Is The TikTok Ban Good? Perspective From A Street Photographer.

I don’t have TikTok and I’ve never used it. But 170 million Americans use it an average of 90 minutes per day. That’s a wild number. The House passed a bipartisan bill to ban TikTok. And when BOTH parties push a bill through The House, it raises an eyebrow. The reasoning behind the ban is China. Or so we are told. China is collecting information on us. So let’s just ban it. I don’t buy it. I think it’s an attack on our speech and the speech of 170 million Americans. And the information China is supposedly collecting on us is already widely available for free on The Internet.

Now as someone who loves street photography, I do not support anything that attacks my speech. Street photography is considered free speech and protected by the 1st amendment. So first we ban TikTok, and who knows… maybe public photography comes next. I don’t like it and anyone interested in upholding their rights to free speech shouldn’t either.

I hadn’t thought too much about this but then I watched a video by Glenn Greenwald that opened my eyes to this issue and the real motives behind the ban.

A Few Favorites From El Salvador

I just got back from El Salvador after eight days of cruising around the country with my better half and her family. This was my third time visiting and I’m now starting to feel quite comfortable.

I took a few thousand photos and kept roughly 300. I’m happy with that as my expectations are never too high when I take photos. I know I’ll get some keepers so I don’t feel pressure to create something.

I’m not looking for anything. I have zero plans and just bring my camera and shoot when inspired.

Coconut vendor outside the airport. She was that short, barely over the side mirror.
Salvadorans are hard working people.
Lots of black sand on the beaches.
Statue of the coast of Salinitas at low tide during sunrise.
Standard tourist photo with Gisela.
Taking a shuttle to Laguna Verde.
Mirador off the beaten path near the Ruta De Las Flores.
Daily life.
That streak in the lake is actually dust from the Sahara desert that makes it way across the ocean and looms over Central America.
Little Lizzy showing off her fish.
Low tide off the Bahia de Jiquilisco.
Where to go when you don’t have a Home Depot?
Mirador overlooking many of the countries volcanoes.
Maybe the best way to describe the people of El Salvador. Hard working and friendly.
This guy was so happy for me to take his photo.
Maybe this lady not so much, or I caught her in a bad moment.
High school passion.