Comments on: Three more photojournalists arrested on felony rioting charges at RNC

By: sandrar

sandrar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:17:32 +0000

Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog. Cheers! Sandra. R.

By: enhager

enhager — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 23:53:25 +0000

@ TVNewsGuy,
Good point.

By: TVNewsGuy

TVNewsGuy — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:32:35 +0000

>Scott // Sep 3, 2008 at 12:31 pm
>That does make some sort of sense, because if
>a violent riot takes place, officers lives can be
>threatened. Sometimes they just don’t have
>time to distinguish.

So, maybe, next time someone in a uniform who looks like a cop commits official misconduct, the press should paint them all with the same brush. It’s so hard to distinguish… they all look the same.

By: Austin

Austin — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 06:48:19 +0000

I would like to thank all the journalists who are putting their lives on the line for the sake of our freedoms. May you be blessed with a peaceful heart.

The United States of America was founded on the idea that we have inalienable rights and to take a stand against authority that attempts to thwart those rights is one of the most patriotic acts in which citizens can engage. (See Declaration of Independence.) In fact, it is our duty to stand up against authority that denies us rights to life liberty and happiness. China has been a “most favored” nation of the US for over a decade. A nation that prohibits freedom of speech, disallows trade unions and has untold atrocities committed against humanity and the earth for the sake of “progress,’ i.e., making a buck. The oligarchy of wealthy America (both Dems and Reps) is taking lessons from China about controlling the media…the opiate of the people. Thus, controlling what “truth” is told on network TV. (Network=wealthy and powerful)

Quotes to ponder from John Acton:
“The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, or rather of that party, not always the majority, that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections”

“And remember, where you have a concentration of power in a few hands, all too frequently men with the mentality of gangsters get control. History has proven that. All power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

I hope and pray that we never loose our freedom to tell our truths to each other…even when we disagree.

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:02:21 +0000

You know technically, if there is a violent riot, anybody involved with the crowd in any way besides police officers are guilty of instigating riot. That law really needs to be changed.

By: AmateurX

AmateurX — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:16:48 +0000

@Marcos,
I totally agree. I don’t feel there’s any excuse. “riot police” are trained to handle “riots”. That, to me, means they should be looking for those that are actually causing rioting behavior/damage. Not the guy taking pictures. I also find it strange that mainstream media doesn’t pick up on this, but I’m not surprised.

By: Marcos

Marcos — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:26:34 +0000

Please sign this petition so CNN and NBC will actually report on this arrest:

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/dont_arrest_journalists/?r=1376&id=796-369086-JwKdh5x

By: enhager

enhager — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:37:38 +0000

Aren’t professionals trained to distinguish the criminal from the innocent in exactly these types of scenarios? I mean what makes a cop different from a vigilante? This goes back to the argument of “Can you shoot a man 52 times for reaching for his wallet?” Of course you can, but a cop shouldn’t.
And while the media are clearly being assaulted, only these fringe organizations -Reporters Without Borders and Free Pressare – are making a fuss? Where’s SPJ, Poynter, NT Times, IRE, NAHJ etc. etc. Their First Amendment rights, and livelihoods, are being removed in plain view.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:31:46 +0000

That does make some sort of sense, because if a violent riot takes place, officers lives can be threatened. Sometimes they just don’t have time to distinguish.

By: AmateurX

AmateurX — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:24:01 +0000

I agree with Scott. But I did find this interesting:
“It would be very difficult for us in a moment of that kind of chaos to be able to make those kind of fine distinctions.”
It sounds like the police will arrest ANYONE in the area, photographer or not. Think of it like a fishing net.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:07:38 +0000

Ummm, Carlos, I never saw where Harrington said that photography and videography were crimes. You have to remember he’s going off what his officer’s told him, which could be anything.

By: anonn

anonn — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:46:23 +0000

I think this is just like the Bilal Hussein case… you are only attacked if you are telling the other side of the story…..