Photography is Not a Crime

20 responses so far ↓

• 1 enhager // Feb 15, 2008 at 4:50 pm

  It really does look like you are assaulting an old man. Thumbs down. But it does say a lot that you would still post the pictures. Thumbs up!
  One question - in the video, the man, a security guard for the restaurant, did seem like he was trying to escort you off the restaurant’s private property and out of a situation that looked like it was becoming dangerous. At first he wasn’t yelling or shouting or grabbing you, he just took hold of your arm. What caused him to become angry and knock the camera down?

• 2 Carlos Miller // Feb 15, 2008 at 5:06 pm

  He got mad because I wasn’t cooperating with him. I pulled away from him and kept filming.

  You can sort of see that in the video. He’s trying to pull me in one direction and I’m pulling in the other direction because I wanted to keep filming those crazy people yelling at me.

  He had hold of my left arm and I was filming with my right hand. When he knocked the camera down, I impulsively shoved him with my left arm.

  Before that, which you can see on the video, he was practically on top of me.

• 3 Carlos Miller // Feb 15, 2008 at 5:11 pm

  I also didn’t know he was a security guard. It’s not like he is in uniform or anything.

  The cop told me later he was a security guard. I just thought he was another crazy Cuban.

• 4 Ms Calabaza // Feb 15, 2008 at 8:24 pm

  Carlos,

  you went right into the lion’s den. If you were my son, I’d send you a ticket out of Miami for a week to let things cool down. I find it disturbing that people are spreading rumors that could actually be a danger to you, but such is extremist politics. My hope is that your opinion of these “crazy cubans” does not mar your overall opinion of Cubans. This sucks.

• 5 Carlos Miller // Feb 15, 2008 at 8:34 pm

  Ms. C,

  That’s the thing. If I wasn’t born and raised in a predominantly Cuban neighborhood in Miami, I could very well fall into that trap.

  I know most Cubans frown on that behavior.

  Saying that all Cubans are like these people is like saying that all Americans are backwards, tobacco-chewing rednecks singing dixie.

  And I even hate to use that cliche because too many Southerners end up getting thrown into that cliche because of their accent and heritage.

  It’s about actions. It’s about how you handle diversity of opinion. How you handle yourself in public.

  Look at the guy in the beginning of the video. If that were my dad, I would be so embarrassed.

  It’s one thing to protest, but when the only thing that comes out of your mouth are insults, then the message is completely lost.

• 6 Carlos Miller // Feb 15, 2008 at 8:38 pm

  Ms. C,

  And I haven’t even told my mom about all this because she would freak out.

  I am still expecting one of her friends who read about it in El Herald to mention it to her.

  I would like to show her the video, but she tends to be uptight, a trait I definitely did not inherit.

• 7 Rick // Feb 15, 2008 at 9:09 pm

  I still think you’re an idiot, Carlos, but you got some balls, I have to say. There ain’t no one else taking these Neanderthals on out there in the streets…props, man.

  .

• 8 Fantomas // Feb 15, 2008 at 10:54 pm

  Carlos You should have stayed outside the protective barrier…I think you got too close to then that s all…would you have gotten in a KKK protest have gone to the white side…then moved to the black side for pictures .they would have eaten you alive my friend..the cuban elders treated you well …you are still alive totell your story…If you do it again , you will get the same treatmet or worse ..thats life man..dont mess with cubans you will be ok

• 9 Carlos Miller // Feb 15, 2008 at 11:17 pm

  Fantomas,

  Of course I would have gone to both sides in a KKK protest. I wouldn’t be able to resist getting close-ups of the klan.

  And I wouldn’t be able to resist getting close-ups of the angry black crowd.

  And I really doubt the blacks would confuse me for a klansman.

  And if the klansman have an issue with me talking to the black people, well let’s get it on camera.

• 10 Jeremy Tilden // Feb 15, 2008 at 11:51 pm

  Sorry dude, in the first pic, the viejo is just trying to put a spell on you. In the second and third, you are hitting HIM. Don’t be so down on the Santeria and viejos. I don’t think these would help your case in court - they don’t show you getting hit.
  Peace.

• 11 Carlos Miller // Feb 16, 2008 at 12:02 am

  Jeremy,

  There are only two photos. Where do you see three?

  And did you see the video?

• 12 Fantomas // Feb 16, 2008 at 7:55 am

  In the video in the confrontation un viejito must have said something to you and you responded , so are you going to kick me ut of here or smething similar…Dont you think that remark was a little flamable..I think so..You knew the old men were upset , you could have moved at that point but you chose to engage with the old men..dont know the reasoning …what Kind of good picture were you looking at tthe moment ..there was nothing newsworthy photogaphy….a bunch of screming crazy old men…dont get it

• 13 Carlos Miller // Feb 16, 2008 at 8:10 am

  Fantomas,

  I had already been harassed and threatened earlier that morning, so the second time around, I was a little more impatient when one of the old men, who was carrying on the whole day as if he could take on the Red Army, started yelling at them to throw me out.

  And the whole thing is just annoying when I am just doing my job, not breaking any laws, just trying to document something important in my city, to get confronted and told I’m a communist because I was speaking to Code Pink.

  That shit reminds me of Cuba when the locals would be talking to me, then get scared off after seeing cops.

  To me, it’s more than just the video footage of the crazy old coots. It’s about my rights, pure and simple. The right to film and photograph, and the right to socialize with whom I please.

• 14 Carlos Miller // Feb 16, 2008 at 9:48 pm

  Ms C,

  So my mom came over tonight with her friend and I told them everything that happened, showing them the video and the El Herald article and the blog post on El Nuevo Herald as well as the blog post on Los Miquis de Miami, where they accuse me of being a communist.

  And my mom thought the whole thing was funny. Especially the part where I was accused of being a Cuban Intelligence Agent.

  They both laughed out loud at that one.

• 15 Ms Calabaza // Feb 17, 2008 at 11:11 am

  ypu mean your mom believes your not a spy? tee-hee . . .

• 16 Ms Calabaza // Feb 17, 2008 at 12:46 pm

  Congratulations on your very well deserved 1st place finish at blog of the week at SFdb.

• 17 Carlos Miller // Feb 17, 2008 at 2:02 pm

  Ms C,

  It looked like my mom was proud of it all. And she knows how crazy the Cubans can get.

  She wants me to send the video, the El Nuevo Herald article and the El Nuevo Herald blog post to my family in Colombia.

  Thanks for the congratulations. It was an interesting week for me in the blogosphere.

• 18 ant // Feb 19, 2008 at 4:23 pm

  haha, I recognize that guy attacking you.

  he used to be a security guard here at Larkin Community Hospital. never liked the bastard.

• 19 Manuel A. Tellechea // Feb 20, 2008 at 12:17 am

  Carlos:

  Your mother wants you to send that material to Colombia, including the newspaper where you are called an “agent of Cuban Intelligence?” Whatever for? Aren’t you afraid that Colombian Intelligence might take the accusation seriously and place you on some FARC Watch List? I don’t think that would make you a hero down home.

• 20 Carlos Miller // Feb 21, 2008 at 8:23 pm

  Manuel,

  You’re kidding right? The only people who take los viejitos seriously is Radio Mambi.

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