Since when have cops been other than Establishment goon enforcers? The average cop views EVERYONE as a potential problem, for them and the status quo they defend. Cops are the quintessential reactionaries, paranoids, and licensed thugs.
And, if I'm not mistaken, America remains what Wm Lederer called it not long before the Beatles played Ed Sullivan, a nation of sheep. Cops act like Neanderthals because they CAN. The sheep like it that way, having uniformed wolves around to maintain order, sieg heil! And it is a matter of common knowledge that wolves thrive on fresh meat. The violated youth in question had yet to learn all the above. So the pigs gave him a crash course in who's in charge.

My defloration as a lifelong Democrat took a major leap forward when I caught some actual news (to me) on the network evening news one day. Some stringer got wind of an unpublicized suckfest held at some ruburban country club with its very own airstrip where movers/shakers could private jet-in along with the lackey pols who court them. So he showed up on the fringes with his videocam and managed to record some Truth and still get away with his skin and the tape intact. What made the event notable was its being hosted by the Democratic Party. You know, the one that stands for the little people, the populists, the party of humanistic ideals. That one. Well, this access session was replete with major league Democrat senators and representatives, all of them peddling influence as fast as they could manage. And smack dab in the middle of the herd of plutocrats was John Kerry, all but giving head to some CEO as the cocktails flowed and the Learjets got refueled to carry some fatcats to the next looting.
My, my, my. You could probably hear MY cherry pop in the next county.
Our political system is corrupt to its bones and EVERYBODY has their hand in the till. There aren't any good guys anymore. Be advised.

All the cooing about the glories of Canada is a bit much for this cynic. Canada's current PM takes orders from Bush, Inc. He's waging a righteous Canadian Drug War as a result. He's a neocon, just like Australia's PM. Fascism wasn't invented here, remember?
I've only made one attempt, as an adult, to visit 'O, Kanada!'. I say 'attempt' because glorious freedom-loving, oh so civilized Canada refused me admission.
Another tale of defloration.
This was about 3 years ago. Back then I still thought of Canada as our rather doofus good buddy to the north. You know, open borders, good neighbors, etc. gag. I live in Seattle and decided to drive up to B.C. for kicks and take a look around.
I made no special preparations for crossing the border. Why would I? Hell! It's Canada! So I had no passport with me, just my usual ID: driver's license, social security card, etc.

So it was a true surprize when the jerk in the box asked for my birth certificate. Huh? Nope. I seldom carry it on me. Then how about your voter registration card? Crap. Usually carry it, but not today. I kept waiting for the guy to shake his head and frown down at me parentally, what a space case! Then wave me through.

Uh uh. Drive over to that building, park your vehicle and speak with someone inside. Uh, ok. My education, like that of the lippy student had just begun.
I had no idea what the fuck was up. I don't look even a little like Osama. I was 60 years old and driving a beige minipickup.
What profile could that trigger?

After I'd stood behind a cluster of Tibetan monks for about 20 minutes, I lost patience, stepped out of line and went to the counter. I asked the closest border goon what was up. I handed over my ID and said it would be a few minutes. No smiles either.
No 'Sorry for the inconvenience.'
Just the sort of warmth you expect at a booking counter. A big Canadian chill.
When the female thug in jackboots returned, she asked me if I had a criminal record. It just kept getting more fascistic. Instead of saying 'It's none of your fucking business', I said, 'No.'
It was one of those trick questions cops love so much. Gotcha! Now you're a liar too!
She run a fucking NCIC on me! For the crime of wanting to drop a few bucks in so-civilized Canada.
She started asking about a misdemeanor from Kansas 10 YEARS earlier and I confessed. OK, I'm not pure as the driven snow. Is that what it takes to get into Canada these days?
Then she started plain old fucking with me. Standard cop behavior. Authority overload.
Oh, maybe, maybe not.
If she thought she was going to get a tap dance from me over entering her chickenshit country she was as slow as she looked.

I realized I'd fallen among fascists. I have a deep aversion thereto and don't deal with them well. You could say badge-heavy goons make me crazy. So, before I ended up in Canada's version of Folsom Prison, I asked for my ID back and told her I could probably live without her country just fine ... forever. Who needs to go abroad for fascists when there are so many right at home?

Anyone who thinks Canada is a little piece of frigid heaven may need to be better informed. The neocon's have had almost 7 years to poison Western Civilization and they've wasted no time.
Personally, I prefer Argentina.

Welcome to the ugliness of (US style) freedom & democracy.

Please help me define the current situation: What do call the democratic system without individual freedom & respect for every human being; in which people do not care other person's view, opinion or right?

I contend that tasers reduce the threshhold for the application of force to individuals. This serves to increase the ammount of authority dispensed violence experienced by the general population. Knowing that they have non-gun options police opt out of diplomacy and reason and resort to force. Witness the treament of one man by six police who still resorted to electricity, or that drunk woman video where she almost hits her head on the way down. The police get lazy and jump the gun. Surely, in some instances where someone is brandishing a nonprojectile weapon, there is a good case for such a device, but more and more the police just seem to be amping up the nonlethal violence.

In typical Senator Coward's fashion, he did nothing. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Kerry himself ordered the attack in advance, in case any of those 'crazy' students mentioned Skull & Bones.

John Kerry is one the most corrupt men in American history. Right up there with his pals Bush, Cheney, Hillary and her oversexed husband.

