I'm a p-h-o-t-o-g-r-a-p-h-e-r

[israel_alanis]

If in a museum is not permission to photograph, I have not the right to photography, anywhere without this restriction, I have the right of photograph anyone, anywhere.

Government is right and wrong as Roger Hicks said, I think we can see it in any country. I wont mention names, just government types, democracy, socialism, communism, dictatorship or any else have many wrongs and many goods, some affect many people in theirs country and others to others country. Now, talking about right, privileges or false right, the good photographers in Irak have the right and privileges to photograph, Now what happened to the photographers I really sorry, but within the subject to which we have arrived, they had the right to be there and capture any scene and governments gave them the privileges to be there.

The right or privileges comes from law, privileges are a extension of right, but but it is imposed or CONSEDE by someone... I prefer to think I have a right.

Regards.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I say good riddance to bad rubbish. Anyone walking around with the Taliban or Al Qaeda gets EXACTLY what they deserve.

Don't Tread on Me Troll...

Dear Al,

So you should never try to understand your enemy? No matter how awful they are (and believe me, I am no supporter of Al Qaeda or the Taliban), there are two advantages to engagement. First, you may begin to discover that some of their grievances (even if only 1%) do begin to make some sort of sense. Second, you may be able to persuade them that some of their arguments are actually wrong. You'll never persuade them that all of it is wrong. but it's still better than bombing them until they're so frightened and so desperate they are unable to think at all, ever.

Journalists are cheap engagement. They can give you useful intelligence. Thinking is what it's about. Slaghtering them because they're "walking around with the Taliban or Al Qaeda" is descending to the Taliban's level: THESE PEOPLE ARE UNGODLY AND DO NOT DESERVE TO LIVE.

Cheers,

R.

 

[israel_alanis]

LOL, Hey Mac, I think you never expect your thread came at this point, do you?
I can not believe many of these comments.

World Peace
Regards.

 

[M4cr0s]

I do not like the way this thread has developed, and I won't chip in on the political chitchat. However, I must ad, that it is my humble, naive belief that journalists/reporters/photographers must and shall attempt to investigate all sides of a case. If you make an image of an Taliban soldier holding the severed head of a NATO soldier, that does not instantly make you a terrorist, or someone that agrees with said Taliban soldiers views.

Photographers specifically are observers (of course one can make statements with images too, but thats sort of a different discussion), it's our job. The moment the general public easily accept the killing of a neutral 3rd party for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, we thread very dangerous waters indeed.

There's hardly any excuse for killing another human being and definitely not any excuse for killing someone that does not even carry arms. Would you like your daughter or son being shot down on the street just because the police "thought" he/she "might" be a member of a gang and possibly carry a concealed firearm because of his/her skin color and clothing?

These things happens in war and we can to a certain extent understand why mistakes may happen, but we can never accept it and never, ever excuse it.

Mac

 

[israel_alanis]

I´m with you Mac.
Regards.

 

[Al Patterson]

Dear Al,

So you should never try to understand your enemy? No matter how awful they are (and believe me, I am no supporter of Al Qaeda or the Taliban), there are two advantages to engagement. First, you may begin to discover that some of their grievances (even if only 1%) do begin to make some sort of sense. Second, you may be able to persuade them that some of their arguments are actually wrong. You'll never persuade them that all of it is wrong. but it's still better than bombing them until they're so frightened and so desperate they are unable to think at all, ever.

Journalists are cheap engagement. They can give you useful intelligence. Thinking is what it's about. Slaghtering them because they're "walking around with the Taliban or Al Qaeda" is descending to the Taliban's level: THESE PEOPLE ARE UNGODLY AND DO NOT DESERVE TO LIVE.

Cheers,

R.

You are correct sir. I tend to get a bit enraged when someone from an unspecified country comes here and lectures me about what my rights should be.

Look, I'm not happy with everything being done to "keep me safe" by the officials in Washington DC, but I don't need to be lectured about it, as we're in what I call "silly season" in the USA right now. Roads are infested with signs from politicians, and you cant turn on the tube without seeing ads for three states worth of potential future office holders at all levels from local to national.

Yeah, it is sad when someone gets caught in the line of fire, but it isn't rocket science to figure out the downside of embedding with the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Heck, embedding with US and/or NATO forces isn't exactly as safe as say taking portraits of babies at Sears.

Yeah, we might do better fighting them with leaflets and schools, but what do we do about the ones too set in their ways to educate?

All I see in the GWOT is a large range of bad choices, and very few good effective ones.

I will try to stay calmer in the future.

 

[dave lackey]

Good on ya, Al...

Now, if we could eliminate political discussion in these threads, we might have a civil atmosphere.