That someone is using a made up law to stop me taking a photo of my child

[Spero]

My daughter is in her first ever drama festival. She is very proud and nervous. I want to take a photo of her. I am told I cannot due to the 'Child protection Act'. I am a family lawyer. I have never heard of this Act. Nor has Google.

So the objection is not that I may disrupt proceedings with annoying camera but that the mere act of taking an photo of my own child is somehow a child protection issue.

I am angry - not so much that I can't take a photo of my precious first born, but for what this reveals about the sloppy muddleheaded approach we seem to have about what 'child protection' really means.

AIBU to be so cross? Am contemplating stern letter of complaint. Making up legislation really isn't on.

Limited - yes, yes, and yes again.

I've recently been doing some research into the Battle of the Beanfield, and the slow erosion of legal rights that began then, and it's chilling. Which is one of the reasons I mind about the petty stuff so much, because it all begins there. No one minds if we pass some laws against some unwashed hippies oh no, that's fine. And then we spread the net a bit wider, and then, oh look we need another law.

The first is that a child on the stage is under child protection and must not be "outed" in any way

You do realise this only applies whilst proceedings are on going? Otherwise, no such law.

Catsrus, stop trying to muddle the issue with facts and reason.

Here are pictures of my DOGS. Much better than your cats. And, provocatively lounging on MY BED. Which is probably illegal. And if isn't, it should be.

Can't help it Spero, my mother was a full Vulcan so I'm Spock-like in my application of logic . you think I'm joking but it's true

I think there can be sound ethical reasons to implement a no photography / controlled photography rule in some cases (which is why we did what we did - it was around creating a safe space for experimental work so the students had to feel the safety of being able to veto the images) and there is no need to appeal to made up laws. It's about getting clarity of thought and then clarity of action and then clarity of explanation for the action.

My dog is too scared of the cats to risk coming into my study never mind lounge on the bed. If they come into his kitchen he barks at them but they know who's in charge and it's not him

Thought you might be interested to see this email from HQ

Hi there Spero,

We hope you're well.

We wanted to chat about your posts on your recent thread because we've received a lot of reports about them.
Some other posters feel you are posting in a way which could be considered as 'bullying', often involving other posters.
Because of this, other posters feel they are being pushed out of the thread.

This style of posting could be considered as inflammatory and quite rude.

Our aim is to make parents' lives easier by pooling and sharing advice and support, and we ask members to respect each other's opinions, even when they don't agree with them. We do understand that everyone can get a bit het up on the internet from time to time, but we'd be grateful if you could be a bit less rude and inflammatory in future.

Thanks and best,
MNHQ

I wasn't allowed to film my son swimming his first length in our local pool - for 'child protection' reasons - he was the only child in the pool. It's ridiculous.

And here's my reply
Can you give any examples of when I have been 'rude and inflammatory'?

The problem is, I don't accept that is how I do post. I post my opinion.

If people feel they are being 'pushed out of a thread' that is really sad but not I think anything to do with me.

If my style is unacceptable, I am not going to change it, so perhaps you had better simply ban me?

regards
SP

So I guess either this thread is going or I am.

Its been a fun 8 years! If I disappear tomorrow, its been fun knowing you and thanks for the thread - I think it was useful.

not on that is down right ridiculous. Just

I think if you are banned it will be very bad spero

What is bizarre is that there were at least 20 really offensive personal posts about me, which I didn't report because I don't see the point.

Yet, because I don't go crying to HQ that's ok?

Frankly, from the passive aggressive tone of that email I thought I had hit the wrong button and ended up at net mums.

'would you mind not being so rude and inflammatory'.

Really? really? Who is writing this stuff.

Say it on the thread. Don't send me these ridiculous emails.

How can you 'push people out of a thread'?

And 'rude' is warning-worthy? Well I never.

By being 'rude and inflammatory' apparently.

Utter nonsense. Join in or don't join in. But don't be rude to me and expect a sweet reply.

Having got a non sweet reply, don't go crying off to HQ.

This is utterly ridiculous.

What???? That is ridiculous. i really hope you don't go spero. This is one of the most interesting threads I've seen in a long time and I think it's vitally important that people start to understand what is at stake here. You have been trying to explain over and over again to people who fundamentally misunderstand the position you are coming from due to their ignorance of legal process.

I have been much, much ruder on many occasions in 8 years and this is the FIRST time I have ever been emailed. 'thanks and best' - is this a joke??

If this is the way things are going to be then I think my grief will be controllable if/when I am banned.

You have indeed been much much ruder in the past, Spero

But what with it being the internet and you not being actually present to slam the laptop lid down on our fingers we tend to just carry on typing at you

This has been a very interesting discussion, so thanks.

i hope the thread stays, even if i stopped posting and reading it, but dip in occasionally. it goes on and on, and on and on.
i wouldnt dare argue with the op though

What? What? What?
This is utterly daft.

An interesting and intellectual discussion being derailed by pretendy 'bullying' nonsense.

I call bollox and urge you, Spero , to keep posting your pseudo-rude and elegantly argued style.

It's the irony wot done for you Spero [glum]

Me, I loves a bit of irony, I do.

And what hancat and Norks said.

Eh? Wot?

Since when is an argument well made 'rude and inflammatory'??

Weirdness.

Although, am actually quite cross about your email - "Bullying" FFS?!?

thank you for your kind words.

I am sad that anyone feels 'pushed out' but also bemused because
a) we are not 8 years old and
b) this is not the playground of the local primary school.

But hey ho. Enough of making it all about ME enjoyable though that always is.

If I am still here and I get a reply to my letter, I will let you know the response. If you don't hear from me again, you will know that the axe has fallen on my bullying and inflammatory ways.

It's been emotional.

That is an utterly ridiculous message from MN. If they thought your posts were objectionable presumably they would have deleted them. They haven't. They can't have it both ways.

The people I have noticed leaving the thread are people who were very aggressive towards Spero, suggesting she was stupid and worse because everyone knows that it's illegal to take photos of your children under the Child Protection Act. And when she asked them which bit of the Protection of Children Act prevents this, they have disappeared. Since when was it rude and inflammatory to be asked to back up an assertion like that? If people have felt "pushed out" it's because they have put themselves in that position. It's not Spero's fault if they haven't got the courage to accept they could be mistaken.

There needs to be a way of reporting stupid messages from MN!

I don't get the accusation of bullying either. Disagreement - well argued, eloquently expressed - is one of the things that brought me here and keeps me here. Disagreement isn't bullying.

Actually, I have in effect "reported" MN to themselves by clicking the report button on their quoted post (though maybe I should simply have reported my own post) and giving them my views on their message. Perhaps others might like to do something similar?

Oh for goodness sake. You would think people would be embarrassed of themselves.

I've also received some hideous insults, but I don't go trying to HQ complaining that I've been bullied. Its a board for discussion, so I use that well known discursive technique in place of insults back or going crying to someone wailing that it isn't fair.

Do some people really not care what they other people think about them?

I do think though that increasingly internet discussion boards are becoming a repository of some of the more ahem unusual members of society. Personally, I'm on here because I enjoy discussion, and funnily enough, I quite enjoy discussing my own subject field, which is the Law.

Imagine being actively discouraging a lawyer to discuss the law. Its farcical.