Student Arrested, Tasered at Kerry Event

reply to post by Braeden


Would Andrew have said this?:

Originally posted by billybob

She was one of two officers who actually rode with Meyer to the Alachua County jail, and she said said he told them during the ride: "I am not mad at you guys, you didn't do anything wrong, you were just trying to do your job."

Peace

Originally posted by Griff

Sorry if you took it as an attack. Was just debating.

No worries Griff, I understand we get into discussions which can get heated at times and we will never all agree. I get as passionate as the next person about what I feel is right and wrong with society. I just feel that some sense of respect should be shown when in a public environment, call it my management upbringing or the fact I come from a generation which used physical disapline to teach right and wrong. now im older and I hope a bit wiser.

But I am all about our rights to free speech and every right given us in the bill of rights and the constitution. I just wouldn’t protest by making a mockery of a public forum. I do think the FU cops over reacted for sure but this guy wasn’t helping his case by repeatedly trying to get away from them.

There was a time when I might have acted the same way. But I still just don’t see our rights to free speech being highjacked to the extreme some others see it. In every video I have seen over the past year there is always something the person did or didn’t do which escalated the issue. I’m sure you know that cops feel like they are the authority at public events. And they will get things out of control real quick if you don’t acknowledge their presence. I’m not saying they are right but I do understand how these things get way out of control. I guess im al about respect for others and not so much about what I feel im entitled to.

Anyway I have always liked your comments I just think we may not see total eye to eye on this one and that’s ok man. You bring allot of good points here and I for one will definatly say im wrong if im wrong.

Take care Griffster

Originally posted by scientist
i can't even follow the logic in that one...

It's the old tactic of putting your fingers in your ears and saying "nah, nah, nah, I can't hear you".

So, because someone doesn't want to hear something, they can taser them? Or even escort them out? Kerry was willing to answer the guys questions.

Originally posted by geemony


So you have the right to say anything you want to me but I dont have the right to tell you I dont want to hear it. I guess i could always call FU security and have you removed.

* I can insult to Billy Bob *

as long as i don't threaten you, yes. i don't grandstand, though. i'm more of a pull the rug out from under you kind of guy.

there is no "right not to listen" in the constitution. people can walk away, or cover their ears, but they CANNOT cover the speakers mouth. because there IS a "right to free speech".

holy failing education system, batman, pass the tasers.

do you even know what a "right" is?

reply to post by Braeden



Thanks for posting that. I have some extreme views as well.

I am from Canada and recollect well the tear gas in the eyes incident in BC where people were sitting down, peacefully engaged in civil disobedience. My thoughts are with you and him.

Originally posted by geemony
Take care Griffster

That's funny. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on some points. No big deal. You take care also.

reply to post by Braeden


your friend is a hero to me. just like the kid with the camera getting intimidated by authority gone wild.

cops are people, too, ...on their days off.

Originally posted by scientist

i can't even follow the logic in that one...

just being argumentative for the sake of it eh?

Yeah pretty much, couldnt come up with anything better at the time. The *insult insertion remark* on his post got me going, my bad.

reply to post by geemony


sorry for that, but i get upset with people supporting the gutting of the constitution.
and i'm canadian. the constitutions protects us from the USA becoming a police state.

or, that is, it used to.

Originally posted by billybob
your friend is a hero to me.

Honestly billybob, there's nothing in Braedens' post that's not public knowledge. Let's at least acknowledge that he could be lying about knowing anything about anything.

Peace

That is true, but I tend to be trusting until they put the knife directly in my chest.

Originally posted by billybob

as long as i don't threaten you, yes. i don't grandstand, though. i'm more of a pull the rug out from under you kind of guy.

there is no "right not to listen" in the constitution. people can walk away, or cover their ears, but they CANNOT cover the speakers mouth. because there IS a "right to free speech".

holy failing education system, batman, pass the tasers.

do you even know what a "right" is?

Sure I do BB do you know that rights can be abused as well?

anyway i guess i would have to take the high road and just walk away if I didnt want to hear what was being said. And I am very educated so please cease with the attempts to insult my intelligence. And if you bothered to read any of my posts instead of jumping on what you perseve to be my motives you would see that I never agreed with the way the FU officers conducted themselves. I mearly believe the guy acted out of line against the agreed to rules of the Q&A session. And when you enter into a forum like that free speech is dictated by the rules of the forum not the constitution, you cant have it both ways IMO.

So we will have to agree to disagree


Take care

reply to post by Dr Love


the point is, the kid is DOING SOMETHING to fight the hidden hand. that takes extensive passion, study, and then guts and risk.
what braeden said was he knows the guy, and i want the guy to know that there are people who see him as a hero for sticking his neck out like that. perhaps braeden will have a chance to pass on some goodwill to the MARTYR.

You guys don't have to believe I know him, but the point remains that although what happened was a clear violation of his rights and very troublesome, there WILL be consequences imposed on those officers for their conduct and Andrew WILL receive compensation. The government can NOT just do what it wants so long as there is freedom of speech and press. Hopefully, this is going to end up being an example of the system working as intended.

Braeden, you didn't answer my question at the top of this page.