The Florida taseringer video shows the real America. Unlike the fake "free, open, democratic" America of "Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty" and other US government propaganda organs. Citizens of other countries should watch the tasering video over and over again, and let it burn in.

Don't fall for Washington's propaganda.

Great when He gets out he can get his 4 years paid for when he sues the school for every penny they got! Power to Andrew Meyer!

This is the fourth story in one day were someone rights have been violated.

The media needs to make a choice and make a choice now.

Show the American people and the world, what is happening to our rights immediately.

Don't think for a second you will be spared when the Gov't decides it's time to lay down the iron fist.

And when you finally see that you can no long carry on with you daily routine because you TOO!!! Have lost your rights. It will be too late. For you and for us all.

The revolution is coming, choose your side.

~Future~

just saw the video on the BBC, notice the student in the background laughing, apparently he found it funny.

I saw the video and it was obvious that Senator Kerry did nothing to stop what was going on. He made a quick and quiet 'let him talk' into his mic but had no intention of trying to stop what was happening. He made no effort at all. This is why it's so important to have video cameras at every event. The moment the student's mic was cut and Kerry failed to speak up about the thugs attacking him he revealed himself as a fraud.
I used to trust him and I voted for him. It's a very bitter pill to swallow. I got fooled on 9/11, snowed about the Afghanistan / Bin Laden affair, and deceived by Senator Kerry. I'm sick of getting tricked.

antonyesuk

Yes I agree. The problem was not Myers. The underlying problem is a government that is not answering the people. Points of view are being suppressed.

Imo Myers was right and I basically support what he did.

Tasers can be dangerous and I am glad Myers did not suffer any serious injury. Some people can have heart arrhythmia from them and die and I think the taser was applied to Myer's chest.

It was poor police work, and I suspect there was some anger by the police involved and they wanted to "get" the college kid. But also it is a difficult job to protect someone's life and the police can not assume someone is safe. They have to act in some way, but what they did was over react.

And to charge Myers with a felony is a very poor idea...but then its Florida.

claudius

Sometimes humor can help sell an idea :) Myers is a likeable kid, but the right wing will attack him. I don't know if a 21 year old would be strong enough to withstand all that will be thrown at Myers. Cindy Sheehan had trouble withstanding the attacks.

I live in the new militarized zone of the USA; that is, along the US/Mex border. Nearly everyday as I go about my normal activites; going to work, shopping, visiting friends, etc., I have to state my citizenship on demand as well as explain the reasons that I am going where I'm going and living where I'm living. There is a permenant "checkpoint" 30 mi. north of my home and there are also many times when we are just pulled over on the road at any point. Some of my ancestors fed the "pilgrims"; two of my ancestors were very early presidents of the US; my husband's ancestor signed the Declaration of Independence.

When I was an adolescent I was fortunate to live among many refugees and survivors of european fascism. Being curious I asked them how such a wonderful culture as Germany was could have produced such a horror. The answer I was given most of the time is that it will happen here! This from people who had very recent experience and were very sensitive to the signs and this was in the 50's and 60's.

Now, I'm living in the embodiment of their prediction with uniformed soldiers down the street from me who mount armed patrols through unsuspecting neighborhoods and tourist sites in unmarked vehicles with windows so dark tinted it's impossible to see into them. When I've brought this fact up to friends and co-workers they are mistakenly under the impression that the soldiers are only here to assist the border patrol and are unarmed, but I have witnessed them loading up as I head to work; or gassing up as I get gas; and, they are fully armed!

Where I live is the practice ground for what all of you will soon be experiencing. If you don't believe me, spend a little time in southern AZ.

The college library incident was a very different matter. That student was not being disruptive in any way, shape or form. I sure spoke up, sent an e-mail to the library administration that went something like this:

"Swell job -- tazered for not producing ID? What do you do for overdue books? Abu Ghraib?"

Until huge numbers of Americans come out of the closet politically, it's hopeless.

Most people don't understand why this is significant because most people are too timid, paranoid, unconfident and insecure to stand up for something and express themselves... and moreover too demoralized and lazy to believe in anything in general.

Paul Craig Roberts weighs in:

"Why Did Sen Kerry Stand Idly By"

http://www.counterpunch.org/

Didn't this happen six months ago in a college library? This is amazing to me, why did not a single soul speak up in this kids defense? People on huffingtonpost.com are in support of the cops! Why? One kid raises his voice in a public forum, he is drug off, handcuffed and with six cops sitting on or around him he is given a massive electric shock!
One has to wonder why those in uniform do not think twice about using brute force on citizens even when they are being filmed.

What is the name and address of the cop who tasered him?

THE GREAT DEMOCRATIC EXPERIMENT:

Look, it is irrelevant whether Andrew Meyer "pulled a stunt", meaning he in some wanted a predictable outcome, or whether the situation developed totally spontaneously.

The first instance is what scientists would call an "experiment," in democracy. The second instance would be a recording of an uncontrolled event.

It is the relationship between the causes and result of what happenned in this event that is important.

Cause: Andrew Meyer used his right of free speech.
Result: The police at the event acted irrationally, illegally, and violently, in order to stop Meyer from speaking his mind, and from expressing his absolutely innocuous emotions.

Meyer was not violent.

The police gave him no reason, nor proper warning for their physical attack.

Beyond that, the arrest proceeded with much too much force, i.e. the taser electro-shock was sadistic and unneccessary.

