MyDD :: "Don't Tase Me, Bro" Open Thread

"Don't Tase Me, Bro" Open Thread

by jlars, Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 01:52:07 AM EST

I realize this is a bit of a digression from politics proper, but I just had to ask everyone what they thought about the Andrew Meyer/UF Taser incident.

It's a strange thing to see, and if you haven't seen it yet, here it is.

A little more background appears here.

Your thoughts on the incident? The media's response? What do you think we should do about it?

Poll

Votes: 11
Results : Vote Link : Polls

Tags: free speech, police brutality, John Kerry, youtube (all tags)

Permalink :: 23 Comments :: Post a Comment

None of the Above (none / 0)

Whatever he was doing he didn't deserve tasering. We are on a slippery slope to a bad place. Anyone have any thoughts on Blackwater USA while we are at it? Any evidence of them being considered as keepers of the peace domestically? They seem to have the confidence of the Federal Government. What's next?

by Shaun Appleby on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 04:09:44 AM EST

Re: None of the Above (none / 0)

Frankly glad to see Blackwater in the hot seat. Professional soldiers have no allegiance to anyone but $.

by DoIT on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 05:21:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Ironically... (none / 0)

I notice with some amusement, and apprehension, that the 'black Helicopter' conspiracy nonsense of Stateside militias in past decades has become a reality to the Iraqi population. Did you know that Blackwater's fleet of combat helicopters is, of all things, black? Ya' gotta laugh or you would cry.

Just for the record:

In just a decade Prince has expanded the Moyock headquarters to 7,000 acres, making it the world's largest private military base. Blackwater currently has 2,300 personnel deployed in nine countries, with 20,000 other contractors at the ready. It has a fleet of more than twenty aircraft, including helicopter gunships and a private intelligence division, and it is manufacturing surveillance blimps and target systems.

In 2005 after Hurricane Katrina its forces deployed in New Orleans, where it billed the federal government $950 per man, per day-at one point raking in more than $240,000 a day. At its peak the company had about 600 contractors deployed from Texas to Mississippi. Since Katrina, it has aggressively pursued domestic contracting, opening a new domestic operations division. Blackwater is marketing its products and services to the Department of Homeland Security, and its representatives have met with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The company has applied for operating licenses in all US coastal states. Blackwater is also expanding its physical presence inside US borders, opening facilities in Illinois and California.

Jeremy Scahill

Food for thought there, eh?

by Shaun Appleby on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 05:39:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: "Don't Tase Me, Bro" Open Thread (none / 0)

Here is a link to an existing diary by Tarheel.
We got plenty of comments there. Please weigh in.
http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/9/18/8265 2/4974

by Pravin on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 04:13:45 AM EST

Re: "Don't Tase Me, Bro" Open Thread (2.00 / 1)

At no time did Meyer stop resisting the security guards when they acted to stop him from monopolizing the microphone. What about the others who wished to speak in accordance with the program format? Meyer's actions deprived them of their First Amendment rights.

Could security have led him out of the room without tazering? Probably, but Meyer was such a jerk about it, this is not something that raises alarm bells with me. I'd rather keep an eye on the Jena 6.....now THAT'S a troubling situation.

Take out the trash. Down with Saxby Chambliss!

by CLLGADEM on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 05:32:46 AM EST

Re: "Don't Tase Me, Bro" Open Thread (none / 0)

So acting like a jerk = taser his ass? Wow. What's next?

by Shaun Appleby on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 05:42:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: "Don't Tase Me, Bro" Open Thread (none / 0)

heh, That is my point exactly. Tasering should be used not for convenience, but for self defense. These people just do not get the difference. We have become such a police state(relative basis). The only good thing to come out of this is whites now get to experience what blacks had to in NYC. But white democrats crossed over and voted for that loon Guiliani a second term because it did not affect them.

These people have lost the higher ground to criticise the Bushies on torture of prisoners.

by Pravin on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 10:48:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: "Don't Tase Me, Bro" Open Thread (none / 0)

i wouldnt go so far to say he deprived anyone of their first amendment rights.

vote blue in 2008

by sepulvedaj3 on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 09:41:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: "Don't Tase Me, Bro" Open Thread (none / 0)

This is totally foolish.

Meyer had asked his questions and then had stepped away from the mic to listen to the response back from Senator Kerry.

The security guards began to surround him and unnecessarily manhandle him right after his last question (Skull & Bones).
At that point, he had already stopped talking and was not causing any disruption.