Peace

More people need to be asking the questions this kid was asking! Even if it was a set-up to get attention, he's trying to bring attention to the fact that Kerry handed the 2004 election to Bush. It is NO COINCIDENCE that Bush and Kerry are both Skull and Bones members. Kerry was chosen to run for the sole reason of ensuring Bush to win. I can't believe more people aren't livid over the 2004 election!

And now, this incident in Florida shows just how much of a police state the USA has become. Our founding fathers must be rolling in their graves at the greed and treason perpetuated by our officials (no longer can they be called public servants, since they only serve themselves and their corporate backers.)

Impeach Bush, reestablish the establishment, and disrupt the status quo!!!!
There are 300 million people in this country, the VAST MAJORITY of whom are poor or middle class, and being taken advantage of by the government in whom they have misplaced their trust. The recent events in Florida serve to highlight just how wrong things are going around here.

Bush is a domestic enemy of the Constitution of the United States of America who must be stopped!

Originally posted by Griff
I don't get this line of thinking really and I mean no disrespect. This is a little extreme but do you think the college student in Tiananmen square just wanted to make a scene for his popularity or do you think there was a message involved? I think this kid had a message he wanted to get out. If that's a crime, go a head and roll the tanks....err tasers.

Did he have a message before entering the forum, or does he simply claim he "had" a message after this entire incident? There's a huge difference between the two...It would be nearly impossible to prove one from the other.

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line...I'd say this kid took the jagged, criss-crossed line...

Well the protest here on campus yesterday wasn't terribly dramatic. Just 350 people or so with signs, chanting, etc. The protest went down to the UPD station in the middle of campus for a while but no incidents.

The police report greatly conflicts with the video recording of Meyer's question, and the altercation afterwards leading to Meyer's tasing and arrest. The report includes multiple separate statements written by the various officers involved in the arrest, apparently written before they knew of or saw video tapes of the incident. I call upon others to compare these statements with the video and provide their assessment, but it appears to me that the officers got together to concoct a story to justify their actions.

The most important time period is that leading up to the two officers grabbing Meyer, when he allegedly was "creating a disturbance" and "inciting a riot," according to the police. The video (youtube) begins with Kerry speaking, apparently answering an earlier question, and he then points to Meyer at the podium and says "sir." Meyer begins at time=10 seconds on the video by politely thanking Kerry for his time. At t=20 seconds, Meyers begins providing factual background for his questions. He does not scream or shout, as the police report -- he is merely animated; his tone is pleasant. At t=40 seconds, an officer comes directly next to him interrupts Meyer, who for the first time become annoyed and agitated, and snaps at the officer "I'll ask my question, thank you very much." This is after only 30 seconds, 10 of which were spent on thanking Kerry for speaking. I could not tell what the officer said, but she continues to argue with him to stop. He continues to rebuke her and at t=55 seconds she acquiesces and Meyer continues speaking, reaching his first question at t=75 seconds. That's 65 seconds into his time, with 10 seconds spent on thanking Kerry, and 15 seconds spent arguing with the officer to allow him to continue (i.e., 40 seconds of asking his question). Meyer does not, however, let Kerry answer his first question, and continues to ask his multi-part question, but his tone returns to the animated and pleasant tone he began with. By t=90 seconds, Meyer has asked four questions without letting Kerry answer, although Kerry does communcate a few words throughout Meyer's speech. His fourth question includes the word "blowjob," referring to the act that caused the House to impeach Pres. Clinton. At t=100 seconds, Meyer asks a fifth question about Kerry's membership in Skull and Bones, and the microphone is then cut off. This is now 90 seconds after he began to speak, or 75 seconds if we discount his thank you and the interruption. Meyer then sarcastically says "thank you for cutting my mic," and at t=103, two officers -- without saying a word -- grab Meyer's arm and back to pull him away from the podium. As the officers grab Meyer, Kerry says "I'm sorry, let me answer his question begins to answer the question, " but the officers ignore him and continue to grab and pull him. Kerry repeatedly attempts to answer the questions, which he refers to as "important questions." Kerry continues answering the questions throughout the incident, including when tased by the police (t=189).

During the 86-second period in which police man-handled Meyer to the back of the room, Meyer never once pushed, kicked, hit or lifted up any of the officers, as they claimed in the police report. He merely tried to free himself from their grasp so he could listen to Kerry's response to his questions. One early moment (t=115) is particularly telling in which Meyer says "get off me" to the police while raising both arms vertically after momentarily freeing himself from the two officers' clutches.

At no time did the officers back off and allow Meyer to regain his composure. At no time did the officers try to talk or reason with Meyer without man-handling him. At no time did Meyer threaten anyone. At no time did Kerry indicate he wanted Meyer to stop talking or leave, and Kerry communicated his desire for the police to allow Meyer to listen to his answer.

Yeah, it's not obvious why the cops reacted that way. Kerry didn't tell them to move, and in fact asked them to stand down. Andrew did cut in line to ask his question (so I've heard), hence the apprehensive stance of the officers before he even began, but it isn't like he was rushing the stage or anything. Those cops got some 'splainin to do.
And to the above question about his later statement: I dunno. I wasn't there and I still don't know what was up. It'd probably be sort of hard to get in contact with him at this point. I'll see if I can find out anything interesting through the grape vine.