You Have the Right to STFU, Bro!
University of Florida student Andrew Meyer struggles with University Police trying to remove him from a question and answer session with Sen. John Kerry in Gainesville, Fla. Meyer attempted to speak after the question and answer session had ended, university officials said.Andrew Stanfill - APCurt writes:
Now take it from one who has used tasers to subdue combative suspects, this guy could very well have had some long term damage done to him if the police HAD NOT used the taser. That's what the tool is for. They receive some zaps and ta da! They comply. If they didn't have that tool then they have their fists, their batons, their flashlights. It's called pain compliance.Why isn't this obvious to belligerent loudmouths like Meyer?If they guy didn't think he should of been arrested the time to fight it is NOT during the arrest. It's after the arrest in a court of law. Once we have come to the conclusion that a person needs to be arrested you must comply. No if's, and's or but's about it. There is plenty of legal recourse to fight it later but physically fighting the police is not the way to go about it.
Labels: John Kerry
posted by The WordSmith from Nantucket at 9/18/2007 01:11:00 PM
14 Comments:
This stunt was nothing more than a calculated risk. At least we had this to look at momentarily between the 23+9/10ths hours coverage of OJ. Would it be legal to choke people for reporting on OJ?
This was a stunt, nothing more, nothing less.
I've already received an email from a friend about this story, and he is enraged over this blatant violation of the 1st Amendment.
Yeah..right.
I'd like to use my 1st Amendment rights to tell this joker to STFU.
I agree with Skye... this guy wanted this to happen, and he was truly overacting. He blew it!
Normally the sight of a moonbat getting pummeled makes me giddy.
Not so much in this case.
I don't care what that guy was saying or doing, this is a rotten precedent.
They arrested him for "inciting a riot".
This whole thing is wrong on many levels. I do not think that it's in any way shape or form a good thing for this guy to be treated as he was by police.
Basing my opinion solely on what was recorded by video, I'd have to respectfully disagree, stew.
Pre-planned or not, he was the one escalating the situation. Shouting at the police, resisting them....there are a lot worse things that can happen than getting tasered or pepper-sprayed. All he had to do was calm the eff down. He has no one to blame but himself for a little physical pain. As good as a spanking. It's not like they beat the crap out of him, lacerating flesh and breaking bones.
I agree with Curt's take, 100% in how you interact with law enforcement.
I absolutely agree with you, Word. It wasn't what the guy was saying, it was that (1) he failed to comply with the rules, (2) he failed to follow the direction of law enforcement upon being asked to leave, (3) he ran around screaming after the cops tried to escort him out, (4) he continued to struggle during the apprehension process.
The fact that he screamed "Don't taze me bro!" has nothing to do with his moronic behavior. He acted like someone who needed a spanking, and he got it. He won't suffer brain damage, he won't contract a horrible disease. But he DID have to follow directions.
Unfortunately, too many people out there rushed to call him a victim of horrible cops, rather than the spoiled brat he was and I do believe the lesson will be lost.
I don't feel sorry for him at all. Sure, tazers hurt like hell. That's the point. It's very easy to avoid them.
Our society gives cops a job to do, and then we complain about the way they do it. I can understand enforcing codes of behavior - that is necessary and just. But we ask cops to do something and then complain when they do it. And that is not only wrong, it is a recipe for disaster.
Perhaps if we actually taught our children to respect the police rather than to thing OUR RIGHTS (they always say it in all caps, don't they?) trump everyone else's...
Because one must have common sense, a concept sorely lacking in a good percentile of the population at large. You don't crash the line, you don't act the asshole; you act like a civilzed and rational human being, step to the mike, make your point, await the response from Kerry, comply with time directives if any, then move on. What part of that is overbearing, irrational or illogical?
BZ
If any of you are intersted, I have a 23 page paper I wrote this summer semester in an independant study class on the use of tasers by law enforcement. Better to use a taser than a gun or expose the area to pepper spray (oc spray).
Through Karen, I discovered this blogger is a friend of one of the officers.
Lol at Chris Matthews.
I'm not terribly surprised that I'm mostly alone in my sentiment. I still think it was an over reaction by the police.
He did not break a single law.
Forget for a moment that he's a loon (it's not against the law to be a freakwad), forget for a moment that he probably cut in line (that's rude, not against any law), forget that he most likely WANTED to be arrested.
YOU HAVE TO BREAK A LAW IN ORDER TO BE ARRESTED.
Watch that video again and tell me what law he broke.
If you feel strongly about an issue and you're talking to someone and a police officer comes up to you and tells you to shut up what are you going to do?
