Taser? I barely know 'er!

[weaktwos]

So, this week's Taser victim has opened up an interesting discussion.

So Andrew Meyer breaks into a Kerry Speech and grabs the microphone to blurt out his conspiracy theory.

So there is some footage of the "Taser Experience". Here's one version. Here's another version from another angle.

So, there's a lot of talk about this. Is this a freedom of speech issue? Joe Conason at Salon says it is a sign of how much we've lost in the way of personal freedom's under Bush's Regime.

While I certainly don't like Bush, and agree that his policies have adversely impacted America, I don't think it applies in this situation.

So from what I can tell based on the video and news reports, he runs past the police to get into Kerry's presentation. From the get-go, this is a security issue, and not one of free speech. And it's not even to sit down and see him speak. It's to interrupt the presentation and ask his question. His manners in asking the question were odd, too. He said that Kerry spoke for two hours, he should get to ask his question. Forget about the fact that the whole point was that Kerry was speaking. Yet another odd, somewhat hostile act on the part of this man.

So the police made a decision to escort him out. Not really a bad call, since his behavior was erratic from the beginning. On top of it, when he's being escorted out, he resists law enforcement.

Now, the issue was whether or not excessive force was used. That I cannot tell. He was resisting arrest and not being cooperative. And I don't think that was necessarily easy for the police to deal with. But of course, he managed to get past them

What happened to Civil Disobedience? If you actively resist police, I think it's a given you're going to get into arrested. And if you struggle, you're going to get subdued.

This man was disruptive and in a way that warranted a security concern from the outset. And since he was a greedy bastard, he was also disrupting the event in general by asking more that one question, which is not quite considerate for the rest of the audience. And Skull and Bones? Oh please!

In this day and age where terrorists have flourished by using unpredictable tactics, it doesn't seem unreasonable that other crazy people might use similar tactics. I think the police were correct in attempting to extricate this man from the room. I'm not sure about whether the Taser was necessary. However, I could picture a cop getting flustered, or just frustrated that this guy was being a total ass. Given that much of the audience clapped when he was being escorted out, I suspect a number of them secretly wanted to give this bro a Tase.

Comments

[unclemilo.livejournal.com]

You know, that guy also seemed to really be "hamming it up" when he got tazed. I don't know anything about being tazed... and I'm not suggesting it didn't hurt... but whenever I listen to that film, it's like he's really acting like a bad performance.

Anyway... I agree with you... I'm a strong supporter of the First Amendment and especially the freedom of speech part of it, but you nailed it perfectly. They asked him to leave and he was just doing everything he could to get the taze.

I mean... even Kerry was saying he was willing to answer the kid's question... so the kid was just out to make this happen.

[weaktwos.livejournal.com]

I agree. There was something disingenuous about his behavior.

[namfle.livejournal.com]

Tasing hurts enough to make the most machismo of men openly cry, bawl even. Plus, current = lack of muscle control. I sincerely doubt he was hamming, it's just the way his voice sounds.

-elfman-

[dslartoo.livejournal.com]

1. He interrupted another student's question.

2. Even though it had already been stated that Kerry would take no more questions, he pushed his way in anyway.

3. He asked THREE questions, increasingly offbeat and stupid.

4. He is known for being a "prankster", troublemaker and general all-around dick.

5. He stupidly and annoyingly and LOUDLY resisted arrest, trying to break free, trying to run away and even shoving the officers who were (at the start) gently escorting him away.

In my opinion, the little fuck got what was coming to him.

cheers,
Phil

[dslartoo.livejournal.com]

I forgot to mention that the official police report indicates that as soon as the kid was hustled down the stairs where there were no cameras, he immediately stopped screaming and yelling, then as soon as the cameras caught up again he started up with the histrionics again. It also remarks that he was jovial and joking with the officers all the way to the jail and told them that he doesn't have anything against them and they were just trying to do their job.

Two-faced, self-important, annoying prick.

cheers,
Phil

[weaktwos.livejournal.com]

Oooh, that's even more damning. He needed a few more tases.

[imlac.livejournal.com]

Spot on. I think it was dumb of the police to taze the guy when they knew they were being filmed, but other than that, they seemed to do everything just right. The guy was a tool. Kerry could have done a better job managing the situation, but at least he tried to answer the question.

[weaktwos.livejournal.com]

Kerry's droning voice over the man's whining and struggling added a surreal layer to the experience. I wonder if Kerry's voice remains the same when he's excited, bored, angry, and scared?

[namfle.livejournal.com]

I think I have to agree with you on this. The first time I saw the video, I was like "why are people outraged? You resist arrest the way he did, you're going to get it pretty bad."

I think people's issue was that they tazed him while he was down. The way I see it, they would have had a hell of a time getting him back up and out without subduing him further than simply sitting on and cuffing him.

And he was being very much the nuisance here. I really can't see where the police over-reacted here, and we had plenty of public examples of what that looks like in the last 10 years.

-elf-