Speak up, get tasered

[Texrat]

A student at U of Florida asked John Kerry some tough questions, and got manhandled/tasered for daring to do so. Some will defend the overzealous cops because the student went over his alloted time, but the fact remains John Kerry asked them to let him finish.



GAINESVILLE, Florida (AP) -- A University of Florida student was Tasered and arrested after trying to ask U.S. Senator John Kerry about the 2004 election and other subjects during a campus forum.

http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/2007/US/09/18/student.tasered.ap/art.taser.kid.ap.jpg

Videos of the incident posted on several Web sites show officers pulling Andrew Meyer, 21, away from the microphone after he asks Kerry about impeaching President Bush and whether he and Bush were both members of the secret society Skull and Bones at Yale University.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/18/student.tasered.ap/index.html#cnnSTCText

IMO that sucks royally. :mad:

[rossmum]

Wow, ok.

Remind me, how did they become cops, again?

[Emmzee]

This is super old.

[Texrat]

Nope. Just happened, MZ.

[Emmzee]

Nope. Just happened, MZ.
Really? I remember hearing something just like this a couple years ago.

Must be déjÃ* vu.

[Haloking365]

Cops: -rep
Kid: +rep and a gold star!

[Texrat]

Really? I remember hearing something just like this a couple years ago.

Must be déjà vu.

A student was needlessly tasered in a library a while back.

Florida cops keep getting in the news for taser madness. Here's one from 2005:

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2005/03/09/865/28869

They also have no problem tasering children there:

http://www.infowars.com/articles/ps/tasers_use_legal_on_florida_children.htm

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/11/14/children.tasers/

At least some Florida cops are having second thoughts about them:

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1121763921063

[Emmzee]

Yeah, the library one was it. I remember reading about it on GBX.

[Atty]

I love our cops. Good 'ol boys. ;)

[LlamaMaster]

This country fails. What ever happened to freedom of speech?

[Texrat]

This country fails. What ever happened to freedom of speech?

It still exists. You're free to say whatever the local police and student government will accept.

[Haloking365]

Thats just fucking disgraceful. Here's a vid:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6bVa6jn4rpE

[Atty]

This country fails. What ever happened to freedom of speech?Its still around, you are free to speak your mind but you have to accept the consequences from doing so.

[SnaFuBAR]

wow. those cops suck. people are too chickenshit to intervein on behalf of others in order to protect their rights. none of them deserve the right of free speech if they won't protect it. it would've taken only a few people to pull these cops off and defend free speech. pathetic.

[Agamemnon]

It still exists. You're free to say whatever the local police and student government will accept.
Careful, the ACLU might hound you down. :p

[Terry]

It's sad, but I can't help but laugh. It's like something you'd see in a movie. Seriously.

[Emmzee]

It's sad, but I can't help but laugh. It's like something you'd see in a movie. Seriously.
In a world where one is tasered for free speech, one man...will fight back.

Coming this fall to a theater near you...

When all else fails...the tased will...
STRIKE BACK!

[Xetsuei]

People like those cops need to get stabbed, until they bleed a slow death.

[OmegaDragon]

Yea.... The GPD kinda overreacts to some situations.

[StankBacon]

the kid was a douche, im glad he got tasered..

he cried like a little bitch too.

haha

[paladin]

I smell a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the state of Florida....

[kenney001]

the kid was a douche, im glad he got tasered..

he cried like a little bitch too.

haha

Maybe if he wasnt a disrespectful ass maybe I'd feel somewhat sorry for him. I would have been glad to be that cop. There is a big difference between free speech and publically mocking......

[Texrat]

I take it those supporting the cops haven't seen the university president's statements today. The ones where he said that sort of incident (ie, assaulting the student for trying to speak) shouldn't happen on a university campus. Two cops have been suspended for it so far, in fact.

He's right, and many are failing to consider that context. Is it a safe assumption those blaming Meyer are not current or former college students?

And once again for those glossing over it: John Kerry asked the cops to leave Meyer alone and let him speak. One of the most important factors here.

