Update: A Reporter is outraged. What a wuss. It's fine if it's legal, as long as someone doesn't like it, I guess. That makes no sense at all. She was turned in by a colleague. Figures.
Now, she’s free to do whatever she wants on her free time as long as it’s not illegal. I have no problem with that. But, as a parent, I find the picture disgusting. I wouldn’t want her teaching my child! Gun play in that fashion is not a joke. If it had been a picture of her out hunting, shooting a deer…fine! I have no problem with that. But, to be pointing a rifle like that right at the camera, looking through the scope!!! Why?
If you're a teacher it seems: h/t Say Anything for larger sceencap.
BEAVER DAM (WKOW) -- Beaver Dam school officials placed a middle school teacher on administrative leave after discovering a photograph of the teacher with a gun on the teacher's Facebook page.
In the photo, teacher Betsy Ramsdale is training a rifle at the camera.
Ramsdale emailed 27 News in response to our inquiries saying she "removed the photo immediately" and that she is not "interested in any controversy." Ramsdale did not comment on her motivation for posting the photo.
To deter employers from viewing social networking pages, employees might post on their pages legal terms of service under which employers agree to scram. This idea should not be taken as legal advice for any particular situation, just a topic for public discussion. Details: http://hack-igations.blogspot.com/2007/11/privacy-advocates-such-as-nyu-professor.html --Ben
Posted by: Benjamin Wright | Sunday, February 08, 2009 at 04:15 PM
"by a concerned staff member..." The word 'concerned' has morphed into newspeak these days. Frightening stuff.
Posted by: Jake | Sunday, February 08, 2009 at 07:44 PM
Not to be too much of a gronch about it, but I've taken several pictures like that. Of myself.
You use a delayed shutter on the camera, and take it in a mirror. Nobody other than the person holding the weapon is involved. Hardly a danger to anyone or anything, except the mirror.
OTOH, I have taken that kind of picture of someone else, too. If I've checked the rifle, and know for sure it's empty? Not a problem at that point. I have enough respect for my life, even if I know for sure that the person holding the rifle would never pull the trigger.
But an empty rifle, if all involved are SURE that it's empty, is not a weapon. It's a club, and not a very good one.
FWIW, I prefer a 20 degree angle off the muzzle, but let's not go into some form of PSH here. You usually have better judgment than that.
Posted by: jefferson101 | Sunday, February 08, 2009 at 08:14 PM