Comments on: When Cops & Cameras Clash: 1st amendment issue

By: Matthew Vanecek

Matthew Vanecek — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 04:39:00 +0000

There are no circumstances under which police can ethically abrogate our 1st Amendment rights. The existence of laws contravening the 1st Amendment should be challenged and such laws struck down.

There are circumstances under which an intelligent journalist community would/should limit itself. E.g., the movements of a SWAT during a hostage crisis should really not be broadcast on live TV such that the perpetrators would see the movements occurring.

By: Jeff Willey

Jeff Willey — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 13:15:00 +0000

I think the biggest problem here is that everyone has a fundamental misunderstanding of the law.

On the one hand, there are a number of police officers that genuinely seem to believe that you cannot photograph them or that they have been granted some kind of right to suspend the 1st Amendment as they see fit because it is a public security issue.On the other hand, you have folks that believe their 1st Amendment rights are all encompassing and protect them under all conditions.As enforcers of the law, the police should have a more thorough understanding of the laws they are charged to enforce. New anti-terror laws and a general willingness to exchange rights for the impression of security recently do not help this situation. Short of a rash of firings and incarcerations for illegal arrests, though, I think we will continue to see these problems until there is more widepsread media coverage.

By: Giantleap

Giantleap — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 06:43:00 +0000

I would think that being a journalist, you would want to know the whole story…or at least report it. I happen to know that cops don’t arbitrarily walk up to cameramen, yell phrases like that, then arrest them. Got any more info?

By: Craig Hartel

Craig Hartel — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 03:28:00 +0000

Police live under major scrutiny every single day – and that’s how it should be. They are some of our most trusted citizens, and they are supposed to serve the public. They don’t serve the government or corporations. They are human beings and not perfect, but they wield all of the power in a situation with a regular citizen. They should be protecting us against abuses of basic rights which are entrenched in the constitutions of many countries.

I believe we must stand up to this no matter what. If we don’t, we’ll soon find that we have fewer and fewer rights all the time.

Also, it wouldn’t hurt to catch some video of the police doing something right, would it? Most police are good people; they are also our friends and neighbours, so I think that it’s only right that while we hold them to account, we also give at least equal time to showing the great work that they do.

By: Roman

Roman — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 02:20:00 +0000

In Miami Beach I framed with wide angle lens three police officers on bicycles chatting. One jumped on me but other stopped him right away, explained him something in Spanish and they all left.
I think there is a problem with police recruitment and unstable people with anger management problem are not sorted out.
They have low self-esteem and need to proof their value to the world.