© 1996 - 2007 The Independent Florida Alligator

Who do you think makes the final decision on what gets in print on this paper?

For what it is worth I sent an email to Senator Kerry and called his Washington office about this incident.

Actually, I also called about another issue before the Senate today and was interrupted in mid sentence, which is not unusual particularly when I call Kerry's office. It seems that whenever I call Senator Kerry's office about an issue I am told Senator Kerry is a cosponsor of the bill even when as in this case I haven't yet specifically mentioned any bill. That's easy to do I suppose. There are often many related bills in Congress about an issue. I thanked Kerry for his cosponsor and I mentioned that Senator Kerry was not a cosponsor of the Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007 and preceded to finish my sentence noting that there are three hearings on NSA spying this week.

Then I brought up the incident at the University of Florida. Throughout the entire conversation I was extremely polite. When I brought up the incident at the University of Florida I was immediately cut short and told that I would have to call again if I wanted to bring anything else up. Or something to that effect. I responded that clearly the person I was speaking to knew about the incident, and then I was asked whether I was "for it" or "against it". I then expressed my concern about the arrest and the tasering of the student.

The entire conversation only took a couple of minutes.

So it goes.

What the hell is this?

"The kid pulled a stunt, and it served no purpose for anyone."

This kid stood up and spoke out in the way that kids do. What is the damn problem with that?
God forbid any of our cowering politicians and journalists not display the proper deferrence to authority figures even when they are war criminals.
Do you see how integrated it is in us--how we are so indoctrinated that anyone who steps out of line is given proper peer reinforcement to not rock the boat, don't make people uncomfortable, don't chip away at the secure illusions we are spoon-fed. What this kid did was mild. Christ what is the matter with you people heaping disdain on him?

Colleen,

That is a great idea! Making t-shirts that say "Don't tase me bro" and wear them at anti-war rallies, in public, etc. I wonder if one wore that t-shirt on a passenger plane it would be considered offensive and the passenger would be removed from the plane. I hope Meyer sells the t-shirt, a lot of them!

How American! To arrest someone for doing the supposed LEGAL activity of exercising Freedom Of Speech. Holland is a more free nation than the USA. :-)

Myers waw loud, and he wasn't very well rehearsed or eloquent with his statement - he even mispronounced Greg Palast's name. (understandable since this American reporter is a household name in the UK but never mentioned on US TV or radio) And yes, he was trying to make a bit of a scene. But since when has this become a justification for the police reactions? Someone else mentioned this, but if passionate speech is considered disorderly conduct, in many countries, MP's would be getting dragged and tazed in their parliament houses daily.

Fascism is creeping into the US via the imposition of strange social convention that, while support of the (ever-rightward drifting) status quo can be expressed in the loudest angry manner possible, any dissent must only be expressed in the the most quiet, dulcet tones!

colleen

Honestly, I'm not (or wasn't) trying to be nasty :o)
Just wanted to point out that trying to equate what Meyers did and the reaction to it is really unfair: whether you have any pre-judgements on him based on anything in the past really doesn't come into it. In a democracy, politicians should be allowed to hear dissenting voices every now and again without "getting our own man killed" (Blazing Saddles).. Peace!

What aid? 6 armed cops, entire precincts of them, swat teams, etc. all of which would arrive within minutes? Let's be realistic. What American citizens need to do -- at all levels -- is policing of their own, obtain damning video evidence of corruption in-action, blow whistles left and right, and send it all to law enforcement and the media. Cops are on the same side of the class divide. Why draw the wedge down so low?

Let's say that it wasn't Kerry. Perhaps it was Senator McPervert. Before getting on the stage he had some illicit sex with a co-ed in the bathroom and smoked a joint. You got it on tape. Now you could play a little stunt to get yourself arrested and tazered like this fellow. Or you could drop that tape off to the local police, post it on YouTube, maybe send a copy to Rolling Stone for good measure, and a few dozen other places. Political paparazzi.

The kid pulled a stunt, and it served no purpose for anyone. If you want an example of when people should come to aid, here's a case from Minnesota last month. 5-10 witnesses to a rape, and nobody did anything: http://www.startribune.com/crime/story/1378695.html. No stunt there. Just an unambiguous bunch of churlish cowards.

antonyesuk et al

Try not to be nasty. Yes I've gone through that kind of security. Still it could be an argument that the speaker was unpredictable. I met Kerry and he autographed something for me and he uses only his own pen because a pen can hide a weapon. No pens were allowed. If someone is smart and determined he might be able to cause some injury by hiding a weapon, even inside something as innocuous as a book

And I am somewhat of a hot head myself, and if there I might have been yelling at the police and at Kerry. I once stood up in a college auditorium filled with over 100 people and chastised Admiral Zinni after he had ended his question and answer period. He had used written questions from the audience and I met with him after the talk and he told me that using written questions was the idea of the college..I didn't buy that and said to him that he was in control of the event. I was surprised to see Zinni somewhat embaressed by my saying the obvious. Zinni had controlled the questions.

And my husband is a professor at that college and sitting next to me and his dean was sitting next to Zinni and looked at my husband when I stood up to speak (fortunately that dean has left the college..and I tried not to look like my husband's wife)

The police over reacted. Meyers is just a 21 year old who is passionate about his nation and wants some answers about what has happened to our loss of freedoms.

Still we have had assasinations at political events and the police have to be cautious. We don't want to lose someone to violence.