[CN3089]

the kid was a douche, im glad he got tasered..

he cried like a little bitch too.

haha

this


what an attention whore

[ExAm]

I hate to play the Devil's advocate, but IMO, anyone who starts raising his voice and yelling, and then resisting restraint when he starts to get out of control deserves to be arrested. I am kinda pissed about how they continued when Kerry told them to let him finish, though.

[Bodzilla]

what a load of shit.

what the fuck happened to america? There was no grounds for him to be arrested and there was absolutely no need for him to get tasered.
and wtf did the uni students do? just sit there like a bunch of cowards and let there friend/ associate get tasered.
Fucking pathetic.

[nooBBooze]

1984 was a creepy book.

[Texrat]

1984 was a creepy book.

Yeah, and people overlook the fact that such scenarios don't appear overnight.

Anyway, we've learned that making a fuss is taser-worthy. What about neglecting your lawn?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/19/lawn.dispute.ap/index.html

[El Lobo]

Jeez I bet that would hurt to get tazered.

[Aerowyn]

Jeez I bet that would hurt to get tazered.

Well, 50,000 volts in your system can't feel like sitting down to cherry pie and a glass of milk... :rolleyes:

Anyway, I feel very sad for the situation. I know he was out of line for struggling so much with the police, but he really didn't do anything wrong. Why the police chose to arrest him in the first place is beyond me.

What's even MORE beyond me is why John Kerry, being the prominent senator he is, didn't step in and the police to stop. He said "Let me answer his question" and then did NOTHING as they whipped the kid around and dragged him to the ground.

... then Kerry had the nerve to start answering the question as the kid cried out in pain from the tazer. What a douche.

[El Lobo]

Well, 50,000 volts in your system can't feel like sitting down to cherry pie and a glass of milk... :rolleyes:That is correct, it certainly would not be enjoyable.

[ExAm]

Well, 50,000 volts in your system can't feel like sitting down to cherry pie and a glass of milk... :rolleyes:

Anyway, I feel very sad for the situation. I know he was out of line for struggling so much with the police, but he really didn't do anything wrong. Why the police chose to arrest him in the first place is beyond me.

What's even MORE beyond me is why John Kerry, being the prominent senator he is, didn't step in and the police to stop. He said "Let me answer his question" and then did NOTHING as they whipped the kid around and dragged him to the ground.

... then Kerry had the nerve to start answering the question as the kid cried out in pain from the tazer. What a douche.They restrained him when he started getting out of hand, then decided to arrest him when he tried to throw off their restraint.

Also, depending on how dry and long the woman's lawn had gotten, it could have been a fire hazard. Not that I agree with what they did to her, of course. The fire department had visited my old home once, when our rear lawn got to be 3 feet high, and very dry. They said that we'd have to trim it, because it was a fire hazard.

[Texrat]

You don't arrest people for dead lawns, Exam. You FINE them. It's a civil issue, not criminal. Cripes.

[ExAm]

Not where she was living, apparently.

[TeeKup]

A student was needlessly tasered in a library a while back.

Florida cops keep getting in the news for taser madness. Here's one from 2005:

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2005/03/09/865/28869

They also have no problem tasering children there:

http://www.infowars.com/articles/ps/tasers_use_legal_on_florida_children.htm

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/11/14/children.tasers/

At least some Florida cops are having second thoughts about them:

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1121763921063

What in fucks name gives them legitamet reasoning to fucking taser a damn child. Christ I hate cops like that.

[ExAm]

The girl was running into traffic, and the cop couldn't catch her, the little boy was threatening to cut himself (but why a taser?), sorta legitimate. The cops were under a lot of pressure to stop the children from what they were doing in these situations. If there was someone drunk and running into and out of traffic, and I couldn't catch them soon enough, I'd choose to taze them, rather than let them kill themselves.

[Emmzee]

Well, 50,000 volts in your system can't feel like sitting down to cherry pie and a glass of milk... :rolleyes:
I believe you mean a cherry pie and a cool glass of water. Such a sweet surprise.