But then after he was cornered and unnecessarily manhandled by the guards, he began to shout out "What did I do?", "What are you doing?", "Why are you doing this?", as the guards began to manhandle him and arrest him.

There was no cause for him to be arrested.
He had just asked some perfectly valid questions.
Senator Kerry himself wanted to respond to those questions.

There was no reason for the arrest.
He "resisted" the arrest (with no violence on his part) simply by trying to free up his arms as he was held and walking away or pushing away from the security guards that were abusing him. He couldn't believe that they were arresting him simply for going to the mic and asking questions.

He was not the one inciting any disruption.
The security guards were by lurching to arrest him for no reason (for asking questions).

It is a slippery slope when we cannot ask questions at a public forum.

For a "surge" in Truth: Say NO to NeoCons!!!

by DerekLarsson on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 07:59:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: "Don't Tase Me, Bro" Open Thread (none / 0)

What bullshit!

Meyer asked just three questions and then stepped away from the mic.
This was during the Q&A portion of the program.
Senator Kerry had even wanted to respond back to his questions.

At no time did he do anything to merit arrest, much less tasering.

Meyer was not "a jerk" for wanted to ask some serious questions and for wanting to stay in the room and listen to the Senator's response to those questions.

People like you are jerks for endorsing these type of abusive Orwellian Police-State, censorship tactics (which are totally, 100% unnecessary).

Asking questions at a Q&A session is no crime.

For a "surge" in Truth: Say NO to NeoCons!!!

by DerekLarsson on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 08:07:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: "Don't Tase Me, Bro" Open Thread (2.00 / 1)

I guess you're not counting the moment when he's still screaming into the mic as security is trying to lead him away.

You know what, maybe we're watching two different video clips, or looking at it from such radically different perspectives, it might as well be different clips. I never went to college; at the same time, I'm on very good terms with local police here, and have never had any problem with them.

My point is simply this: Meyer could have prevented this from happening too easily for me to have any sympathy for him. Maybe you see yourself in his situation, behaving as he was. That's not how I conduct myself at Q&A sessions, and I've been an active participant at many.

Take out the trash. Down with Saxby Chambliss!

by CLLGADEM on Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 08:55:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: "Don't Tase Me, Bro" Open Thread (2.00 / 1)

1. He just asked three questions at the mic and then began to step away from the mic.

2. He only started screaming because the Police Goonsquad (6 people) surrounded him and grabbed and pulled at his arms and began to manhandle him. Who wouldn't be startled at that point? It was only at that point that Meyer then shouted and protested: "What are you doing?", "Take your hands off me", "What did I do?" "Why am I being arrested"? At that point Meyer was well away from the mic itself and done with his questioning, And Senator Kerry was in the process of answering his question. But instead of the Police letting go of him at that point, they continued to manhandle him further anyway, then they handcuffed him and threw him down to the floor, and then shot him multiple times with a taser gun.

3. Meyer was trying to avoid the arrest during the unnecessary manhandling assault by the Police goons. But there was never any need here for the Police to manhandle him and arrest him like some kind of a criminal in the first place. He broke no laws and he committed no crime. He simply wanted ask the questions to Sen Kerry and then stay there in the room and hear Kerry's response back. Senator Kerry himself had no problem with Meyer or his questions and started to try and answer the question - when the Police interfered and created the whole disruption by dragging Meyer away as if he were some kind of a violent criminal.

4. O.J. Simpson (murderer, burglar) is given much more due process and much more gentile treatment by the Police than this student was.

5. All he did is ask questions at a public Q&A forum. There was never any crime involved here. He may have hogged the mic a little too long. Big f**king deal - that always happens at public Q&A sessions (someone will always hog the mic). There simply was no crime here and no need to ever arrest him, much less torture him with multiple taser gunshots.

For a "surge" in Truth: Say NO to NeoCons!!!

by DerekLarsson on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 03:43:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: "Don't Tase Me, Bro" Open Thread (none / 0)

I don't know why I hadn't heard of The Jena 6 but now that you've tipped me off, I have to agree, that is also very very disturbing.

Any ideas what we should do here in the netroots regarding either/both situations?

$439Billion spent on the US Military and still no universal health care.

by jlars on Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 06:55:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I say tase him again (none / 0)

I can't stand these types.

It is one thing to go to an event, take your turn and have your say. That kid could have done that. He could have asked Kerry one or two great questions and then sat down and got Kerry's response.

