . . if I find I have any! This cop also tried to compare his being in the Secret Service to being in the Marine Corps. He said that Al Queda was going to come after him and his family if I took his picture. Pointless Fear or Abuse of Power? Either way it's frightening!]