[TeeKup]

Who the hell drinks water with pie. If you drink anything but milk, then you have serious issues.

[ExAm]

Who the hell drinks water with pie. If you drink anything but milk, then you have serious issues.Soymilk. I despise milk.

[jngrow]

I don't care what he did, yelling, being a bit disruptive etc. doesn't matter. That was wrong. He shouldn't be tasered for asking questions in a University. Schools are for learning, and questioning is a way of learning. And getting tasered, apparently.

Oh, and on various youtube comments and a few on here, people say he was disrespectful. Sorry, but you earn respect, you don't instantly have it. Resigning from the presidential race on the last day is not a way to earn respect.

[Con]

Soymilk. I despise milk.
gross.

soy is like what food...eats...

[Emmzee]

Who the hell drinks water with pie. If you drink anything but milk, then you have serious issues.
Get the reference or get out.

[Mass]

This country fails. What ever happened to freedom of speech?

Neocons and Evangelicals happened.

Annyyyway...

Why didn't the college students beat that muddy pink ass?

Also, what the fuck is with cops and weapons, In the US the police go around like around with more weapons than like Neo from The Matrix. I swear to god, I mean, I live in Chicago and the last time I saw some cops they had tasers, batons, tear gas, like 6 pairs of cuffs, a bullet-proof vest, 3 clips and a pistol.

Wtf, since when was Wolfy's in Baghdad? Its insane how the bacon rolls these days.

[Emmzee]

Neocons and Evangelicals happened.

Annyyyway...

Why didn't the college students beat that muddy pink ass?

Also, what the fuck is with cops and weapons, In the US the police go around like around with more weapons than like Neo from The Matrix. I swear to god, I mean, I live in Chicago and the last time I saw some cops they had tasers, batons, tear gas, like 6 pairs of cuffs, a bullet-proof vest, 3 clips and a pistol.
You think that's a lot, you should see the cops in Detroit:
http://www.gearcritech.com/images/update110905_robocop.jpg

[ExAm]

gross.

soy is like what food...eats......Soy is a fucking bean, and if you grind it up it makes a tasty drink. Fuck off. :beating:

[DaneO'Roo]

No, soil milk is for Boho vegetarians who are "TRYIN TA BRING DOWN THE MAN, MAN"

It fails. Why don't I just drink fucking grass.

Also, cops fail.

[n00b1n8R]

what if your lactose intolerant dano?

[rossmum]

Then don't drink milk. :downs:

Also, cops here (as in, locally) are pretty awesome. Our cops go around with a pistol, baton, and cuffs at most. They rarely even pull their guns, though.

[Bodzilla]

they dont need to because we live in australia.

[Texrat]

The girl was running into traffic, and the cop couldn't catch her, the little boy was threatening to cut himself (but why a taser?), sorta legitimate. The cops were under a lot of pressure to stop the children from what they were doing in these situations. If there was someone drunk and running into and out of traffic, and I couldn't catch them soon enough, I'd choose to taze them, rather than let them kill themselves.

Posters of Hitler and Mussolini on your walls?

[FlyingStone]

I don't see why everyone is getting so on the Police about this.
For one, the kid was yelling and not getting to his question, and when he did he continued talking. Once they cut the microphone he got all hissy pissy. The Police weren't so much as suppressing him, they were just stopping him for not getting to the point. Also for the most part he was just insulting, and sipping out random things and not saying the questions. So lets see where he messed up:
- Yelling
- Not saying questions
- Disobedience for not listening to that person who told him to get to the point.

