Sorry for the long silence. What's got me fired up today...just the further erosion of our civil liberties, that's all. I came across this article in the British Journal of Photography http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=836675
about legislation due to come in on 16th February in the U.K., the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008, which amends the earlier Act in 2000. Under this law, anyone taking a photograph of a policeman could face up to 10 years in prison. 10 years. For snapping a cop! Why you'd want to, really, I don't know; but still, that seems to me a little ridiculous. And apparently it's already been put to good use, stripping photographers at protests of their cameras and footage.
And then I came across this column by the very readable George Monbiot (whom I've almost forgiven for having several allotments in a city with huge waiting lists on every bit of green growing space, and I should know. I mean, the aim of allotments is self-sufficiency, right? How many does he need?) http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/05/anti-stalking-liberty-central
It's all about how the original anti harassment law, the 1997 Protection from Harassment Act, has now been liberally reinterpreted to allow it to be used against, you guessed it, peaceful protesters. Maybe 'liberally' was the wrong choice of word here. The people to be arrested under this act have, so far, been protesters and not stalkers (the original target of the legislation). I'm not a very political person. I'm left-ish leaning I guess, but you know what? I don't hate policemen. What I do hate is the government-generated culture of fear and their chipping away at civil rights and liberties in the name of 'fighting terror' (wtf? How do you fight an EMOTION?) and making us all safe little citizens.