Are we going to start detaining every tourist who takes pictures of a bridge, or the Statue of Liberty, or the Washington Monument, or any other national landmark that happens to be both a tourist attraction and a potential terrorism target. Has legislation been passed that makes photography of landscapes or landmarks an offense that is probable cause for detention?
What isn't mentioned in this article is that the I-80 bridge is right in the Delaware Water Gap, a very scenic area where the Delaware cuts through a ridge. So the guy did have a tourist reason to be taking photos.
“Are we going to start detaining every tourist who takes pictures of a bridge, or the Statue of Liberty, or the Washington Monument, or any other national landmark that happens to be both a tourist attraction and a potential terrorism target. Has legislation been passed that makes photography of landscapes or landmarks an offense that is probable cause for detention?”
A voice of reason! Maybe this guy bears further watching, but bridges are sometimes just plain photogenic...
“Are we going to start detaining every tourist who takes pictures of a bridge...”
Why did they stop and question him in the first place? They must have had a reason, and since they later ran that info, they must have had a very good reason.
Use your head. No one’s talking about stopping groups of tourists. The cops had more than a hunch but failed to follow through.
“Are we going to start detaining every tourist who takes pictures of a bridge, or the Statue of Liberty, or the Washington Monument, or any other national landmark that happens to be both a tourist attraction and a potential terrorism target. Has legislation been passed that makes photography of landscapes or landmarks an offense that is probable cause for detention?”
No, but if the cops can run our information when they pull us over for whatever, they can check and see if a guy they’ve detained is on the terrorist watch list. Certainly, letting him go and THEN checking seems like seeing if the barn door is closed after you’ve noticed you have no animals left.
You know it's nothing but Bush paying back his big money friends in the post card industry.
Detaining? He wasn't detained. The police asked him what he was doing. Given that he probably looked like his name could be Mohammed, Achmed or Osama, that would seem a reasonable thing to do. Folks who look like they might be named Sven, Olaf, or Helmut are not the current threat.
Check out a middle eastern appearing guy scoping out a bridge, yea that's reasonable, and no violation of anyone's rights. Arresting him, without any other cause, that would be.
Is this the bridge?
Has legislation been passed that makes photography of landscapes or landmarks an offense that is probable cause for detention?
Of course not. But when a wog is acting suspiciously, it wouldn't hurt to check his immigration status and, if irregularities are found, send him south for some close personal attention from the staff at Club Gitmo.
There is nothing special about the I80 bridge over the Delaware Water Gap from an architectural standpoint. So why would someone, who was on the watch list, be photographing an ugly bridge? Other than the fact that this bridge handles a ton of commerce for the East coast. Nice try bud, take another toke and let the adults worry about the security of this nation.
Yes, but only every muslim non-legal-resident, student or illegally ovestayed tourist.
Without question.
You got a problem with that?
If they fit "the profile", Hell yeah! What, are you suicidal or something??
FWIW, Sunshine, I'M keenly interested in me and mine staying alive in the face of this Islamo-freak threat, and if that means a few ME-lookin' "tourists" get grilled by authorities for "taking vacation pictures," that's a price I'll pay in a heartbeat.
And, in the interest of preservation of self and Country, if I run across some muzzie type snapping shots of the Golden Gate, the Transamerica Building, or any other substantive structure around my stomping grounds, I'll be asking them a few thorny questions of my own, and if I don't get satisfactory answers, I'll be on the horn to the appropriate local and Federal authorities.
This is war, FRiend, and "Yes," part of it IS being fought on the home front, and I fully intend to remain vigilant, and do whatever circumstances may require of me to ensure that we achieve complete, overwhelming victory.