It is another to make an ass of yourself and attempt to turn someone elses event into your event.

That is why my heart doesn't bleed for the code pinks of the world. Disrupting our government - making an ass of yourself while a committee is in session - accomplishes nothing and makes the people acting up look like fools.

by dpANDREWS on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 08:18:24 AM EST

Re: I say tase him again (none / 0)

Wow, and what makes you different from a right winger, how? It's this kind of mentality that gave Guiliani's police the temerity to reign terror over blacks in NYC. People should have the freedom to act like jerks. There are consequences, but it should not be getting tasered. In the old days, cops would just haul his ass out however long it took. Do you agree with tasering for convenience rather than public safety? This was not a public safety issue. And let's not forget that Kerry was willing to answer the questions.

Al Pacino would have been tasered in And Justice For All when he says "You are out of order. this cdourt is out of order. I am out of Order. "

I thought Code Pink was spot on about the Iraq war. Hey, I will take that over their silly clothes and songs. You are just mad at them because they bashed Hillary. Hillary with all her experience couldn't outthink a group of women dressed funny and singing like they are hippie extras in a Billy Jack movie.

Do you think bouncers in bars use tasers this often just to throw someone out?They deal with a lot more violent people.

by Pravin on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 10:45:05 AM EST
[ Parent ]

What makes me different? (none / 0)

Rigthwingers would have followed Bush's manual and not allowed the kid to stand up and ask 1 or 2 tough questions, and they certainly wouldn't try to answer them as Kerry was prepared to do.

Thats how I am different. I support the right to question. I support civil discourse.

People who are crazed or disruptive usually hurt the movements they are trying to help. The war is a great example.

There are a great many serious, thoughtful people working to end the war. Veterans groups for example. But groups like Code Pink make it way to easy for wingnuts and the media to simply dismiss all the groups working to end the war as freaks or kooks.

by dpANDREWS on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 12:39:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: What makes me different? (none / 0)

Kerry was prepared to answer. It was the rest that was intolerant of the guy's questions. No one questioned Kerry's conduct during the incident. None of you taser proponents have still answered the central question "Is it OK to taser someone for convenience and not just for protecting the security of the people around a guy causing a disturbance?"

by Pravin on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 01:23:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I think the police were over the line (none / 0)

Sure.

5 on 1, they could have got him out of there. The kid didn't exactly resemble Hulk Hogan.

But cops make mistakes. Dogs sometimes bite. So it is best to be careful and not provoke. When I am dealing with police offices it is usually "yes sir, no sir."

by dpANDREWS on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 02:37:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I think the police were over the line (none / 0)

Cops have been making too many mistakes in recent years. That is why they need to pay cops more to get encourage the good ones to stay.

During Katrina hearings, a black guy was hauled out kicking and screaming. Imaigne if he was tasered for merely venting his frustration vocally just because he did not submit meekly. Such protests have given us colorful and sometimes inspiring moments in history. In this case, the guy's cause might not have been so noble, but that is irrelevant. It's how you handle a protest is the issue.

by Pravin on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 02:59:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I say tase him again (none / 0)

He asked just three questions.

It was during the Q&A portion of the event.
Senator Kerry had even wanted to answer his questions.

You are making an ass out of yourself by regarding that as a criminal act worthy of arrest and tasering.

For a "surge" in Truth: Say NO to NeoCons!!!

by DerekLarsson on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 08:01:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: "Don't Tase Me, Bro" Open Thread (none / 0)

The tas-him-again crowd would be making different noise if kerry were Rudy G.

by MAL Contends on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 01:15:35 PM EST

Am I trippin? (none / 0)

Or did this used to be a diary about Blackwater? If I screwed up and posted in the wrong diary I apologize. It was early this morning and well, I am not exactly a morning person when I don't have much sleep.

As I stated in a previous diary i am firmly opposed to the police tasering this guy. It was a physical assault and the police department should be sued for violating his civil rights. I don't care if he did push in front of others to get to the front of the line. That does not constitute a threat that deserves tasering, especially when they had him in handcuffs to begin with.

End the Police State

Elect Democrats Across the Board

And Boycott Florida!

by DoIT on Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 03:08:31 PM EST

Re: Am I trippin? (none / 0)

Tasing and Blackwater surely have something in common (?), and I was interested to know more about them.

Thanks for posting

$439Billion spent on the US Military and still no universal health care.

by jlars on Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 06:58:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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