I'm betting you that you end up telling him in no uncertain terms that you will not be bullied, intimidated nor pressured to think in a certain way.
Tell me I'm wrong.
Bad precedent like I said.
I'm not terribly surprised that I'm mostly alone in my sentiment. I still think it was an over reaction by the police.
You're not mostly alone. A number of people have drawn similar conclusions to yours. They're called liberals. (J/K...actually, I've seen some conservatives also thinking the police went too far)
He did not break a single law.
Are you so sure? I haven't looked into it that far, but I'm pretty sure he spent a night in jail...probably for resisting arrest.
If you feel strongly about an issue and you're talking to someone and a police officer comes up to you and tells you to shut up what are you going to do?
I think you're creating a scenario that fits your perception; but it's not the scenario that took place on that video. Read here, and my link to Flopping Aces.
If the police were wrong in escorting him away from the microphone, what you do is file a report. You don't carry on like an anarchist and resist arrest when you don't comply with authority. In my estimation, he was the combative one.
If you were a police officer, how would you have handled the situation?
(anguished voice) I AM NOT A LIBERALLLLLL
When I say he didn't break a single law, I'm talking about from a "Hey the police need to be involved here" perspective. He did resist arrest and for that he deserves to go to jail. But what started it? The police wanted him to shut up because he was breaking the law how?
Inciting a riot.
That is the most b.s. trumped up pile of crap charge of which I've ever heard. If I were him I'd have my attorney crawling into the anus of everyone involved in that mess.
If you're going to arrest someone for something at least make it legit.
The short, sweet summary of the problem I have with this is that the police used their power to silence someone.
That is a bad precedent.
Surely you don't disagree.
Otherwise we agree to disagree and a loon spent the night in the pokey. Cest la Vie.
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As to your question "If I were a police officer what would I do"
Well, since the person onstage with the mic was saying, "It's okay, I'll answer his question" I personally would back off and let the guy talk.
If he broke a law then I'd escort him out of there.
(anguished voice) I AM NOT A LIBERALLLLLL
Lol...I said I was j/king!
When I say he didn't break a single law, I'm talking about from a "Hey the police need to be involved here" perspective. He did resist arrest and for that he deserves to go to jail. But what started it? The police wanted him to shut up because he was breaking the law how?
stew...John Kerry was kind enough to hold a "question and answer" session after his talk. People formed two lines, at two mics. Then after a period, it was announced that he'd only be taking a few more questions. And I believe, one question per person.
A normal, law-abiding person living in civilized society would accept that..."okay, I got the misfortune of being in the back of the line...tough luck for me if I don't get to ask my 20 questions"
What makes Meyer so special, that he thinks it appropriate to cut his way to the mic and demand disrespectfully of a U.S. Senator to answer all of his questions?
Why shouldn't others also shove Meyer out of the way, and say their piece into the mic? Where does the anarchy end?
If you're standing at a checkout, would it be right for Meyer to cut to the front of the line? If he's unwilling to move, and the checkout clerk is wussy enough to indulge him and begins ringing him up, is that right? How do you remove him if he just laughs in your face and taunts you, whether you're just a citizen like him, or perhaps the store manager?
Law or no law broken, Meyer is an obnoxious turd who got his comeuppance.
Apparently, he was all smiles outside the building, reinforcing the notion that it was mostly all a show.
Inciting a riot.
That is the most b.s. trumped up pile of crap charge of which I've ever heard. If I were him I'd have my attorney crawling into the anus of everyone involved in that mess.
Great. I really can't believe you made this point.
Rewarding bad behavior with a frivolous lawsuit like that? What an undeserving piece of crud he is!
If you're going to arrest someone for something at least make it legit.
Fine...the police can stay out of the way. As a citizen, I'll just go up and tell him to stfu or kick his ass.
The short, sweet summary of the problem I have with this is that the police used their power to silence someone.
That is a bad precedent.
How?! What did the police do that was so horrific? Was he hurt? Yes. He asked for it. Literally. Was he injured? No! Absolutely not! Tasering is pain compliance when verbal compliance and physical compliance (trying to escort him away from the mic) is not working.
Surely you don't disagree.
Well....I do. I understand where you are coming from; I just don't see it in this situation.
I think he is the one who escalated the situation, and purposefully instigated it.
Otherwise we agree to disagree and a loon spent the night in the pokey. Cest la Vie.
Yeah. I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.
Here's his website by the way, for anyone interested.
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As to your question "If I were a police officer what would I do"
Well, since the person onstage with the mic was saying, "It's okay, I'll answer his question" I personally would back off and let the guy talk.
If he broke a law then I'd escort him out of there.
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