Rude Student Tasered After Asking Kerry A Question

[yellow_crane]

He was merely speaking truth to power.

Yeah. I bet his role model is Abbie Hoffman.

Lights Camera Action.

It's all been done before.

And to good effect.

Without Hoffman and his honored ilk, would the country have thrown Nixon out of office?

It wasn't the blue-haired baptist gentry in America who influenced our country's great rectification--de-ratting the White House--it was people who were activists who wisely chose a guise of flower children in order to confront the military/industrial complex, with Tricky Dicky in the web's center.

[BT]

Hoffman had zip to do with Nixon being thrown out of office. It was the bookend to Kennedy, part 2 of the coup d'etat.

Hell, Hoffman and the Chicago 7 helped get Nixon elected.

[Brassmask]

Personally, I wish the audience had gotten more involved. 

One article I read said that part of the audience cheered when he was taken out.

One time, I read an article about how people cheered when they hung a black man for whistling at a white woman.  I guess that means that black man was in the wrong.  I must have been reading the article wrong back then.

[Brassmask]

Even an obnoxious, self-promoting ass-hole (IF that's in fact what he was) should NOT have been tasered in the circumstances.

No, only those resisting arrest should be tasered.

And this guy was resisting arrest.

Lesson learned?  Yes.  Lesson?  If cops tell you to shut up, then shut up unless you feel up to mind-boggling pain of electricity coursing through your body.*

*Lesson may result in loss of basic freedom afforded by the Constitution of the United States regarding Speech.

[Brassmask]

"As (Meyer) was escorted down stairs (at the University Auditorium) with no cameras in sight, he remained quiet, but once the cameras made their way down stairs he started screaming and yelling again,"

Boy, doesn't that sum things up, nicely

Sometimes people inspire millions to action by selfish acts.

Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus because her feet hurt and she was tired.  And the only assholes who say different are those who wanted 'em darkies in the back of the bus if they had to be allowed to ride the same bus as whites at all.  I guess that's how you see it, sirs?

Even if this guy was a new Andy Kaufman, he didn't deserve to get tasered.  Or do you think it was a good idea to send a message to anyone who might be considering a rude act soon?

[BT]

There is a thin line between public speech and disturbing the peace. Resisting an order to leave the premises and fighting back escalates the situation. Do you honestly believe Meyer's rights were abrogated?

[sirs]

Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus because her feet hurt and she was tired.  And the only assholes who say different are those who wanted 'em darkies in the back of the bus if they had to be allowed to ride the same bus as whites at all.  I guess that's how you see it, sirs?

Not even in the same ball park.  He was no Rosa Parks, and this was no such effort to bring about the highlighting of some egregious stripping of someone's civil rights.  This was an idiot, trying to make a spectacle of himself in front of the cameras.  And in the process get folks like you, who apparently have no problem in suppressing opposing free speech, via things like the support of the Fairness Doctrine, claiming that not only was his Free speech being violated, but that the Police shouldn't enforce the law.  Just because he had some Anti-war viewpoint you like, doesn't make him Rosa Parks.  Ami hit this on the head early on.  Only those resisting arrest should be tasered..........guess who resisted arrest?

Even if this guy was a new Andy Kaufman, he didn't deserve to get tasered.  Or do you think it was a good idea to send a message to anyone who might be considering a rude act soon?

I think it's a good idea that when you get arrested for disturbing the peace, you best be cooperative.  Unless the goal is to make a spectacle (or in this case, a spectacular arse) of yourself when there's a camera.  I mean, Politicians do it on a daily basis

[sirs]

[Universe Prince]

He was merely speaking truth to power.

And in case some just think him an asshole, to many, and soon many more, he is confronting the locks and chains that have been put in place regarding free speech ever since Bush and Rove and Cheney were elected.

I salute his courage and conviction.

What nonsense. The guy was obviously not there to "speak truth to power". He was there to get himself in a video being manhandled by the police. The news articles indicate he got exactly what he wanted and was happy to get it. He is a liar and a fraud. He deserves dismissal not admiration.