What should have happened was a single police man could have talked to Myers and Kerry could have said more forcefully he would answer the question.

Personally I like Myers a great deal. I've read his blog and he is a nice guy imo. I think he might be getting ready to sell some t shirts :) probably with the words "Don't tase me bro"

John Kerry vs. John F. Kennedy in a similar situation.

Go to youtube and watch this video of JFK to see how he handles a difficult question from a hostile reporter:
The Video can be found at youtube under this title:
John F. Kennedy 1960 WV Primary

The URL for the video is as follows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJyb9R_TL8M

Watch the whole video and you will see the difference between the Democratic Party represented by Kennedy, and what it has become today.

Kennedy wouldn't have missed his chance to answer the young student at the public forum. He would have made sure that the student got his chance to speak, and he would have had a brilliant, accurate and heartfelt response to give the world. Beyond that his words would have been more than just words, but indicators of his real positions and future policies.

What aid? 6 armed cops, entire precincts of them, swat teams, etc. all of which would arrive within minutes? Let's be realistic.

What American citizens need to do -- at all levels -- is policing of their own, obtain damning video evidence of corruption in-action, blow whistles left and right, and send it all to law enforcement and the media. Cops are on the same side of the class divide. Why draw the wedge down so low?

Let's say that it wasn't Kerry. Perhaps it was Senator McPervert. Before getting on the stage he had some illicit sex with a co-ed in the bathroom and smoked a joint. You got it on tape. Now you could play a little stunt to get yourself arrested and tazered like this fellow. Or you could drop that tape off to the local police, post it on YouTube, maybe send a copy to Rolling Stone for good measure, and a few dozen other places. Political paparazzi.

The kid pulled a stunt, and it served no purpose for anyone.

If you want an example of when people should come to aid, here's a case from Minnesota last month. 5-10 witnesses to a rape, and nobody did anything: http://www.startribune.com/crime/story/1378695.html. No stunt there. Just an unambiguous bunch of churlish cowards.

Shame on Kerry (oops, what's new?), and shame on the students who just sat there.

Actually happened to me in an airport when I commented on them pulling a frail little old lady out of line. They clamped down on me and I yelled back at the top of my lungs stuff like, "I am a citizen of this country--I am not a criminal". They were unbelievably trigger happy and abusive, but ultimately I think I scared them more with my wrath. Other passengers just stood there in silence. It happens fast--and people are shocked.

Are we so easily pacified by power? It amazes me that not one person came to his aid. As long as it's happening to someone else just stay in line.

What I find amazing is that people are actually blaming this kid for being uncivil--or what have you, as if that was any kind of rationale.
He was a kid for cryingoutloud. A typically cocky kid--but not so much, just typical and there was absolutely no call, no call at all to subject him that.
He wasn't a plant--he was a rowdy, cocky kid, perhaps newly outraged, a little naive, newly independent, educated to some political realities and excited--a college kid--not a particularly radical looking one either. They crushed him.

I have 3 brothers and I remember them at that age. If that had been one of my brother's calling for help, I would've had to start throwing punches--starting with the creep, Kerry.

I just can't get past the notion of people on here condoning the acts of the police and/or blaming the kid for being obnoxious. Clearly the kid was charged up, clearly he was loud and obnoxious, which is not quite yet officially a crime. So, he was agitated, he was asked to wrap it up, he was angry, he basically told the cop to f-off, non-verbally. So what? What if a kid has a stuttering problem and goes on. What if they are nervous? God forbid, what if they have had too much caffeine? Personally, I have switched to tea.

Upon further reading of our Bill of Rights I did not find a "only if you are cool clause" for freedom of speech or anything else. Just ridiculous to say that he brought it on himself. Better hope none of your kids get "riled" up at pep rally or whatever.

Really, what is wrong with people in this country? He did not threaten anybody, or use threatening language. He he says the word blowjob, it looks like the cop in back of him is gasping or something. Give me a f-in break, excuse my language, please don't taser me, but I am angry.

I hope when I go downtown and get some coffee and overhear a discussion from some pod people that I don't get too angry and start arguing with them "loudly" about some inane document like the constitution or some mad idea about our civil rights. Shame on you people!

This, and the REV Yearwood incident should be talked about and the reality of the situation is these people who are pushing the corpwarstate do not want an organized and passionate movement like they had in the 60's, and they are implementing these tactics to make sure all of you are afraid to stand up for yourself or anyone else. Guess what, they are succeeding.

The onus is not on the kid. The onus is on the police. The kid, and let's not forget that, he is 19-21, whatever, a kid, who obviously didn't get enough ridalin as a child, some of you would say, snidely. The police have the weapons, the training, they use force, they hurt and yes kill people. THEY need to be kept in check, not the kid!

Basically you are saying that the responsibility was with the kid not to get riled up and I say that is ridiculous. Tasers are dangerous, heart problem-dead, asthma-dead. Serious stuff people. You think you have anxieties now, what till you are tasered. "Have you been tasered recently? Why not try Atavan. It will help with the anxiety and panic attacks for every time you see a police officer. Who is only really there to help you."

Wake up POD PEOPLE! Although this kid is no Mario Savio, do we have to wait till the old lady who asks about her social security check is tasered to get angry? "Look at that crazy kid putting on a show. Look at all those crazy cops. What is this a Marx Bros routine? They held him down and tasered him for 5 seconds or something. Have you seen strong grown men, some of them cops, get tasered for a second? They get shaken up pretty bad.