Now lets throw in Police officers, what do you think they where going to do just sit back and let him continue to rant and rave? Things would most defiantly gone out of control. Its not like they shot him in the foot to get him to shut up, gosh... Now what do you do when a Police officer tells you to step out of the car? You damn well better get out of the car. They told the kid to roll on his stomach, yet he refused. They gave him a warning about the taze once, and then again they told him roll over or get tazed. He refused, got tazed. If he had cooperated with the police and rolled over so they could put the hand cuffs on him, then this would have all been avoided.
Kid brought it on to himself. This wasn't, "Speak up, get tazed." It was, "Resist arrest, get tazed."
Guys its not like he got shot, yeah sure tazzing hurts like no tomorrow but he is alive isn't he? This is a simple reminder of, listen to the police when they tell you to do something. They are there to keep everyone in line, someone starts up like that and they need to take care of it.
It only makes sence...
I back up the Police on this.
-F.S

[Texrat]

Nice job processing the entire context.

Oh wait: not.

[FlyingStone]

I was going off of the taserd part, not the political.
I am no good with political. Texrat..
-F.S

[Xetsuei]

...Soy is a fucking bean, and if you grind it up it makes a tasty drink. Fuck off. :beating:

Eat a meatshake.

[Llama Juice]

If Kerry welcomed the question and responded saying that he would answer it then the police had no real reason (other than they probably hated the kid because of his asshat attitude) to take him down. Sure he resisted arrest but if the cop would have just stopped and acted reasonably.. perhaps listened to Kerry.. the kid would have stood there and listened peacefully.

Sure the kid was disrespectful, but it got his true view on the situation out there...

The cops followed protocol but... they really should have acted more like people rather than robocops. They took the kid down to avoid a "situation"... and instead created a larger one.

cops fail

[CN3089]

In other TASER-related news,

Wheelchair-Bound Woman Dies After Being Shocked With Taser 10 Times (http://news.yahoo.com/s/wkmg/20070919/lo_wkmg/14147512)

Oh, Florida police. Is there nobody you won't tase? ~http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/CN3089/Emoticons/awesome.png>



According to a police report, one of the officers used her Taser gun nine times for a total of 160 seconds and the other officer discharged his Taser gun once for a total of no more than five seconds.
... http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/CN3089/Emoticons/07-19-06-smith.gif

[OmegaDragon]

Wow, the students in UF are going apeshit with this story. On 34th street there is a mural that had the name of a police officer that died in a drunk driving accident, and is now covered with the phrases "Don't tase me bro" and "Every cop involved should rot in prison" in bold red letters. The ones who did it sent an email at 4 AM to the Alligator (one of the newspapers here) with some rude comments and pictures of the suspects with Guy Fawkes masks.

Also, the Florida Dept. of Law is on the case of the use of Tasers in that situation.

Also also, Meyer was released from jail on tuesday for those who didn't hear.

Also also also, Student groups are forming in Plaza of the Americas protesting against the taser.

This story has been all over the front page since the shock. Its pretty fucked up if you ask me :/

EDIT: oh my god it made it as a double post :|
Why is h2v forums so slow all of a sudden >_>

[Bodzilla]

Posters of Hitler and Mussolini on your walls?
qoah tex. now tahts a little extreme :-3

[TeeKup]

In other TASER-related news,

Wheelchair-Bound Woman Dies After Being Shocked With Taser 10 Times (http://news.yahoo.com/s/wkmg/20070919/lo_wkmg/14147512)

Oh, Florida police. Is there nobody you won't tase? ~http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/CN3089/Emoticons/awesome.png>



... http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/CN3089/Emoticons/07-19-06-smith.gif

I hope that cop rots in prison for the rest of her life.

[Con]

In other TASER-related news,

Wheelchair-Bound Woman Dies After Being Shocked With Taser 10 Times (http://news.yahoo.com/s/wkmg/20070919/lo_wkmg/14147512)

Oh, Florida police. Is there nobody you won't tase? ~http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/CN3089/Emoticons/awesome.png>



... http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/CN3089/Emoticons/07-19-06-smith.gif
holy shit

[Mass]

Oh, Florida police. Is there nobody you won't tase? :awesome:~>

No, I mean its like a gun, that they don't have to feel bad about shooting people with it.