[Universe Prince]

Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus because her feet hurt and she was tired.

I used to think that. But as I recall, Rosa Parks said herself that she was deliberately making a protest by sitting at the front of the bus. But even then, she did not sit down to be seen on camera. She sat down at the front of the bus as a legitimate protest. I cannot put this guy and Rosa Parks in the same category at all.

Even if this guy was a new Andy Kaufman, he didn't deserve to get tasered.

That much is true. Tasers are used far too frequently, imo. But I doubt this guy's stunt is going to do much to change that. That is was obviously a stunt is going to severely mitigate any remorse that might be felt about tasering him.

[Brassmask]

There is a thin line between public speech and disturbing the peace. Resisting an order to leave the premises and fighting back escalates the situation. Do you honestly believe Meyer's rights were abrogated?

I don't believe I ever said his rights were abrogated, I suggested that in the future that others' could or would be because if the powerful don't want to be bothered with pesky questions, all they have to do is have a cop by the mic and if the question or questioner is impertinent then the high sign could be given and the questioner asked to leave or risk tasering.

If we don't stand against possible abrogation and investigate it thoroughly and punish those who may have abrogated then how will we know when actual abrogation occurs?

I can envision being at such an event and asking a question that may fall outside what most in government would deign "normal".  I can also envision getting pissy if the person I put the question to decides to ignore the question based on whatever grounds.  I can also envision myself refusing to leave the mic till I got a valid answer.

What's at stake is accountability for the elected official.  If I'm arrested, there is no accountability.

At what point do I become a peace disturber?  The issue is not technically free speech.  It is actually about government accountability AND abuse of power (whether on Kerry's part [not so much] and/or the campus cops [very definitely, absolutely, should be in jail, yes]).

If that kid had gone up and tried to take a swing at Kerry, then yeah, he should be removed.  If he had gotten in that swing and was going back for more then he might have then deserved to be tasered.  I never saw the kid do anything that deserved tasering.  That was police brutality.  There were between 4 and 6 cops there.  If they can't take him out of the room then there's a problem.  The tasering was pure ego and control issues.  They wanted him to cower and STFU immediately.  We, as citizens, don't have to do everything they say no matter what.

[Brassmask]

Violence is always the answer for you guys.

[Brassmask]

He was merely speaking truth to power.

And in case some just think him an asshole, to many, and soon many more, he is confronting the locks and chains that have been put in place regarding free speech ever since Bush and Rove and Cheney were elected.

I salute his courage and conviction.

What nonsense. The guy was obviously not there to "speak truth to power". He was there to get himself in a video being manhandled by the police. The news articles indicate he got exactly what he wanted and was happy to get it. He is a liar and a fraud. He deserves dismissal not admiration.

You're right.  Gosh it makes so much sense.  He WANTED to get tasered!  That's it!  No problem.  Explained away again.  WHEW!  Yes, dismissal not admiration.  Like that crank Cindy Sheehan.  Or, or like how gays, you know gays, they CHOOSE to be gay.  You know?!?  Yeah, they love being hated and they like being beat up as teenagers and outcasts as adults.  See, its the victims' fault every time!!!

Unless it's America on 9.11.

Or Jews.

Or Christians (who aren't gay).

Or Republican white guys. (even if they are gay sometimes)

[Amianthus]

At what point do I become a peace disturber?

When you're told several times that the event is over and to relinquish the mic.

[Richpo64]

>>You're right.  Gosh it makes so much sense.  He WANTED to get tasered!<<

I don;t think the guy wanted to get tasered (I'm printing up t-shirts that say "DON'T TASE ME DUDE!! as we speak), but it's becoming clear he planned to at least to get arrested. Moments after the incident his friends had his life story up on their web sites (at least that's what's been reported).

Again, this guy is one of the monsters the left has created, and it looks like they've got a problem on their hands.