[Orion]

I say round up all white males between 30 and 40, accuse them of an unusual interest in aviation, receiving training in fleeing the scene of a non-crime, strip them of their citizenship, and hold them until this undefined, undeclared war is over.

[Principled]

Why would anyone want to do that?

[SSN558]

say round up all white males between 30 and 40, accuse them of an unusual interest in aviation

I had a guy in my project group at school that was an aviation buff about 15 years ago. He liked to park off the West end of Mather AFB and take pictures of B52's. One night without warning the FBI raided his parents home. They took his computer, the carburator for his ford pinto, the family TV, his camara and pictures, and our class project. Another dangerous white male put out of action. We used to refer to him as comrade, after that.

[piasa]

I've photographed airports and planes for years, sometimes the aircraft owners came out to talk, most times no one paid any attention, but only once did a cop inquire as to what I was doing. It didn't occur to me to flee from the owners or from the cop- why on earth would anyone just out snapping photos and minding their own business get nervous if a cop or airport security asked them what they were doing? Why would we even care if security showed up? The cop and I ended up just BS-ing together watching the Nat'l Guard fighters do their thing for a while before he got a call and left.

If you want to get people real excited go walk around on railroad property and see how quick the privately-hired cinderdicks will check you out. When I was a photographer for a local paper I went out to take shots of overturned trains after a tornado. No one was around, or so I thought. The railroad cars were empty, most just boxcars and coalcars. Within about two minutes I was looking at a big black guy with a gun strapped to his hip- railroad security. Running didn't even become an issue, and it didn't occur to me to avoid the security guy as he came closer. He asked my name and what I was doing, let me take some more pictures and made sure I left so he could continue his beat.

Now I'm just an artist who goes around snapping pics for my files of just about everything, and I imagine when I pick up roadkill specimens or plants or whatever, it might make people curious. I have to make sure that sample-taking is legal and be aware of other people's property rights at all times, even getting permission for taking photos of their farms and buildings as a matter of courtesy. (I don't want people to see me taking snapshots of their buildings and make them lose sleep wondering who I was or what I was up to.) I meet people all the time and have yet to run away and no one has ever confiscated my film or notes.

Last time I checked, taking photos was OK... but running away from security is a justifiable reason for them to come looking for you, just as zipping off when a landowner spots you out by his mailbox or his livestock gives the landowner a reason to call the sheriff out to let him know a stranger's been around and to keep an eye open. All this is as it should be. People have as much a right to know who you are and what you are doing if you are out snapping photos of them or the property they are entrusted to protect, as you do to take photos of things that aren't your exclusive property.

[Bush2000]

I say round up all white males between 30 and 40, accuse them of an unusual interest in aviation, receiving training in fleeing the scene of a non-crime, strip them of their citizenship, and hold them until this undefined, undeclared war is over.

Since when is it illegal to take pictures of aircraft?

[ClancyJ]

I say round up all white males between 30 and 40, accuse them of an unusual interest in aviation, receiving training in fleeing the scene of a non-crime, strip them of their citizenship, and hold them until this undefined, undeclared war is over.

I agree. About time we got serious about this terrorist stuff.