Don't need to wait to get tasered to wake up.

This was neither the place, nor time nor method to take such a martyrdom stand. If the student had a genuine question to ask in a forum like that: be level-headed, avoid words like "blow job", be succinct, etc.

In any case, these are slick/seasoned politicians they aren't going to slip up verbally, nor are they going to tell us anything which isn't filtered through political hubris. So what's the point of even asking a question in the first place?

For instance, if you got a chance to question King George II:
"Mr. President, was your war in Iraq really just about oil?"

Dumb question. All you're doing is giving him a chance to spin a falsehood around the obvious answer.

If progressives want to get something embarassing, damaging, etc. then it's time for a political paparazzi. Get thee armed with a video camera.

That people can have such divergent views on this issue ties back to Mark Morfords aticle on Sept 14 on this website...Iraq, You Can Feel It In Your Bones....that there is a battle going on for the meaning of the American Spirit...and what I feel in my bones is that the imperialist, sports-like "we are number one"power appeals to more americans and is winning the spirit battle...not that there is a great awakening coming. Most people don't really want freedom and the associated responsibilty...they want to be protected....Really..."what if he had a gun"???Home of what brave? Your time is up...you're under arrest? Stunt or not it doesn't really matter...it's how the "threat" was percieved and handled by "law"enforcement. I didn't know stunt arresting was justified either...Prepare for the dark ages peasants...

What worries me is us--those among us who so easily fall prey to the conditioning, so ready to take up battle cries like "Support the Troops" without thinking about how they are being manipulated.
Then again, maybe they are the plants ;-)

colleen:

"The police could not know if he had a gun."?

On reflection, he was wielding something far more dangerous than a gun: yes, he was clutching a BOOK!

:o)

50 students should have immediately attacked the police.

colleen:

"The police could not know if he had a gun."?

Are you kidding me?!? Do you have any idea the kind of security cordon you had to get past to go into THAT hall? Please!

Sadly, this incident is small beer compared to some of what is going on in this country (especially against the voiceless)!

You're missing the point: according to "my" Skull and Bones rule-book, saying "black voters" is classed as a profanity. Especially in the vicinity of words like "disenfranchised" and particularly in the state of Florida. But please, please, please, my fellow progressives, do not leave this country. Instead, email the Chief of UF campus police (Linda Stump) on updinfo@admin.ufl.edu or call her (352) 392 3261. Hey! why not the college president (J. Bernard Machen)? president@ufl.edu or (352) 392 1311.. :o)

So many people mention leaving the country and that is the opposite of what you should be thinking. That is what "they" would want you to do. Good Americans who know what this country is really about and can really be need to stay and MAKE IT THAT WAY. It may take serious measures, there has been many revolutions in the history of this country. When we as a people face unlawful force against us we need to fight back with much more force. Being passive and non-violent has brought us to this point. Be passive and the 'man' will walk all over you. Sorry to say but the strong survive, and the strong win.

Where Murka is headed...?

if this student had been female and gang raped by the football team at a frat party the university would have been outraged and taken immediate action. were i the parent of a child enrolled at this university i would withdraw him immediately.

I watched the video. It looked as if he was being chased everywhere by the police. He certainly wasn't a threat to anybody. My heart goes out to this man. He could've been any of us. He was charged with adrenaline at the idea that he's lost his country, and the police were clearly trying to suppress him.

If nothing else, this shows how nobody's listening to Kerry anymore. We're so devoid of interest in his tired droning that when somebody with a bit of passion comes along we mistake him for being a threat. He wasn't a threat. The people that looked on passively and did nothing to help him are the threat. We've entered the Body Snatcher phase of this takeover.

I am Common Dreams reader from California.
Let's make the phone lines at the University
of Florida President's Office 352-392-1311,
the University of Florida's Pigs (AKA Police)
352-392-1111, and Kerry's Office 202-224-1311
ring and ring and ring and ring...
This was shameful! Let's all stand up speak out!

MA_Matriarch

For some reason, Americans have turned very mean spirited. Maybe the speed of change in the culture was too fast for some people, but other nations have progressed without this meanness of spirit. The more moral nations do not have a death penalty, have smaller numbers of people in jail and have universal health care. A moral nation would be proactive in preventing crime by setting up programs to reduce the pressures towards criminal behavior. A moral nation would mourn not only the loss of soldiers but also the loss of innocent lives in Iraq.

Americans imo on both the right and the left are very punitive and jugemental.(Maybe me too)

Well at least blacks aren't lynched anymore. Now they are railroaded by the legal system (Jena 6) There is at least in the legal system a chance to stop the killing because of race.

...................

Myer is a character and somewhat theatrical as a personlity imo. He did ask reasonable questions, but was unusual in his behavior. The police could not know if he had a gun. Still once he was on the ground with 6 people on top of him the taser should not have been used. The police over reacted. Kerry could have controlled the situation.

