Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave

This site frequently charts the role of the British State and its armies in supporting the illegal war in Iraq. As we all get inured to the brutality of war and positions polarised its hard not to feel that the message isn't getting over and that many people are just stunned into submission, dulled by the ongoing viciousness of it all. This incident, like that when Walter Wolfgang was ejected from the Labour Party conference shows just how far we've come to an authoritarian rule and how speaking truth to power comes at a price...

Yesterday, Andrew Meyers, a University of Florida student was attacked by five cops, zapped with tasers and arrested after demanding that Senator John Kerry answer the question.

Meyers, a telecommunications student at the Gainesville campus, asked related questions including a query as to why Kerry refused to vote for impeachment. When he passed his alloted one minute mic time, five cops jumped him, threw him to the ground, shot him with taser shockers. As Gerg Palast, who's book Meyer was 'brandishing' said: " Kerry, true to character, stood immobile."

13 Comments

Not, not, not saying he should have been tased. I am saying he needed to be shown the door. He has a history, he jumped the line, failed to ask a question until past his time then stated he had three, was obviously making a show of it, he thought he was amusing, when he refused to leave he was gently ushered then he went into his act. He gave a video camera to the girl behind him to shoot the whole thing. He knew what he was doing. His e-mail is famouswriterguy@aol.com, kind of telling.

Now this is a bit more disturbing, we expect it at Republican events but not a Dem.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/09/19/hardball-the-assault-on-free-speech-in-america/

tiny ... on September 19, 2007 at 8:32 PM

That's one of the most disturbing things Ive seen in a long time

Susan on September 19, 2007 at 9:56 PM

I dont know what I find more disturbing TLD your defence of the attack or the audience applauding as he's dragged away. Isnt there such a things as a chair to mediate debate?

Gus on September 19, 2007 at 10:14 PM

Not at all the entire story here. Hardly even part of it. tiny's got it right--no, he shouldn't have been tased, but it really had more to do with police incompetence/inexperience and someone wanting to cause trouble and get attention than with anyone wanting to stifle free speech. If you've seen the video, you've heard Kerry say that he would answer his questions, and you've also heard how his questions were hardly "speaking truth to power." It's more embarrassing for UF and campus police everywhere than it is a sign of impending doom.

Misinformation and the ability to disseminate it can be dangerous, I wish people took more care when posting these kinds of things...

Carmen on September 20, 2007 at 12:46 AM

"That's one of the most disturbing things Ive seen in a long time"

I hope you mean the completely over-the-top act and not Kerry's trying to move things along.

The initial question was certainly legitimate, but presenting it in such an overblown way, and with such obvious grandstanding, does little more than give Fox News more footage to use as "proof" to middle Americans that the Left is completely bonkers.

Alex on September 20, 2007 at 7:24 AM

I agree with tiny.
I saw part of this on Jimmy Kimmel. Drink a bunch of Monster caffeine drinks so you can elbow your way up to the mic, talk really fast and get a lot in while being really harsh – in other words, become hysterical. what an ass.

stevie on September 20, 2007 at 6:41 PM

Do you think his fear was real? Do you think the response was appropriate?

Caremen: 'someone wanting to cause trouble and get attention' it looked like a legitimate question.

As someone else said elsewhere - this is on a US campus????

Gus Abraham on September 20, 2007 at 10:17 PM

C'mon Gus, I'm not defending the attack hence the "Not, not, not" part.

The guy was there for his 15 minutes of fame.
The cops, as usual, over-reacted.
Clean hands? Not on either side.

I will say some need to watch again from the three different angles, he physically resisted three separate times then he was warned as he resisted being handcuffed that he would be tased.
You pick your battles.

tiny loves me some 1820, hope I haven't lost my place in your heart.

tiny ... on September 21, 2007 at 4:29 AM

Gus is right. He may have been an asshole but he hardly deserved this. The problem with non-lethal weapons is that we start being told they are for controlling riots then we end up with people asking difficult questions being dragged to the floor and stunned while students sit around clapping. Its insidiuous, and reminiscent of Stalinist Russia.

Mad Mac on September 21, 2007 at 9:00 AM

More here: http://rjjago.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/that-taser-guy/

the reponse from ordinary americans is scarey

Davey G on September 21, 2007 at 9:02 AM

Here's the Walter Wolfgang incident which is similar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nExMONA_-Lg

Gus Abraham on September 21, 2007 at 12:47 PM

Mainly because I respect Gus and the good folks at 1820 so much, this issue has been consuming my primary thought. It's very hard for me to vocalize my thoughts because they seem to fall rather easily on both sides of the fence. I have to agree with Gus, and to risk the invite of more crit, as the Rude Pundit noted, a prostitute CAN be raped. On the flip side I'm having a difficult time making this guy my poster boy for free speech. The line is quite fuzzy and I hope further thought will focus that boundary. For now the benefit of this incident is an increased passion for discourse that is severely lacking on both sides of the pond (yes, more so on this side). Whether I sink to the bottom or perch on a lilly pad of sane thought I guess is still to be determined by my own internal battles. Love to all, I'm off for a good boozin'.

t...

tiny ... on September 22, 2007 at 4:37 AM

Hi TLD
poster boy maybe not, but that's the thing about free speech, you defend the right of someone you dont like and who's view you might not agree with, to be able to say them.

See the Niemoller Moment for some of the complexities includinbg the fact that some of the blogs being taken out by dont walk the walk....

Gus Abraham on September 23, 2007 at 6:55 PM

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