I mean c'mon, its a GUN WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES! And you don't even need a mayor Daley, it's a stand-alone-system: It's like pig heaven.

[Bastinka]

Good Game.

[n00b1n8R]

I hope that cop rots in prison for the rest of her life.

Where did it say it was a she? :raise:
I must have missed something (though I agree with what your saying).

[Llama Juice]

In other TASER-related news,

Wheelchair-Bound Woman Dies After Being Shocked With Taser 10 Times (http://news.yahoo.com/s/wkmg/20070919/lo_wkmg/14147512)

Oh, Florida police. Is there nobody you won't tase? ~http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/CN3089/Emoticons/awesome.png>



... http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/CN3089/Emoticons/07-19-06-smith.gif

LMAO OWNED

.... errr... ....

I wish they would have taken a picture of the old lady with the knives and whatnot.... that would have been epic win.

Anyhow on a less asshat note...

The cops should know the limit as to how long you can taze someone... and why couldn't they get the weapons away from her while she was being tased. Hell taze her for five seconds... that's five seconds you have to get the weapons from her and... if it's from and old lady... it shouldn't be that hard...

cops fail... AGAIN

[Texrat]

I was going off of the taserd part, not the political.
I am no good with political. Texrat..
-F.S

I wasn't talking about the politics either. Like I said: the entire context (for the record, civics isn't politics).

Some people seem to be overlooking another important factor here: just because cops warn someone they'll be tased, doesn't mean the cops are in the right to even threaten it in the first place, much less carry it out.

[Texrat]

qoah tex. now tahts a little extreme :-3

So is the tasering of children.

[Agamemnon]

You should play this sim game called Real Lives. Google it. You should find the 2004 freeware version. I was arrested over 20 times for speaking out politically in China, tortured three times, and I ended up becoming an alcoholic and dying at the age of 37 because of my drug addiction, my failing health, my alcoholism, and my depression. Kind of a bit of a wake up call, huh?

[Texrat]

Sounds like... fun. :XD:

On the serious side, some sensible comments on the topic:



Cosmo Quattrone of Schaumburg, Illinois
Being a former police officer trained and certified to carry a Taser, I feel that the actions of the officers in Florida were not necessary. As part of training, police are taught to not escalate situations but rather to defuse them. The incident in Florida is a clear example how not to handle a situation. At no time did I witness a situation that warranted the tasing of that student. The officers executed poor judgment and took the wrong course of action.

Kevin McDonald of Annapolis, Maryland
While this person was purposely being obnoxious for the sake of publicity, this does not excuse the use of the Taser. If a bouncer can remove a patron from a bar without the use of a Taser, then six policemen should have the strength to remove a person from a room without potentially threatening their lives. Tasers do occasionally kill people and should not be used haphazardly when there is a safer alternative available.

Laura
I never thought I'd see the day when a student would be roughed up and tased at a college just because he was a loud mouth activist. The guy was a jerk, but if we start tasing all the loud mouth jerks, we can kiss our democracy goodbye.

Nan
As a public librarian for 25 years I have had to remove psychotics, drunks, child stalkers, and just plain obnoxious & unruly teens from my library almost weekly and have had to call the police for assistance a only handful of times. I could have gotten this student to leave without laying a hand on him and I'm only a 5 ft middle-aged woman. From the video the campus security staff forgot the main rule which is to never lose your temper.

In addition to using too much force and too little finesse, they also showed disrespect to Mr. Kerry by not letting him finish his response. I assume the "Obey or else!" folks think Mr. Kerry should have been tased too because he continued talking to the student after the rent-a-cops told the student to leave.

jonny
Bottom line is this: tasers are a WEAPON used by police when they are under a THREAT. This man was not a threat, was held on the floor by 6 cops and was already subdued. They already had one cuff on him. What would they have done before the use of tasers? Would they have been unable to arrest him?