One other thing about this outrageous violation of the most basic civil liberty of free speech; what does it tell us about John Kerry that he said or did nothing while the cops were brutalizing someone for asking a question, and that he later was reportedly joking about and making light of the wholoe affair? Some President he would have made! He didn't have the courage to stand up to Bush's lies, or even the ridiculous Swift Boat Verterans for Truth [i.e. Karl Rove's dirty tricks squad] during the election. He then didn't have the courage to stand up to the Republicans stealing Ohio's electoral votes, and therewith the election itself, from him. Since losing he hasn't had the courage to give a single speech denouncing this horrendously corrupt and authoritarian administration or its fraudulent War in Iraq, which has killed over a million Iraqis, and driven another two million into exile. And now he shows that he doesn't even have the courage to protest seven cops tasering a student for asking a question that was actually very sympathetic to his own cause in the last election! What a totally reprehensible and thoroughly spineless politician! Unfortunately the Democrats are now full of such clowns. That's why they have a 21% approval rating among DEMOCRATS -- according to the latest Zogby pole. Will we ever again see a Democrat of principle and spine, like Gene McCarthy or George McGovern? Not while the DLC and "triangulating" Clintonites are in control of the party we won't.

Okay, I think a dissenting voice is needed here.

I should preface this by saying that I was not at the event, nor do I know anyone who was, so my opinion is based on second and third hand reports and video, much like most of the posters on this site.

That being said, I don't find this incident to be terribly startling; and certainly not an example of "fascism" in America as some have suggested. I agree that the police/security might have overreacted in tasering the student. But overzealous police actions are nothing new. It should be (and I'm sure will be) dealt with through proper channels. Some sort of legal action might be warranted

Nevertheless, this student's behavior was clearly inappropriate. He butted to the head of the line of questioners and went on a rant before coming to his questions. I would hope that everyone on this site believes in civil discourse; the ability to speak with your representatives in a fair and respectful manner is a hallmark of democracy; and a rare virtue these days. As I see it, this student was trying to get attention for the sake of getting attention, not to honestly engage Senator Kerry.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes pure attention grabbing is warranted as a political statement, as civil disobedience. However, if that is your goal, you should A) Expect the consequences (either ejection or arrest) and B) Not resist in any way when the consequences happen. It didn't seem to me like this student was following either of these precepts. He seemed mostly interested in bravado.

Once again, I agree that the police tasering is highly dubious and should be questioned and debated. But let's not shower this student with unwarranted praise or draw more implications from the police actions than are warranted.

The police had no right to get in the way of his questions, period! They had no right to touch him, to tell him to stop, to move closer to him AT ALL. His questions about the 2004 election were relevant, and Kerry should know how to answer difficult questions by now; he does not need nor deserve fascist, violent protection like this. Someone better pay for the ptsd this student and some of those who watched him beaten will be suffering from.

This really disgusts me, and yes, I've sent emails to say that.

einstein:
"But paperbacks are decidely un-dangerous"
love that set of words
ken

SOrry

see Stiv WHitman above for phone #'s.

I sent an e-mail to John Kerry... I'm sure that he won't read it but it felt good anyway.

I'm sorry that I didn't save it. I'll post what I send to others.

People feel free to submit your e-mails on line here. You may give others ideas and encouragement about what to e-mail those involved with the tasing.

Imagine if you had four or five people in uniforms trying to carry you out of a building. How would you react???

It would be nice to get the campus security phone # for the U of F. Or were they real cops???

Sue the bastards.

Funny here most people are totally apalled by the actions of police officers or security or whoever they were,then I get outside my cocoon and talk about it and I hear people say the student should have been shot! I think I live in hell.

I watched the video. Although forewarned, I found it pretty grueling how the honestly questioning student was ambushed by the many surrounding guards for asking polite, informed questions.

As for profanity, only after fair objections and questions of "What did I do?" had no effect, he said "fuck" - the 3rd or 4th time he asked the police to get off him: "Get the fuck off me". I'd say he'd been truly patient until then.

Read Naomi Wolf's new book: "The end of America" to understand how this episode fits into the "fascistization" of the USA.

A successful lawsuit against the university and university police might not only pay off mr. meyer's student loans, if any, but also help finance the peace movement in florida (obviously much needed). And a lawsuit clearly seems in order here. This was an unconscionably brutal, totally unnecessary, assault--not only on an individual but on the Constitution of the United States. For shame.

For those of you interested:

The Passport Book: The Complete Guide to Offshore Residency, Dual Citizenship and Second Passports
(2005, 5th Ed.)

by Robert E. Bauman, JD

[The inside title pages have only the second part.]

Published by the Sovereign Society
5 Catherine Street, Waterford, Ireland
Tel.: 1-888-358-8125
Email: info@sovereignsociety.com
Website: http://www.sovereignsociety.com

Oh, and yes, that is the Robert Bauman who served in the House of Representatives, (1973-1981).

I sent this to the UF President.

I am deeply disturbed by the events taking place on your University Campus. Since when in America, is asking a question at a "Question and Answer" event, punishable by "tasing"? Are we now living under martial law where dissent is met with force? Are we not supposed to be teaching our legacy, our children, to think critically and speak truth to power? I can assure you sir, that no child of mine will EVER attend your University and I will be sure to let all my family and friends know how their children will be treated there should they dare do something so vile as ask a question. I am a Florida resident and I have a large clientel at my place of business, I will urge them as well to boycott your University. Last I checked, we still had what was left of a Constitution in this Country, perhaps you should alert your campus police of this, maybe even provide them with a copy, assuming they can read...

Even though you may or may not agree with the student's question he should
not have been treated in such a way.

Please call to express your concerns about this horrific incident:

University of Florida Police Department: (352) 392-1111

University of Florida main switchboard: (352) 392-3261

University of Florida Police Department's Dispatch Center: (352) 392-1111 available 24-hours daily.

