You know, sometimes in life, one has to speak up about things. I was out with a friend this past weekend and he was giving me an account of an incident that had happened in Seattle recently. Being a photographer myself, this hit a very sour note with me and I am compelled to share it with you all.

The July 14 2004 online edition of the Seattle Times had this article about a Seattle man, named Ian Spiers, who was accosted by agents from the American Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency which is a branch of Homeland security while trying to do an assignment for his college photography class. He had asked permission, in advance, to photograph the Ballard Locks at the entrance of a group of lakes near Seattle and then when he got around to taking the photos, someone called the police and then the situation escalated into something that I could not believe. You can read his account of the events here. (Don't forget to read the continuing page linked at the bottom of the first one.)

This brings to mind a link that was provided by Yummy Wakame a while back. However, I suppose that if the government figures you are dangerous - even if you aren't - the rules are thrown out the window.

The really sad thing about the Ian Spiers predicament is that it may well be a case of racial profiling. You see, Ian is, as he puts it, "half black, half Scottish" and that makes him more "visible" than the average white person. There is no reason for this BS to be happening in today's world!

And, as a photographer, I support his efforts. After all, we may soon be unable to photograph anything if things keep going in this downward spiral. I say, Photographers unite!