I saw this on a site this morning, I have to get on this bandwagon…
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY is such a problem in the US, I suggest we Highly regulate the ownership of cameras. Here is my proposal:
Anyone who wishes to buy a still camera must first get fingerprinted, and have a thorough background check / mental health screening done, in order to prove the person is not a known sex offender. You must also prove “good cause” and give proper reasons why you NEED a camera. Simply stating that photography is your hobby is not a good enough reason to warrant a permit to purchase or carry a still camera.
Video cameras are another issue. Did you know that video cameras can take up to 30 photos EVERY SECOND?? In order to own one of these, you must first submit to a full mental health screening, and your local law enforcement authority must approve of you before you are allowed to own one. You must also give “proper cause” as to why you need such a camera. It must pertain to your job in most cases, and be an absolute necessity for your employment.
High capacity memory cards are particularly dangerous, and should be banned all together. They can take, and store, literally THOUSANDS of photos of naked children. Who would need so many photos anyway? If limiting the capacity of memory cards to say, 10 photos, saves just 1 child from being illicitly photographed, it is worth it.
Now teachers and day care providers…They should not be allowed to own a camera, or a camera phone, even in their homes, let alone being able to carry one on their person while at school. Schools are simply too sensitive of an area to risk a possible sex offender / child pornographer having a camera around so many children. Schools should be NO CAMERA ZONES. Period.
Concealable cameras, such as camera phones, should also be banned, as they can get into sensitive areas undetected, and take illicit photos of children all too easily.
Please, we need to have an open discussion regarding the regulation of cameras, video cameras, and high capacity memory cards. It is the only way to prevent our children from being victims.
Some of you will say we can’t do this because cameras are covered under the 1st Amendment. But it doesn’t say anything about HDTV digital still and video cameras, which can be used to take as many as 60 images every second AND transmit those images across the internet in real time.
No, it’s time to open up this discussion. For the children.
Do you get it now?