Forward this information along to fellow Americans you know.

Well, if this really was a publicity stunt, then this kid definitely met his match and perhaps got a bit more than he bargained for. Regardless, it does highlight the fact that we definitely have a problem with the suppression of the First Amendment in this country. If we lose our central voice, then what else do we have? I watched a brief clip of Hardball. Chris Matthews had his head so far up John McCain's ass in admiration, that he could see the fillings in McCain's mouth. The MSM is just as disgusting as many of our politicians. We steadily are losing our voice and need to exercise it and shout even louder.

Good people of common dreams, let's make some phone calls and e-mails.

Or don't and be like the students that laughed and clapped. Even John Kerry made a joke about it.

-Bernard Machen President of U of F ph# 352-392-1311 president@ufl.edu

-student government president PRESIDENT@sg.ufl.edu

-Sen. Kerry's office (202) 224-2742 - Phone

five cops... one a big dude.... no need to taser...

I'm an activist in Gainesville Florida and we have had a VERY hard time getting the college students to participate in local, regional, and national events. Maybe this will stir 'em up.

The University of Florida in recent times has been unhelpful to any non-republican organization.

Activist groups can't find faculty sponsors... Liberal Arts College is running out of funds (a contributing factor in the dearth of advisors.

Pro-peace groups have been denied permits to flyer/pamphlet at the college "Avenue of the Americas" where all campus organizations gather to meet, sign up, and socialize.

My son knows the officer that used the tazer, and he told me that she was... oops, better not say...

As a side note. The UFPolice Officers are trained at our Police Academy and are actual members of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLA) and are NOT "rent-a-cops" They are fully trained, and screened.

I'm just sayin'

Hi y'all. Crazy shit. The police are out of control. Where is REV Yearwood coverage though? I can't believe that Tucker was outraged at the police. Good for him, although he is an a-hole.

CNN told us that the kid at UF had weird political and satirical videos on his website, ok, all you comedians shut up now. What the hell does that mean? He is a trouble maker of course. He is putting on a show. T All you other people saying he was loud, come on. That is why we have a bill of rights people! To protect the freedom of speech, no matter how irritating it is.

Love the comment about the rally in washington and the people coming together. No media coverage of that of course.

Can't help but be a little paranoid about all of us being used as a gauge of how much we will put up with. Will mom's and dad's with kids at college put up with this. Tasering protesters is one thing, but loud college kids is another. We need to have an anti-tasering device, something that grounds us and releases the current back onto the cops. It will sell like hotcakes. But then what are we gonna do when they have perfected the machine they are working on now that emits a frequency that makes you feel like your skin is on fire.

Check out the video on utube about the protests in pittburgh, i think, where an older woman gets bit by a police dog and a small crowd with young children in it is sprayed with mace. I kid you not.

Listen, it is either a police state or not. All the freedoms we fought for in the sixties and seventies are being eroded with the help of the media and the complacency of most of the populace. Not only are people not outraged enough to dissent, but when the dissenters are abused in full public view, there is nary an outcry. Wow. We are being pushed farther and farther into a corner and the patriot act is being used to undermine our rights far more than it is used to protect us from evil-doers.

Check out Alex Jones "Terrorstorm" and "Zeitgeist" by someone else and cut down on the caffeine. Tai Chi and Yoga really help to ground yourself when you just wanna float the hell outta here!

Gotta quote my man Mario Savio again-"There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part, you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop! And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!"

Note: in the background audio, the newsmen are laughing! And then segwaying into "The next thing we wanna talk about..." THE REPORTERS ARE LAUGHING!

THE PEOPLE DID NOTHING!

KERRY DID NOTHING!

I'D like another go at this.having watched the video several times,and compared myers' affect with the content of what he is actually saying,i agree with marikken's hpothesis -that he may have been planted as an agent provacateur by the shock capitalist crowd.back in the 1960's,student activists knew that the folks making the most outrageous statements were usually cops or folks with personal problems.the video also reminded me of the famous millgram experiments done in new haven back in the day.what would those cops have had to do to that kid to get the others to challenge the legitimacy of their actions? are we so far gone that we accept the police as THE LAW? the greatful dead warned that "when you fall,you fall alone." the roves and cheneys are probably counting on us to be jolly well told.

There are certain advantages in being dead. I knew we were gone when they murdered the Wellstones. I gave $1000 bucks to Kerry for damage control and he went wind surfing with my bucks.

Remember this. Don't bother to ask the crooks about anything. They will lie anyway. Make signs and stand in the street with them, just like the man in China did with the tank. The powers that be are just what they are. They are store dummies.

i am afraid to go anywhere. what makes you think canada or anywhere else is safe from the new world order. they want absolute control of the world by the absolute elites. the rest are slaves. if you have any kind of debt you are a slave to the slave owners. and the slave owners are no different than they have been in the last 5,000 years. control the slaves by force.

Kerry is a big pussy. His statement following this horrific event said that he hoped both sides didn't get hurt. Hellooo! You had all the brutal thugged out officers all over this young man, he was tortured with a taser gun and that dumb ass Kerry sees grey.

