<p>In my opinion, Kai is right to be concerned. We all should be.</p><p /><p>True, there may be more to this incident than has been reported, Donovan, as there often is, but at first blush it appears to be an arrest of a journalist/photographer while observing and photographing on a sidewalk outside a hotel. Normally, sidewalks are not private, they are public. It could be that this was inside a hotel compound and private, but it hasn't been described that way. </p><p /><p>The police state mentality oppressing the free press is very concerning, if the journalists were truly on a public right of way. </p><p /><p>The over-reaching of the police, the suppression of first amendment rights, and the co-opting of our corporate communications giants for illegal searches, are all examples of the slippery slope that comes with giving up some of our our collective, hard fought, civil liberties to fight terrorism. We over-reacted to the terrorist threat at the cost of our !
liberty.
We began to eviscerate our civil liberties with the passage of the Patriot Act, which then Congressman Butch Otter rightly voted against.</p><p /><p>In this bullying of the press at the Democratic convention, we see just another assault on our common freedoms, assuming of course that the incident occurred as the journalists describe it. The politicians may prefer to hide their associations with lobbyists, but if they walk out on a public sidewalk in plain view, the journalists have every right to photograph and report their comings and goings together.</p><p /><p>Bruce Livingston</p><p /><p><br />-----Original message-----<br />From: Kai Eiselein fotopro63@hotmail.com<br />Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:29:16 -0700<br />To: donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com, vision2020@moscow.com<br />Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Freedom of the Press in Denver..NOT!!!<br /><br />> <br />> Donovan, this is just the latest incident of a problem that has been increasing. In many instances, police!
cite
"homeland security" as the reason for their actions.<br />> If you wish, I can list several instances of not just the press, but members of the public who have been harrassed, and/or detained for engaging in activities protected by the Constitution.<br />> BTW, Kia is the brand name of a car. ;)<br />> <br />> <br />> <br />> Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:02:57 -0700From: donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.comSubject: Re: [Vision2020] Freedom of the Press in Denver..NOT!!!To: vision2020@moscow.com; fotopro63@hotmail.com<br />> <br />> <br />> <br />> <br />> Kia,<br />> <br />> So one police officer arresting one reporter in Denver constitutes an end to freedom of speech?<br />> <br />> We weren't there, so we don't know the entire circumstances, and considering this is the only incident on record--I imagine it isn't representative of what is going in Denver. <br />> <br />> Best Regards,<br />> <br />> Donovan--- On Wed, !
8/27/08,
Kai Eiselein <fotopro63@hotmail.com />wrote:<br />> From: Kai Eiselein <fotopro63@hotmail.com />Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Freedom of the Press in Denver..NOT!!!To: vision2020@moscow.comDate: Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 8:00 PM<br />> <br />> <br />> So the whole city of Denver is private property while the convention is in town, Donovan?The reporter was on a public sidewalk, was pushed into and across the street by a cop before being "arrested".The cameraman was told to stop filming while the reporter was being "arrested". THAT is an unawful order.Thankfully he/she didn't stop recording.With very few exceptions a photographer may shoot anything that is in view of public property, people, buildings, cars...even the police. <br />> <br />> Get thousands of games on your PC, your mobile phone, and the web with Windows®. Game with Windows =======================================================<br />> List services made available by First!
Step
Internet, <br />> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <br />> http://www.fsr.net <br />> mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<br />> =======================================================<br />> _________________________________________________________________<br />> See what people are saying about Windows Live. Check out featured posts.<br />> http://www.windowslive.com/connect?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_connect2_082008<br />> </p>