moving in the right direction

A Federal Court has ruled that we can, after all, stand on public property and take pictures of federal buildings.

From the New York Times yesterday:

Under the settlement, announced Monday by the New York Civil Liberties Union, the Federal Protective Service said that it would inform its officers and employees in writing of the “public’s general right to photograph the exterior of federal courthouses from publicly accessible spaces” and remind them that “there are currently no general security regulations prohibiting exterior photography by individuals from publicly accessible spaces, absent a written local rule, regulation or order.”

As a photographer accosted by a security guard while I was taking pictures of goldfinches near a government building once (at least with a digital camera, they don't have to take your camera and ruin your film), I'm very glad to see this settled in the right way. It may be a baby step toward regaining what we've lost in the name of "security", but it is a step.