THIS INCIDENT IS DISGRACEFUL.A BOUNCER IN A DAMNED COLLEGE BAR WOULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB.THE UF CAMPUS COPS ARE A PITFIFUL EXCUSE AS SECURITY.AS LAW ENFORCEMENT THEY GIVE GARDEN VARIETY INCOMPETENTS A BAD NAME.THE ADMINISTRATION WHICH EMPLOYS THEM MUST HAVE SOME SOME ZERO TOLERENCE FOR DISSENT AGENDA.IMAGINE WHAT THOSE COPS WOULD HAVE FELT FREE TO DO,IF THE YOUNG MAN HAD ACTUALLY BROKEN SOME LAW.CONSIDER WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE KID WAS PLANTED TO BAIT THOSE DUMASSES?LUCKY FOR EVERYONE,HE WAS TALKIN LOUD TO DRAW A CROWD.

"Ok, anyone know the fastest, easiest best country to migrate to?"

If you have a university degree and work in technical or academic white-collar field, and are under 50 years of age, you are probably well-qualified for Canada's skilled-worker immigration program. My brother and his partner are on their way to Canada - it was still as 2-year-long paperwork process - including a lot of background checks by the FBI.

They will be saying bye-bye to the USA and moving to Toronto by mid November. I pretty much missed my chance - you lose a lot of points when you turn 50.

I agree mastershake!

Ok, anyone know the fastest, easiest best country to migrate too?

"The pigs can go to hell."

If the kid truly has any guts he will pursue a lawsuit not only against the campus police who were involved, but also the secret service agents.

Solace can be found as it's possible he can ruin their careers forever.

"I would like to think that Obama would have acted more forcefully when observing an attack like that."

You would like to think that but you'd be wrong.

The name of the game is don't make waves!

This is light compared what they will and can do!

"I would like to think that Obama would have acted more forcefully when observing an attack like that."

Nah. he would'nt 'ov.

Arent these the tactics of the Bush misadministration?

Kerry, Bush et al will all be laughing all the way to their compounds in South America once the shit hits the Iran fan

And, come to think of it, in the old days, one could at least practice principled nonviolence by simply sitting down and making the copsdrag or carry you to the paddy wagon. But that doesn't work either, the S.O.P. nowadays is that if you don't obey the cops and walk youself to the wagon, you will be subjected to near-lethal electrocution (why isn't this prohibited as a form of torture?) until you do.

Even Gandhi would have given up hope under such conditions.

Ok, anyone know the fastest, easiest best country to migrate too?

Look for countries that have low unemployment rates; they need workers. Norway has only 2.5% unemployment. I don't know how easy it is for immigrants to get in; I know they do take immigrants. I'm a citizen there and I'm planning on taking my daughter and get out of here hopefully in January. Hope that's not too late. After 30 years of living here, I'm giving up.

Check out The White House Presidential Directives and you will find that Bush made it illegal to protest in any way that which might jepardize the mission in Iraq. However, it is so broadly stated, that it is now illegal to protest anything which could be linked to Bush or his motives, or anyone connected, or anything he wants it to mean. Sue the UF while you have the CHANCE. It's all downhill from here. While you are at the WHITE HOUSE, check out the other recent Presidential Directives Bush has come up with: e.g. Martial law

I JUST FOUND ANDREW MEYER'S WEBSITE. You just might want to have a look at it. He's talented, funny, charming, intelligent, and fairly original. He's certainly not a danger to society. The fellow is studying to become a media and news professional. Seems like he's got something:

http://www.theandrewmeyer.com/columns/columns.asp

Readers might want to remember something that the vast majority of news organizations in this country ignore: There are more than two political parties. Are the Democrats too far to the right for your taste? Think about switching to the Green or the Peace & Freedom party. Are the Republicans too far to the left for your taste? Think about joining the Reform or the American Independent party.

"On the day following the incident, Kerry's office issued a statement saying that the Senator was unaware that a taser had been used on Meyer until after he left the event.[4] The statement quoted Kerry as saying, "In 37 years of public appearances, through wars, protests and highly emotional events, I have never had a dialogue end this way. I believe I could have handled the situation without interruption, but I do not know what warnings or other exchanges transpired between the young man and the police prior to his barging to the front of the line and their intervention. ... I regret enormously that a good healthy discussion was interrupted."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Florida_Taser_incident

Kerry observed an attack and did nothing except say he wanted to answer the question.

Well now we have videos to see for ourselves what has occured.
I would like to think that Obama would have acted more forcefully when observing an attack like that.

But maybe I have been too hard on Kerry...I just want more forcefullness from the politicians who oppose the Bush Administration.

holymoly - great post!

holymoly,

Your soliloquy expressed my feeling exactly!

and, for all of those who say he guy should have simply submited to the police like a lamb, you sure don't know much about human nature. I am a proud citizen in what is supposed to be a democracy, not a serfdom. I guarantee you that if anyone tries to grab my arms for merely exercising my natural rights as a human being, i am going to reflexively pull back. any person with an ounce of pride in themselves would do that as well.

The pigs can go to hell.

Did anyone see that cop smiling?

Wow, I watched it and wow that is all I have to say. There is no way in hell that guy should be imprisoned for what he did. NO WAY!

Kerry just keeps talking while the guy is arrested, dragged off, and tasered! Jesus. Land 'o the free.
this is what THE END OF DEMOCRACY looks like...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=iqAVvlyVbag

The student made some great points. I hope this student can get some good lawyers. This is a bit like the guy who was tasered at UCLA for not having ID.

The student is charged with a Felony?!

The law-abiding Kerry is a traitor-- collaborator with the fascist regime to which he pretends to be the 'loyal opposition'.