Saturday, June 19, 2010

Tough

It seems that lawmakers don't like being videotaped while talking with constituents.
Lawmakers are increasingly frustrated with guerrilla-style reporters, bloggers and campaign operatives who ambush them on video to provoke an aggressive or outraged response.

Members of both parties want to see the unedited video of the latest high-profile incident, in which Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.) grabbed a pair of young men with video recorders who asked him if he supports “the Obama agenda.” The lawmakers wonder if he was provoked or a victim of selective editing.
Well, that's tough. Lawmakers work for the citizens and even cell phones have video capabilities nowadays.

If you don't want embarrassing video on the internet, don't embarrass yourself in front of a camera. And, just as in law enforcement, you have to assume that you're always being videotaped.

So, if you're a public servant and don't like being videotaped, find another line of work. Don't whine about it. No one wants to hear it.

1 comment:

Rivrdog said...

I say run this one past Eric Holder. Even that dummy is smart enough to be able to find the (several) case precedents on "expectation of privacy in a public place".

I'll save you the trouble, Mr. Holder: there isn't any such expectation, and hasn't been any in your lifetime.

Get over it.