rflexible Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> To the children whose parents reported taking
> photographs of children playing as suspicions
> behavior,
>
> I felt sad when I read about the police report in
> the local papers that parents reported an older
> man had been taking pictures of their children at
> play in a park. I have children and grandchildren.
> And, I love to photograph activities in our area
> for camera club activities and local publications.
> When I see children at play I see joy, fun,
> movement, and color. It would be wrong to assume
> people taking photos in public are bad people,
> just as it would be unfair to assume you are
> thinking bad things just by looking at you. If our
> freedom to take photographs of people who are not
> family members is taken away, where will the
> photographs of children for books and magazines
> and newspapers come from? Ask your parents to show
> you some of Norman Rockwell’s artwork. He
> painted pictures of children in everyday
> activities that made people smile and laugh. I
> understand that your parents called the police
> because they want to protect you. Maybe you could
> ask your parents how to recognize threatening
> behavior like someone you don’t know offering
> you candy or asking you to get in their car. The
> police did the right thing by saying it is not
> illegal to take photographs of you in public. I
> hope you someday will get interested in
> photography, and have the freedom to make
> photographs like Norman Rockwell’s art.