Daniel Cunningham
I feel that there is a point that is not being understood here. When an officer of the law tells you to do something, you do it. But, there is a second question that needs to be asked as well, and that is "Are the reasons for that officer to ask you to do that something, Valid?". This student was asking questions of a prominent figure in American politics. This student also acted excited when asking those questions. When in a "question and answer" forum, these things happen. Also, John Kerry stated, "That's all right, let me answer his question." (CNN.Com) This type of discourse can happen, and John Kerry understood that it was happening. Voices were raised but only to a level that were disturbing, when the police intervened. Civil discourse is barely civil when debating politics and as such I feel that if Mr. Kerry didn't see fit to call in the police, the police should have stayed out of it


http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/19/student.tasered.feedback/index.html

What many fail to understand in this incident is the very bottom line. In the end, it doesn't matter if Andrew Meyer is an attention-seeking glory-whore. It doesn't even matter if his actions were partly or wholly a stunt. What matters is that this event provides a chilling example of what happens these days when one questions authority in an open setting. It's easy for everyone to squat behind a monitor and bitch about politicians-- this guy had the cojones to confront one in person, and ask the hard questions. He was about to get an answer, too. The sheep in this country must sleep easy knowing that the police were there to make sure that didn't happen.

Not so long ago a handful of rebels declared they no longer owed allegiance to a king. They defied authority and changed the course of a fledgling country. How ironic that this country is now entering the flip side of that equation. And how disturbing.

[El Lobo]

Awesome, I can really relate to that first person because I've been to Schaumburg, Illinois. I live like two hours away. What a coincidence.

[StankBacon]

Awesome, I can really relate to that first person because I've been to Schaumburg, Illinois. I live like two hours away. What a coincidence.



pfft, i live closer :o


dont you go to u of i now?

[El Lobo]

Yes I do, I'm a freshman ;)

[Bodzilla]

So is the tasering of children.
of course...

but just dont bring hitler into it. thats all i ask. because nothing will ever be able to compare to that bastard.
Just know that i still love u <3

[Texrat]

Yeah, yeah, it was a tongue-in-cheek comment, but I owe the guy an apology... as a father though it irked me to see someone so readily support such harsh police action, especially against children...

[ExAm]

of course...

but just dont bring hitler into it. thats all i ask. because nothing will ever be able to compare to that bastard.
Just know that i still love u <3Godwin's law at work? http://thereaperman.com/xbh/Smileys/default/emot-hitler.gif

[Texrat]

hey ExAm, I still strongly disagree with your statements on topic, but I was way out of line with my Hitler/Mussolini remark. I apologize. +rep when I can again.

[ExAm]

Haha, it's cool. Personally, I try to keep political opinions from ruining my impression of someone.

[Bodzilla]

now isnt this better :D?
<3

[Texrat]

Actually I wasn't even expressing political opinions...

But THIS guy did:

Calls for student editor to resign after 'F**k Bush' column (http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/25/bush.cnnu/index.html)



FORT COLLINS, Colorado (CNN) -- The College Republicans, a student organization at Colorado State University, weren't planning anything special for the last week of September.

Then on September 21, David McSwane, the editor-in-chief of The Rocky Mountain Collegian, the daily student newspaper, printed the four-word column that sparked a national free speech debate and sent the College Republicans into action, writing a petition to force him to resign.
"Taser this: F**k Bush" was printed on the opinion page of the newspaper, causing CSU president Larry Penley to issue a formal statement and the Board of Student Communications to plan a meeting for Wednesday night. During the meeting they will decide on the fate of McSwane and his future involvement with the publication.


Maybe he should be tasered before forced to resign?

*awaits spurious -rep from the usual gang*

[Agamemnon]

Yeah, you guys saw it. Bush himself put it in over the radio to those cops to taser those kids. It was a direct executive order. :rolleyes:

What a disgrace to the journalism.

[Texrat]

While the guy could have done a much better job at drawing a correlation, the point is that we have Bush (and others of course) to thank for the growing trend of speech repression and intolerance.

And to paraphrase Voltaire, as is often done: I may not agree with what someone says or writes but I will defend to the death his right to look like a public ass. ;)