Longtime media observer Jim Romenesko visited his archive way-back machine yesterday to see what he was writing about ten years ago. Among other items is a Vermont-based story the Rutland-Herald had in November 2001. It seems just months after September 11 a photographer on assignment for the Brattleboro Reformer was seen taking photos of Vermont Yankee and the police threatened him with arrest under a Vermont State treason statute.
Eagle-eyed Vermont Yankee officials saw a photographer taking photos and called police. Rob Williams, the Vermont Yankee spokes-person/flack back then, noted with reassuring gravitas worthy of the times:
“It’s a police matter. We have been in a heightened state of awareness and we’ve been working closely with the Vernon Police Department,” Williams said
Vernon Police Chief Randy Wheelock (who reportedly knew the photographer) and Windham County State’s Attorney Dan Davis referred to Vermont Statute Title 13, Section 3481, titled "Treason and other offenses against the government”:
Davis said he became aware of the treason statute after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and especially after three men of Middle Eastern appearance were seen photographing the Bellows Falls hydroelectric station owned by U.S. Gen.
“I don’t think it’s a good time to be publishing photos of Vermont Yankee,” Davis said. “But I didn’t write the law.”
The relevant Vermont law states that it is unlawful: “while the United States is at war or threatened with war” to map, draw, model or picture without authorization “property of any corporation subject to the supervision of the public service board, or of any municipality or part thereof” punishment calls for imprisonment of not more than ten years.
States Attorney Davis said he would be surprised if this case was prosecuted. The Rutland Herald and others noted then that an image of the Vermont Yankee control room was featured on the VY website.
My sense is that we aren’t that crazy anymore. However, if asked to I am not confident that I could prove it.
It’s treason to take news photos. But it’s OK to imply that anti-nuke ‘arsonists’ are out there (somewhere-where?) playing with matches. You would think there’d be an update on the INVESTIGATION? into the break-in/fire at the Entergy offices, Sept. 20? Serious shit? More serious than a MSM person taking background photos?–NAH…We’re talking TREASON here. It’s treason to look at things, write about things, talk about things. God. I wish it were TREASON to put pictures and soundbites all over the media of some of the shitheads running for office next year.
About being arrested and/or harassed by police for taking pictures. In much of the country, they no longer limit the harassment to people taking pictures of power plants or landmarks (just try taking pics of the Statue of Liberty at the “wrong” time of day); but have expanded to harassing photographers for taking photos of non-touristy things (fo example, one photographer was nearly arrested for taking a long-exposure night picture near an industrial-looking structure (abandoned) at night, so he could get passing headlights to light up the structure from an interesting angle.
We are not only still “that” crazy, we are worse.
And don’t even consider being a photographer in many states if your skin color is not pearly white.
“…but I did not start the fire…”
To be sung to the tune of: “I Shot The Sheriff”
Wow, the statutes on Treason are frightening and very vague. Check out the full Chapter and pay special attention to subsection 3405 in the context of the “Occupy Movement.”
Put aside the following:
1. The statute is unconstitutional on its face;
2. The police and prosecutors know this fact;
3. The United States is not at war and no country is threatening to wage war against us; and
4. The statute despite being unenforceable under the Vermont Constitution, remains available as a fig leaf pretext merely for intimidation-arrests of law-abiding citizens
and consider this:
Should the United States either declare war of another country threaten us with war, I, Caoimhin Laochdha, give you advance lawful permission to take as many photos of Vermont Yankee as you wish.
“Lawful permission” is not defined in this section. It does not limit who may give “lawful permission” does not give an explanation of what “lawful permission” and it is a term that is used in other places to give authority to public and private citizens with all types of related interests to a particular subject. I am as qualified (unqualified? – same thing really) to give this bogus “lawful permission” privilege as anyone else.
The basis for this statute:
This is one more example of cowards writing laws they do not understand,
of cowards writing laws to appear “tough” on dangers that do not exist,
of authoritarian cowards who rather follow the most fearful of sheep instead of defending our rights and liberties, and it is
a statute that can only be used by law enforcement to harm citizens on account of their jobs, their political views or their right to hold the powerful accountable.
As a political descendant of Ethan Allen, I am embarrassed by the language of this statute.
This statute is a reminder that we live in a world polluted with cowards and ignoramuses. Anyone who takes a constitutionally infirm statute like this seriously should move their quaking knees and fearful ass to a police state like the former Soviet Union.
Arbitrary arrests based on fear of liberty have no no place in a our State. It’s happened before, it’s happening now throughout the country and it will happen again if we do not hold our political representatives and police accountable for protecting our constitution and serving our liberty rather than their fears.
Here is a picture from my ‘The Popperville Town Hall’ blog of Vermont Yankee:
http://steamshovel2002.blogspo…
Dial down the page and you will come to my picture. You can click on the picture a few times to magnify it.
I have sent this picture to the nuclear regulatory commission and many state officals have seen this. Haven’t been arrested yet
Practicing motherland freedom from danger is a fundamental necessity of every patriot, and with the new age of information technology, it makes it easy to participate, and fun. Social representation, through practices of tweet and email farming, video and voice recognition technology, can say so much about a patriot, and serves many purposes. For example: it keeps patriots safe, provides information to produce better products patriots deserve, and makes for a more informed humanity. Patriots should practice freedom from danger from the safety of their homes for a lifestyle that benefits the community as a whole, and prevents unwanted resources going to peace curfews. Since patriots are free to stay at home, there are less instances of fire with friendly intent, and the use of reflection isolation,which can be helpful, but is unproductive. Contemplation resorts with nurture questioning can weed out non patriots, and return them to the earth, for the earth. A true patriot wants what is fair for everyone, and adhering to the established facts, results in no one being denied equality.
No one is born a patriot. Patriots are products of their environment, and should be treated as such The only way to be certain of the life and death of any given patriot or product is to be involved with the life and death of that patriot or product, whether it be the birth (or manufacturing), use, or disposal of the patriot or product. A healthy symbiotic relationship to a patriot or product, makes for a more culturally diverse planet, and builds on a model that defines who we are as patriots or products of the world. A well rounded patriot has no reason to question another patriot or product. It is better to know we are all patriot or products of this world. Knowing frees the mind to enjoy being. Variables can lead to indecisiveness, which can be attributed to terrorism. as much as sickness can be attributed to inconsistencies in nature. The only way to protect against indecisiveness is to be in the know, the only way to be properly vaccinated is to be remove from the natural world.
We come into this world alone and we leave this world alone. Living for yourself is the truest way to live. There for living by yourself is even better. There is no danger of distraction from yourself and anti productive moods such as fear of abandonment, jealousy, despair, envy, anger, obsession, sadness, bewilderment. It is the safest way to live. You can’t disagree with yourself. Conflict is unproductive. The only way to obtain genuine individuality is to be at the center of your own universe. Feeling the need for others means there is something wrong with yourself. If doubt is a patriots worst enemy, than freedom is a patriots best friend.