Photographing cows or other farm scenery could land you in jail under Florida Senate bill

Photographing cows or other farm scenery could land you in jail under Senate bill

Taking photographs from the roadside of a sunrise over hay bales near the Suwannee River, horses grazing near Ocala or sunset over citrus groves along the Indian River could land you in jail under a Senate bill filed Monday.

SB 1246 by Sen. Jim Norman, R-Tampa, would make it a first-degree felony to photograph a farm without first obtaining written permission from the owner. A farm is defined as any land "cultivated for the purpose of agricultural production, the raising and breeding of domestic animals or the storage of a commodity."

Media law experts say the ban would violate freedoms protected in the U. S. Constitution. But Wilton Simpson, a farmer who lives in Norman's district, said the bill is needed to protect the property rights of farmers and the "intellectual property" involving farm operations.

Simpson, president of Simpson Farms near Dade City, said the law would prevent people from posing as farmworkers so that they can secretly film agricultural operations.

He said he could not name an instance in which that happened.

Why own a camera at all?.

Why is it that people don't get more outraged at such nonsense? I keep looking for evidence that we are not a Banana Republic... What an exercise in futility.

Hmmm- I was always under the assumption that anything you can see from a public roadway or walkway you can photograph.....

This makes no sense whatsoever. I wasn't aware that farmers or horse breeders had "trade secrets" that others in like fields don't also have, variations on the same theme or not.

I smell Monsanto here.

Oh, come on now...we have definitely gone beyond ridiculous.

Is the state of Florida so afraid that personal vacation photos will be used to "make money" that
they will not have access to?

Reasoning it out that it is to keep the workings of private farms basically away from terrorists doesn't
cut it. If someone is a terrorist, they will get what they are after and no one will be the wiser.

Yeah...I have a feeling that Florida is worried that someone is going to make bank on their beautiful scenery and
want to keep that from happening. They have Disney World, Universal Studios, countless tourist attractions
that they can make money off...just start charging people more to come to your state, a tourist tax, tell them that
cameras are not allowed, tell them to buy their vacation memories from you at a set price....and I betcha you'll just
"love" the response you get.

so....we can't take pictures of buildings in DC, can't take pics of our baby's first bath, can't take pics of horses grazing..hay bales...police arrests/accident scenes..and to think I just purchased a 2K camera!

Distinctions between private and public spaces are effectively meaningless.

Note this is intended to be a felony.

I think that's a just result, don't you? Lose your ability to vote, own a firearm or miss many other "privileges", because you like to take pictures.

I see a two fold purpose:

1. When they start terrorizing farmers and taking away their land you won't be able to film them doing it.

2. You won't see the horrific conditions of our food supply and all the poisonous chemicals being injected every step of the way from the earth to the shelf. They are mass sterilizing the population through the food supply and do not want to be exposed.

“…The first task is population control at home. How do we go about it? Many of my colleagues feel that some sort of compulsory birth regulation would be necessary to achieve such control. One plan often mentioned involves the addition of temporary sterilants to water supplies or staple food. Doses of the antidote would be carefully rationed by the government to produce the desired population size.” – Paul Ehrlich, The Population Bomb, p.130-131

This is not conspiracy it is published fact. They want to sterilize the whole world and reduce the population over 95%. See it in their own words on my thread here: ats thread link.

this seems to be a ploy to stop people snapping things they don't want the public to see, like battery hens or GM crops.

pathetic, this is simply pathetic.

I wonder if this proposed bill is in response to something PETA did. To me it sounds like it could be, because they are known to go undercover and film horrid conditions.
I can not see this passing. A felony? that is just crazy.

Two thoughts

The first...damn our founding fathers for not including the "freedom of sight" into our constitution...what the heck are they going to come up with next?

And. Two...I wonder what would happen if I set up an easel, and a canvas, and proceed to paint a farm landscape...I should just to make a point. Please!!! Drag me off to jail for painting a landscape.

of coarse it will pass just like all the other junk bills, you guys will allow it to happen ok I fine with that please squeeze me some more, oh great government of mine, take care of us were too stupid lol, brain washed MF

so does that not also mean it would be a crime to take any satellite photo of a farm also, without written permission of each individual farm owner. the government would be breaking their own rules yet again.

Also on the same subject google, would surely have to also get permission for farms to appear on a next edition of google earth, possibly leaving large blank spots on the map.

or am i just getting the wrong end of the stick for this subject

We need to make an ever growing list of things we aren't supposed to take pictures of.

then again maybe it will be easier to make a short list of things we can take pics of.

Getting crazier by the day.

Originally posted by Skippy1138
Hmmm- I was always under the assumption that anything you can see from a public roadway or walkway you can photograph.....

I don't think that is quite accurate. Could you imagine people standing out front of your house on the "public roadway" taking pictures of you inside your house? I don't know, I've never really looked into it, but that would be darn creepy. Having said that, this new bill is ridiculous...like someone else said, why bother to have a camera at all?

Michelle

Originally posted by Taupin Desciple
This makes no sense whatsoever. I wasn't aware that farmers or horse breeders had "trade secrets" that others in like fields don't also have, variations on the same theme or not.

I smell Monsanto here.

yes man !! I smell that very stinking GMOnsanto also !! they do not want you to take pictures of GMO's in the fields !!!! that is the reason of course !!
come on, for christ, what a very very crazy society up there in US ...... not the people but some politicians are completely becoming crazy but they are just getting lots of $$$$$ from big corporations to make such laws you know ..... but why does the US people not revolt against such stupid laws ??? Never try that in Europ, in France would be impossible to vote that kind of laws you know .....
man man man .... where do we go ..... wrong direction for sure !!!

reply to post by Michelle129th


Actually, for the most part, he is right.

You can photograph into someone's home from a public place. You can't have any reasonable expectation of privacy under such circumstances. It's why exposing yourself *from* your home can get you into trouble.

Reply to post by Wetpaint72

9th Amendment, friend.


The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.



Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

As a photographer I can say this could not be enforced. I have taken many farm scenes, sometimes off the property at the fence line, other times an invite to photograph. I have also taken photos of houses, not because I am prying but I like the historical architecture of old homes. I didn't stand out there forever trying to focus in the windows - a couple of quick shots and that was it. Photographers have rights - I will see if I can find a copy of such.

First they tell us we can't have gardens and now we can't photograph - I thought this was a free country, I am beginning to wonder.

reply to post by toolstarr


Yes. The bill is directed specifically towards the 'efforts' of PETA and other like-minded 'organizations' ... not the average individual or tourist [group] out site-seeing, wishing to capture a particular scene or landscape for posterity's sake.

Personally,
I don't think it's got a snowball's chance in hades of passing ... unless, possibly, if they reword it to be more specific with regards intent and/or purpose. (?)

Still,
I'd have to say that perhaps the corps, farmers, etc. be more diligent in policing their own ranks as opposed to reliance on psychobabble legislative 'protections' like this type shyte bill.
:shk: