Kerry Condemns Heckler Arrest

This would never, ever, ever happen at a Dennis Kucinich Q & A. Why? Because Dennis would have answered the student’s question; Why didn’t Kerry answer the question? Why didn’t Kerry show any leadership? Kerry knew full well that the police were about to throw this guy out – Kerry preferred to know the student would be thrown out instead of personally befriending and speaking with the guy – as Dennis Kucinch would have. Kerry is an ex-Vietnam war veteran; Kerry is physically a big guy. Kerry could have stopped this if he wanted to, simply by befriending the student and answering his question.
Kerry should have explained to the students that his sorry attorney, Donald McTigue, told Kerry the election was over and wasn’t worth fighting for.

I love getting tasered. It’s not as bad as people think and it gives me a nice lift to start the day. Kearndog rocks –YEAH!

Hahaha
You couldn’t write comedy this good.
The little punk had what was coming to him.

Mary,
I’ll bet that kid disobeyed his parnets growing up too. You and I must be looking at different videos. If this man would have acted up at one of my rallies, I would have had him taken to a field and shot like a rabid dog he is! Besides, it’s 2007, THE 2004 ELECTIONS ARE OVER!!!
Your truly,

Just disgusting. This is supposed to be the USA. The officer who used the taser should be fired and brought up on criminal brutality charges.

The kid should have just shut up and left. What good did resisting do him??

Go over your “alloted time” you get tasered. What a country! The police are out of control.

Time and time again, police overreact to situations that are easily solved with common sense and non-violence. This is not an isolated occurrence either.
Being a police officer used to entail being honorable and virtuous, now it merely exemplifies the cowardice and thuggery of the disturbed individual wearing the badge.

So, what’s new? I was in an airport yesterday where I was not permitted to use the word “bomb.” I was not permitted to carry a weapon to protect myself or others. My personal effects were searched and a partially filled tube of toothpaste was confiscated.
That’s four of the top 5 ammendments that are gone. Lost. You’ll never get them back.
This country’s screwed – we just don’t know it yet.

Kerry should have done something right then and there. Period end of story. All these long winded comments are bunk. This should destroy Kerry’s chances of election and future office. He should lose his senate post for this absolute atrocity. He is a political leader who allow this fascist event to occur right in front of his face and all America.
Wake up people.
If America was not outraged about this- Kerry would have said nothing nor disagreed with the arrest.

This isn’t a matter of free speech, you morons. This is a matter of the student disobeying direct orders of police officers. In an attempt for EVERYBODY to have a fair chance to speak, EVERYBODY was held to time limits. What about the rights of the other people who wanted to speak? He should not, and did not, have free reign at the microphone. He had every chance to leave after he disrupted the event by causing problems before and while speaking. You do NOT start resisting a police officer and jump around when you are being ushered out CALMLY. You can tell how crazy this guy is when he starts saying that the police are going to kill him and just make him disappear. He is clearly partially insane, as he tells people to go to the police station to ask where he is. He also tells the police that people have seen him there, and they can’t just make him disappear and die without people knowing. If he had for one second shut up and stopped jumping around and fighting the police, they could’ve heard Kerry’s voice saying he would answer the question and to let him go. It is completely his fault, and I do not feel bad for him. Maybe he will get the help that he needs. A normal person does not start saying that he is being turned over to the government to be disposed of simply for asking slightly critical questions of John Kerry. That’s absurd.

Uh, what most seem to be missing, and was something that I picked up from another blog (not that they are the wherewithall of total accuracy) but the video wasn’t turned on until sometime _after_ the officers were up by the microphone. Seems that it might have been going on for some time. The officers were not up there just to protect the equipment.
Just because your seeing the video, it sometimes does not show the whole event in it’s entirety.

Kerry has the money to pay this peasant’s legal expenses, but he shouldn’t and here’s why:
When peasants get out of line, it’s necessary for the tattooed pack of police to take action. There needs to be about six unscrupulous police for every peasant, this ratio held true in relation to this incident. Uppity peasants are increasingly starting to behave as if they have rights, and this must end. I think the Orwellian O’Brien Shock Treatment should be mandatory for anyone who gets out of line–tazer voltage needs to be doubled or tripled to really send a message to the intransigent peons’ central nervous systems. STOP ASKING QUESTIONS AND GROVEL BEFORE YOUR MASTERS!

Um…did the police answer his question of, “Why are youd doing this to me?”
Habeus Corpus, anyone?

The guy kept flailing around and shouting. He acted like a sissy, a narcissist and a jerk, shrieking BEFORE he was tasered as if he were being stabbed to death! He was RESISTING even tho’ he was in the grips of several officers. Do NOT feel sorry for him!

Kerry lied about his scratches and conned the military into giving him 3 purple hearts. Lowest of low, john Kerry

This was grand stand for this wannabe politico’s website.

Kerry did NOTHING to intervene. What an asset he’d be as president in fighting terror. Limp and arrogant, phlegmatic weakling loser.

Here is proof that the police have become the bad-guys.
Neither I, nor anyone I know, have ever been helped by a police officer… only harrassed, accosted, and/or assaulted… especially in jurisdictions that place quotas on their police officers. Law enforcement has become a source of revenue generation, rather than the defenders of the populace.
Further, it is beginning to look like the vast majority of people going into law enforcement do so not out of duty, but to acquire power over their fellow citizens.
There are weekly reports, around the country, of crimes committed by police officers, including drug abuse, theft, racketeering, falsifying evidence, entrapment, and assault. Investigations invariably find the officer(s) innocent, because the city/county/state government does not want to waste their precious tax dollar on compensating the victims of the officer(s) crime.
If a citizen criticizes a police officer (or his/her actions), they are invariably labeled as bad people, or unpatriotic, and everyone who is afraid of those labels ceases to publicly question the matter… its like a bunch of third graders’ name calling.
The courts and the government stonewall these cases because they do not want to have to admit any form of liability.
Whatever happened to “defending the Constitution of the United States of America?” What ever happened to “Serve and Protect?”

Yeah… Kerry really did something about it while it happened. That kid got Swift-boated. This goes to show what kind of integrity Kerry has. Like liberals, they are all talk and no action. Way to go John..Way to stand right there and let it happen. Why do you guys keep putting these weak-kneed people into office?

“Um…did the police answer his question of, “Why are youd doing this to me?”
Habeus Corpus, anyone?”
Clearly you don’t even know when the doctrine of habeas corpus applies. When you interrupt a PRIVATE discussion forum by REFUSING to follow the PRIVATELY set rules, police who are present to provide security to the event are authorized to stop people from INTERRUPTING the forum. They are not, and never have been, required to immediately give the detained individual a dissertation–or even a single word–of explanation as to why they are stopping him from speaking. That, in essence, speaks for itself. Before you start accusing President Bush of making this the rule, the ignorant among you might be surprised to know that this policy has never received any substantial criticism from any members of the Democratic Party, and it’s been practiced since the 1830s.

As someone who has challenged Senator Kerry to answer questions he does not want to answer….I was the guy who asked him about meeting with Foreign Leaders….Kerry has been a protestor and traitor all his life. Certainly he should be able to relate.

Mike, well said. The guy was obviously delusional in his conspiracy laced mind. He was belligerent and made the matter far worse, resisting the police for overstepping the allotted time. funny how the police had no right to do what they did but these same liberals who love to shout “police brutality,” end of our freedoms, etc, are the same folks to defend the terrorists for having reason for their violence . Sick! Delusional!

Kerry let it happen. You give Kerry a pass? Kerry is the smartest man in the world. He is right about almost everything. He could have stopped it! Like puny, the big man keeps me down liberals, he just stood there.

“Who among you thinks it’s OK to forcibly remove non-violent people?
Who among you believe that this kid didn’t need to be told why he was being arrested?”
I think it’s okay to forcibly remove non-violent people who are demonstrating complete refusal to cooperate with police. Evidence from the video: this guy constantly was running away from the law enforcement officers, threatening them, and demanding that they not touch him. If he’s reacting this insanely to a group of police officers whose initial action was simply to try and escort him away from the microphone, then what reason do the police have for assuming that he poses absolutely no potential threat whatsoever?
Also, I think this kid didn’t need to be told why he was being REMOVED FROM THE MICROPHONE. If you’ll go back and look at the video, the police *did* in fact tell him why he was being ARRESTED. He was not being ARRESTED when he was taken away from the microphone. NO ONE has claimed, or COULD claim, that he was being arrested at the time that he was removed from the microphone. The arrest came later, as everyone can plainly see from the video.

Strangely, I find my self sidding with many of the Libs on this one. The question should have been answered.
All to often Bush, Clinton, and others dodge tough questions … this is yet another example of a dog and pony show.
I would add this limit to speech has NOTHING to do with the Patriot Act.
That said, two wrongs do not make a right ….. he was not following the (poor) rules of the event … he was evading being escorted … and it is not clear what else he had in mind …
Finally, he was ONLY Tasered (not shot), and was capable of walking down stairs less than a minute later. This level of force allowed the police to get the situation under control.
Those who think this force is at the level of Rodney King are way off base.

if you condem it mr kerry why did wait till today to say something . glad i didnt vote for you !!!

The guy was asked to leave a public place by lawful authorities. He was disturbing a public event. He refused.
When officers tried to remove him, he resisted removal.
They then placed him under arrest, which he also resisted.
He resisted being hand-cuffed, and was warned he would be Tasered if he did not comply.
He did not comply. He was Tasered.
You nuts out there have got to realize that there are rules to society. And when you break one after another, you are going to suffer the consequences.
Don’t turn him into a martyr.
He’s a rude, obnxoious, self-righteous disturber of the peace.

Don’t you just love the way the liberals at ABC had to mention Republican events to example silly enforcement of security issues?

Unless the gentleman was posing a threat to someone there was no reason to act this way. If he was going over his alotted time, then Mr. Kerry could should have been the one to have cut him off. Lets here it for the free speech an a unilversity campus. OOOPPS don’t the liberals believe in free speech anymore? Was this censorship? Yes, we should start at least 18 investigations of why this happend. Maybe this there should be at least one investgation to determine if this was a racist act by the black cop beating up on a white guy. (Which I don’t believe.)It is getting more ridiculous as each day passes.

john kerry is a coward….that is obvious as he had no clue what to do or how to handle this situation. he will probably ask for another purple heart for this incident.

Don’t worry too much about it, our civil liberties will improve when the mexicans take over.

The guy had lost his marbles. That was obvious. Maybe he just got flustered because he was in the same room as his hero. He brought everything on himself. He created a scene. He needed to be dealth with.

I just finished watching the video and, I must say, I am shocked at people’s reactions. Most people seem to be taking this incident as some sort of repression of the Freedom of Speech. Also, people seem to think that using the taser was extreme in this situation.
Well, as per the above article, the student barged to the front of the line and proceeded to fire off information that he acquired from a book. Whenever someone tried to get him to ask his questions, he became beligerant. When the police tried to escort him out of the building, he resisted every attempt at the officers made to remove him peacefully. The student then started to shout, at the top of his lungs, things like, “Help! Help!” and “I’m being repressed!” (Note: I don’t know if he was trying to be funny by quoting Monty Python)
So, with that chain of events, who can blame the officers for using the taser before things could turn more violent and dangerous?

I thought Liberals were opposed to the police state. Good thing Kerry lost the last election. Hopefully Hillary doesn’t win the next one.

The cops did exactly what they were trained to do. There was no excessive use of force, and in fact, they looked rather restrained to me. That little punk got what was coming to him. He was nothing more than a disorderly, rambling little immature worm.

This is more evidence, that we see every day, that we need to discipline our kids and teach them RESPECT. Meyer had no respect for the officers in the room. Had he showed even a small amount of respect to the officers, he would not have been tasered, or arrested. They would have escorted him from the stage. After all, his time was up. Come on, give someone else the time of day. Meyer wasn’t the only one who wanted to ask Kerry questions.
I saw the video that showed the officers calmly ask him to step down. What are they supposed to do if he doesn’t? Walk away? That would send a message to the world saying: “You don’t need to do what the police say”.
Just because he was begging not to be tased, and screaming help, doesn’t mean he was right. The boy needs to learn some manners. Maybe jail time will help.
GO GATORS!!!

John Kerry is so insignificant in the contemporary debate he’s interceded in this doltish, self-aggrandizing student’s behalf to make some headlines. The tazing was definitely warranted. If just to counter his inane ranting, I would have tazed him just for the heck of it. Every police officer has been on the receiving end of the device so it’s not like it will leaving a mark. Perhaps a lasting impression, but when a doopa-head like this attention-seeking continues acting like a looney, the police were well within their prerogative to administer some juice.
But, as noted before, Kerry condemning the attack is just a vane effort to capture some media attention when he’s otherwise been pushed way, way off the media radar screen.

As usual, we get a distorted synopsis from the distorted, liberal media.
This kid deserved what he got, and MORE!
There is a line between dissent and ‘healthy discussion’ as Kerry misspoke, and breaking the law. This kid, obviously a spoiled brat, learned a good lesson: Obey a lawful police order.
John Kerry also has a great deal to learn, because when a U.S. senator cannot distinguish between inciting a riot and a ‘healthy discussion,’ we’re all in trouble.
Reminds me of the melee at Columbia University — another bastion of liberal assininity.

John Kerry was quietly in his glory watching this kid get his comeuppance for having the gall to not stop talking when he suggested that he do so. All he had to do was to tell the police to stop and they would have. If you live in MA like I do you’ve already heard too many stories about John “Do you know who I am Kerry” to believe anything but that he looks at the rest of the world as his slaves! He’s just another elitist who needs to be put out to pasture! THIRD PARTY NOW!

Just looks like an extension of “zero telerance” policies that liberals love to put into place (unless it is something they want to hear or agree with).

Interesting how Kerry did absolutely nothing while this was going on. Only a day after all of this hits the press, then he comes out and makes all of these heroic statements. Makes him come across as the weasel he is. If he is such a “he man” as he wants us to think, his time to make his statement was to do make it at the time of the outburst. Additionally, how can Kerry say he didn’t know the guy was being tased? The student is yelling about it. It’s always so convenient for Kerry. What a wuss.
The student, the police and Kerry are all so pathetic. Just another loving glimpse of the reasonable side of the Democratic Party.

The student had to be stopped before he asked why the FCC fined Clear Channel nearly $750,000 because of Bubba the Love Sponge in an election year (2004) for complaints made from programs in 2001.

Make that tolerance. Where’s my spell checker when I need it?

Across the web, the responses to this event from readers and viewers is beyond absurd. From trying to capitalize on it, as a chance to promote one’s own preferred candidate, to taking shots at liberals, republicans, or [insert group here], to decrying the police actions as the end of free speech everywhere, the stupidity is appalling. Kept in context, the short version is that the man resisted when asked to leave. He was both uncooperative and combative with the police. He probably got exactly what he wanted, which is his 15 minutes of fame, for being an idiot. His behavior was unacceptable and the outcome was totally justifiable.

Police in this country are completly out of control. This was a shameful display and the only reason it happened is because he didn’t bow and kiss the police’s collective asses! Read your history folks! At the risk of sounding like a nut myself, does this remind you of another time in the forties in Europe?

The reason people are so wound up and screaming is because everything is out of control. People have a right to be angry. VERY ANGRY.
If our supposed leaders (no an enlightened one in the bunch I might add) were being a voice of the people and for the people- this crap WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
You are a moron- and when you are sitting in a concentration camp trying figure out how to escape- a kid like Meyer will be the one with a plan or the first to charge the gate to help free his fellows. One thing is for certain- it wouldn’t be you- you would be the one stealing a potato off the dead guys tray next to you!

The kid should’ve listened to the police who told him to stand down. He didn’t and that’s what happens when you resist the cops.
They didn’t do anything wrong. The only person in the wrong here was this nutty kid.

This is a dark day in our country,and it has been for a very long time.we lost our right to protest.but the real shame is that most americans will not stand up and demand that we get not just our rights back, but our country.but who would blame us, after the 60′s and 70′s. the very thought of protest will make most stop in there tracks and think twice,because all of our great leaders and speakers students and suppoters.where either shot down by the bullet of assassins. or had dogs turned on them and lets not forget the tear gas and bullets and billy clubs turned on us.by the people paid to protect us. GOD BLESS THE USA

The guy barged to the front of the line and started a tirade. He obviously wasn’t going to let Kerry answer his questions, he just intended to keep going with his tirade — any objective person watching the video could see that. The most ridiculous thing was his trumped-up indignation — and those of his friends. And the biggest shame is he’s actually getting recognition for this mockery in the name of “free speech” and “debate” — two concepts which I truly doubt he understands.

Oh that was great – “Oh God! Oh God!” I could not stop laughing so I forwarded it to everyone else at my job; NONE of us could stop laughing. Again, GREAT video. ALmost as good as the video of the woman who gets tasered and her shoes fly off.

Police carry weapons to protect themselves and the public from dangerous criminals. This guy was on the floor with six officers on top of him. He wasn’t going anywhere, he was unarmed, and the only thing he was doing at that point was yelling. What you have to ask yourself is why those officers felt they had to use a weapon on a civilian that posed no threat. Why is it ok for public servants to use weapons on non-violent citizens? The guy was out of line (literally) but that does NOT give the police the authority to use a weapon on him. These gestapo tactics are only necessary when the government wants to subdue dissent. Call me a kook, but that doesn’t sound like the America that grew up in.

When a person’s time is up, and he won’t shut up and leave the microphone, what is a person supposed to do? Maybe they just should have waited and waited until he fell asleep? Please. This jerk was like a 2 year old having a tantrum in the middle of the department store. They reasoned with him but he was having nothing of it. It was a matter of forcefully removing him or losing all control. How much force was up to him until he started whining like a hyena.

How many volts is it gonna take until whinny anti-authoritarian liberals (I claim that this ’student’ is liberal) realize that the voting box is how you win…not discourse and disrespect?

This is the main reason why we can not let Democrats win in 2008. We must elect Rudy Giuliani who will uphold fredom and liberty in America. No to Kerry and No to Clinton. Rudy Giuliani for President !

As a teacher and a parent I am appalled by the actions used by the University police yesterday. How ironic, we were teaching our students about the Constitution yesterday.(Constitution Day September 17) Heaven forbid another student would have spoken up in the young mans behalf. We may have had another Kent State atrocity…

HAIL MUSSOLINI
OOPS AM I IN THE WRONG COUNTRY?

if this paranoid drug user had behaved as a normal “reasonable person” he would not been interrupted. But I guess he felt he was more important than the other students at the meeting. Police are trained to match the behavior of the person there are dealing with. If he had responded normally he never would of been arrested. This never would have been acceptable at any town meeting in NH. The moderator would have taken control of the floor and shut him down. The only rights violated here were the rights of the other students to a reasonable discussion of the issue.

After watching both videos posted on Drudge I’d have to say the guy was a punk and an idiot. He didn’t do anything (that I saw) that justified them grabbing him and trying to haul him out of there. But once the police grabbed him and tried to cuff him he should have shut up and obeyed the officers. Personally, I think the kid just needs a good smack upside the head. It’s almost like he wanted there to be a scene (future lawsuit perhaps?). It is curious that the police acted so swiftly and aggressively. You wouldn’t have expected that if it had been a republican speaking. Usually bad behavior is tolerated and even encouraged at a republican/conservative speaking engagement.

William St John:
See America….William St John is exactly the type of man on campus that I was talking about.
William St John states:
I love how being Electrocuted is now called Tazered. tazered sounds like a game like tazer tag or something.
Isn’t Electrocution torture? Abu Garab? Capital punishment?
What is wrong in the country
William…..you are what is wrong with this country. Comparing Abu Garab to this clown’s little act….are you serious ?

I agree, they should not have tazered the student. There were, at least, 5 cops trying to subdue the student and a police squad should be trained enough to handcuff an out-of-control person without tazering him.
However, the student was no saint. Consider what he did:
1. he butted to the front of the line without asking. This was not an open forum for questions. People had to wait in line. (the police didn’t stop him – though they probably should have)
2. he was aggressive and highly charged – immaturely stating that Clinton was impeached for a “blowjob”, rather than perjury which was Clinton’s real charge.
3. He rambled and rambled…never getting to the end of his “questions”.
4. When the female cop gently tried to physically get him away from the microphone, he resisted. Then he resisted the male cop. Then he resisted the 3rd cop. Then, a cop had to physically carry him out of the room and the student continued to resist – throwing his arms around and resisting arrest.
5. The cops got him on the ground and told him to lay down on the floor face first or he will be tazed. The student tried to break away and he was tazed.
The cops did what they were trained to do. If someone is disturbing the peace, they need to subdue that person. They tried to be polite and they tried to walk him out but he resisted. They told him to calm down, they gave him a warning and he still resisted.
This was not police “brutality”. This was procedure. No cops or the school should be punished for anything.

Don’t you love this. It’s a librals event through and through, a librals’ dog fight in fact. One is an old school liberal elite who never stands up for anything. The another is ‘moveon’ type lunatic college kid who thinks he cares and is intelligent. He didn’t keep cool and got taser, what does this has anything to do with free speech and ‘police state’? and by the way, for an ordinary productive memeber of society, who the hack cares about 2004 election? Don’t you think you really have a free speech in ‘liberals’ world? This freak deserved it! Move on ‘moveon’.

The comment most worthy of notice here is posted by Dave | Sep 18, 2007 1:30:28 PM
He was not quite right that this wasn´t a matter of free speech – It was just a matter of free speech for the others in the auditorium.
Clearly, Kerry isn´t to blame for this event any more than Bush as people assume. The police were doing their job – Securing the free speech of others in the hall – You get a time on the mic to ask a question and you need to stick to it.
Kerry was calmly answering and pleading the police to go easy on him, the guy was yelling and being generally unpleasant. His yelling drowned out others in the auditorium and limited their chance to excercise Free Speech.
If anything is weird about this is the Police feeling compelled to shoot electricity through the guy for this small a crime and handcuff him. I am actually fairly certan Mr. Meyer planned to get arrested there on camera to show how police brutality is used in the US to quench what can so easily be dealt with otherwise – His acting isn´t that good :) – And in THAT he succeeded. How 6 officers can´t see themselves escort the man out for disturbing public order or something that minor is beyond me.
Overreaction upon overreaction.

Diana Walker:
Which part of the Constitution were you teaching yesterday? The part that states that it is a right to kill an unborn baby, or the part that excuses the behavior of wannabe anarchists? Just curious with you being a teacher and all? To think that this guys Constitutional rights were violated is the same as still believing that the earth is flat.

You guys are all taking this too far. It was an obnoxious person trying to test the limits, who got what he was asking for. All in the middle of the speech of a 3rd rate has-been politician. Its not shocking that the camera quality was basically just one step up from the Zapruder film. The cops were just doing their jobs and that’s that. Let’s all take a deep breath and move on.

While he probably didn’t deserve to be tasered, he was resisting arrest. He did have a chance to leave and the police probably would have uncuffed him once he got outside. But he chose to go wild instead. Again, tasering is probably a bit unnecessary here, but I don’t feel too sorry for him. Idiot.

The right to free speech is not unlimited and never has been. The comparison to Nazi Germany is ludicrous. Meyer will be released and that will be it. He will not be gassed.

What bothered me most is the reaction of the crowd. They were like sheep. If this had happened back in the mid 70′s, those cops would of had their %$%$&% kicked. John Kerry is a wimp for not stepping in and stopping this serious violation of this young mans rights.

My God… I’m a huge supporter of the police. But watching that video (especially when I THOUGHT I saw one of the police officers smirk, and listening to the kid scream) almost made me vomit.
The kid asked a RELEVENT question. There was nothing inapproprate about it. It’s not like he was asking Kerry what his favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor is over and over.
And to the idiot who says the Taser is the “least lethal of any current means of restraint,” are you kidding? There have been any number of deaths in the past year from over use of Tasers. I kind of think five officers holding the kid down is a bit less risky.
And speaking as a Republican to everyone here who thinks this kid “had it coming”: How would you react if your kid got Tasered while asking Hillary about her “missing” senior thesis. Would you think your kid “had it coming?” I kinda doubt it…

Mr. Jimmy Smits- I hope you are the famous actor because it would prove just because a person is famous doesn’t necessarily mean they have anything relevant to say.
It isn’t difficult to diffuse a situation like that. The kid said let me go I will walk out. They could have surrounded him and escorted him to the curb without the danger of anyone getting hurt.
Was he paranoid, delusional and/or a mental defective? So what if he is- there is a way to handle it- and it wasn’t handled this way. Period.
A crazy disruptive conspiracy nut? Fine- but what if the conspiracy is true? What if the conspiracy has elements of truth?
One thing is for absolute certain. Both Bush and Kerry admit to belonging to a secret society known as Skull and Bones.
Fact is- if someone is going to speak for me as a leader of my nation- I want to know everything that is effecting my leaders decision making- INCLUDING THINGS HE HAS LEARNED FROM HIS SECRET SOCIETY.
LETS NOT FORGET THAT JOHN F, KENNEDY SPOKE OF THE DANGERS OF SECRET SOCIETIES DICTATING THE ACTIONS AND VOICES CITIZENS- THEN HE WAS ASSASSINATED SHORTLY AFTER
Mr. Meyer is influenced by the ramifications of these secret societies. Alarmist or paranoid his question was more than relevant.

I will pray for you…how is that for religion? You are just another anarchist, anti-social pervert who is so filled with hate that you would even attack religion on a forum that has nothing to do with religion.
Just keep killing babies and leave the country’s salvation to us real American’s.

Student protest planned for Dont taser me, bro! Kerrys Statement

I decided that the other thread was just getting too long, so Ill try to put most of the new information on this story here.
(Slight reposting) Here is a link from Political Radar (An ABC News blog) that discusses more of the reaction, particula…

Why the police went after the guy:
S 240.20 Disorderly conduct. (NYS PENAL LAW)
A person is guilty of disorderly conduct when,
with intent to cause
public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or
recklessly creating a risk
thereof:
1. He engages in fighting or in violent,
tumultuous or threatening
behavior; or
2. He makes unreasonable noise; or
3. In a public place, he uses abusive or obscene
language, or makes an
obscene gesture; or
4. Without lawful authority, he disturbs any
lawful assembly or
meeting of persons; or
5. He obstructs vehicular or pedestrian traffic;
or
6. He congregates with other persons in a public
place and refuses to
comply with a lawful order of the police to
disperse; or
7. He creates a hazardous or physically
offensive condition by any act
which serves no legitimate purpose.
Disorderly conduct is a violation.

The cops did their job, all Meyer had to do was walk away, but he decided to have a tantrum instead. Go a few years back and he is the kid you remember kicking and screaming as Mom & Dad negotiate with him as they leave Disney World…..pathetic. If he wanted to ask a good question from the past, he should have asked about Kerry’s failure to sign his form 180 releasing his military record. We’re still waiting Jacques……….cue the crickets.

I bet the kids parents are whiners, too.

Almost everday, the Left-wing or the Right-wing claim victory or foul of a hot newsmedia event. Be it an tvAd or a speech or a rebuttal or news coverage or lack of news coverage…
So another day goes by.
and the rhetoric gets worse.
IF you can’t get along we may have to separate you.

Kerry DID release all of his military records and the navy approved of it during 2004. I guess that part is missed eh? The guy was totally being violent and the officers had no idea what was going to happen next and Kerry didn’t have his own security they were it.

Student Finds Out What Happens When You Ask The Tough Questions Of Your Government Officials The HARD Way (Video)

Senator Kerry was speaking at the University of Florida when an extremely motivated student asked him if he was President Bushs fellow member of the Skull and Bones Society at Yale
This is what happened next (H/T for the YouTube video g…

To compare this to anything else is ridiculous. You can’t compare one event with another at all. Each event you have to look at. If the people who got a pie in their face or whatever it was want something done than so be it. They have the right to see about legal charges as well. I’m not their lawyer.

I lived through Communism and I can see the familiar signs of a totalitarian rule in the USA in the making. Here, the officers selfcensored the student – made a personal decision what is allowed what not and used phisical force – like KGB henchmen then. These security guards, high-school dropououts with guns and tasers – the stupid people hired – typical commie and totalitarian idiots. USA is a young country and has to go through a totalitarian phase, the beginnings of which we see now. Please, my ignorant c-citizens, doi not try to ridicule me on this, because 75% of american public are ignorant brainwashed sheeple who think thet they rule the world and I can prove that.

Never mind the fact that he disobeyed the assembly rules and jumped in line and was aggressive and kept running away etc. and screaming about how the police are going to kill him. Riiight.

Self censored? He kept ranting on and on and on and on! They gave him plenty of time and he showed disrespect towards them. What about the other people in line? What about their freedom of speech? Funny how nobody cares about that.

It took Hillary’s village to make this fine specimen of BDS/Truther. Eventually watching Olberman, Maher, Chris Matthews, taking clues from Dean and Rosie, inhaling Kos, and indulging the ‘Politics of Personal Destruction’ has some blow back. It’s fitting it should happen to the Hero of the Army of Genghis Khan. Looking ahead the Dem’s are in for a ’68 Convention redux.
Too bad Ann Coulter or Dave Horowitz can’t get security like that. Maybe this will break the ice for the Capitol Police. It’s about time Sheehan and the Code Pinkos got a dose of civics.

Yes, that is cause to kick his butt. Your right Emily- this is public enemy number one. Funny how liberals eat their own.

The facist propaganda blog police are out in droves today on this article!!
Spin, spin, spin- spin, spin a rooney. Spin, spin, spin- spin, spin a rooney.
Somebody who only reads newspapers and at best books of contemporary authors looks to me like an extremely near-sighted person who scorns eyeglasses. He is completely dependent on the prejudices and fashions of his times, since he never gets to see or hear anything else. And what a person thinks on his own without being stimulated by the thoughts and experiences of other people is even in the best case rather paltry and monotonous. There are only a few enlightened people with a lucid mind and style and with good taste within a century. What has been preserved of their work belongs among the most precious possessions of mankind. We owe it to a few writers of antiquity (Plato, Aristotle, etc.) that the people in the Middle Ages could slowly extricate themselves from the superstitions and ignorance that had darkened life for more than half a millennium. Nothing is more needed to overcome the modernist’s snobbishness. (Albert Einstein, 1954)
Aristotle response:
However, there is a science higher than natural science. For in truth nature is but one genus of that which is.
It is the principles and causes of the things that are that we are seeking, and clearly it is their principles and causes just as things that are …. It is, however, vital not to overlook the question of what it is to be a thing and the definitional account of how it is what it is. If we leave these out, scientific inquiry is mere shadow boxing … the science of it is First Philosophy – and such a science is universal just because it is first. Metaphysics involves intuitive knowledge of unprovable starting-points (concepts and truth) and demonstrative knowledge of what follows from them…. Aristotle
Now Plato:
Plato appreciated that all Truth comes from Reality and this Truth was profoundly important to the future of Humanity. ‘Till Philosophers are Kings, or Kings are Philosophers there is no Hope for Humanity’…Plato
Mr. Meyer was questioning what none of us knows about SKULL AND BONES in an effort to understand the relevances of the association and how he (we) would or could be affected by this.
Unfortunately his passion for this information shall has his undoing- and the neocon spinners will make sure that America believes he is a lunatic and they will do this by pretending to be American bloggers supporting the arrest and discrediting Meyer because he was reactionary or passionate.
And Ron Paul- your perception about public electrocution being minimized as a taser event is dead-on-balls accurate!
I might actually vote for you!
Goodnight Mr. Smits!

Lammyleap,
Between the Patriot Act, eminent domain (for the use to expand the tax base), and public displays of a police state it is looking real grim for those of us who once considered this a free country. Not sure why immigrants are trying to cross the boarder, I guess over hear you only get Zapped where as over there you might get shot in the head for your beliefs.

The officers involved in the incident should get fired, and the student should file a lawsuit against the police department. The use of a taser was unnecessary.

“This is the USA” does NOT mean that this freakshow had the right to impose his screaming idiocy on the rest of us.
He did NOT have the right to barge to the front of the line.
He did NOT have the right to exceed his alotted time, dominate the floor, and keep others from saying their piece.
He did NOT have the right to disrupt the event.
He did NOT have the right to resist the police when they asked him to leave.
He had the right to his bizarre thoughts, amateurish opinions and illiterate ramblings, but he doesn’t have the right to waste everyone else’s time with them.
(No, his questions were NOT “topical”).
The police had NO reason to taser him once he was in cuffs. This nutjob will probably bring a lawsuit and win.

Don’t fool yourself about Kerry. He couldn’t have cared less about this when he walked out of the place. Then he got home, saw every blog and email going off on it, so suddenly he pretended that he was offended. Its nothing but manufactured outrage.
Posted by: DW | Sep 18, 2007 2:47:05 PM
to his credit, Kerry asked that the guy be allowed to speak… had a Republicant been speaking up there, he certainly would’ve made a joke to the audience at the “troublemaker’s” expense: “I guess I lost HIS vote, ha ha ha!”

Again, BOTH kerry and bush were and are in a secret society. Skull and bones. You cool with the people that dictate our foreign and domestic policy in its entirity not answering for ALL of their private connections and affiliations? We aren;t talking about lindsey lohan here, . These are the people that send our boys into the meat grinder known as Iraq. People’s lives and families are affected, to put it mildly, by what these men do and say.

Interesting how people rally around Rodney King everytime they a video comes out where the police have to subdue someone. Also, many of you seem to believe that this kid was being silenced because of the questions he was asking. Tell me, how is it that his questions were “highly sensitive” when he was just regurgitating the retoric used in a book that Kerry himself had read?
The kid was not detained for the questions he asked. He was being removed from the room for violating the rules of the public discussion.
First, he barged to the front of the line.
Second, he did not keep his words civil.
Third, he ignored the time limit set for each question (It costs alot of money to get someone like Kerry there).
Finally, the kid was being insulting and rude to those around him.
The kid continued to resist arrest after many clear warnings from the arresting officers, so he was subdued in the proper manner. End of story. This is not another Tianaman Square or Martin Luther King. This was just some kid who wanted a little glory, but did the wrong things to get it.

No Tom, you’re wrong. It’s up to the MODERATOR to decide when the time is up.
He had NO right to any time. He lost that right when he barged to the front of the line.

You are what you state. Sin speaks about what sin is. Like I said, stick to the baby killing and the ‘do whatever feels good’ attitude of yours. I choose going to church on Sunday because that is what I WANT TO DO. You choose not to because that is what YOU WANT TO DO!! I suggest that you take a comparative religion course on day….it will open your eyes to the lies that you continue to tell yourself about religion and God. All that creepy stuff that you hate so much yet know so little about.

I don’t care that BOTH Kerry and Bush are in a secret society. It is not the issue or the point here. But since you (and so many others brought it up) I guess we can assume that the last 3 years would not have been any different if Kerry had been elected in 2004? He wasn’t you know, for all those out who think he was and just can’t “move on”. I guess we should assume that Kerry would have made all the same decisions that Bush has made concerning our foreign and domestic policy since they BOTH belonged to this evil, all powerful secret society.

Oh, and Tom…
The police were there to enforce the LAW, not “enforce the wishes of the audience”.
Good grief!

If you liberals really believed we are living in a police Sate, then you wouldn’t so naively foolishly rant against the police in your posts! Don’t you know they’re tracking you?! Oh please! It is such an insult to those who have truly lived under totalitarian regimes. The fact is you are free to say what you want here, just as that guy was, but you have to follow the rules on assembly and can’t resist the police when they politely ask you to give up you over extended allotted time. If you kick back, you are going to get hurt!
The police would be pretty ineffective if they just sat their and never did anything. If the guy was allowed to keep up his ongoing delusional rant, at the expense of everyone else, that only leads to a bully pulpit where only the loudest, most obnoxious can say anything! There is such a thing as law and following the rules as laid out. You liberals are really something else. Delusional.
Police State, yeah right! You guys better go lock up your doors–the police are going to chase you down for what you just wrote! If you really think that, then shy do you keep writing your moronic anti-police rants?!! Isn’t that then stupidly self defeating! No, you will write back. You just want to make a scene and make it worse like the guy you are defending. You might as well blame GW too–I mean why not have the men in black track you down too?! It’s so laughable!
And Nancy, you call yourself a teacher? Typical!

Dan- You bring up a valid point- Rodney King. Let’s see, first he took police on a 120mhp car chase, he resisted arrest, he tried to assault the police, but the last part was all people remembered to justify a riot. This is classic liberalism- if this kid jumped line to interrupt a conservative speaker or shove a pie in the face of the conservative speaker and was beat down and arrested- today he would be heralded as a hero. Actually I don’t think this is liberalism at work here, the lights went out on this kid as soon as he mentioned “Skull and Bones”- that was the que for the brownshirts to go into action. Funny how they really are wearing “BrownShirts”.
Late !

The enlighten me Lammyleap?
Do you think it is better here because we only electrocute rather than shoot in the head an irascible voice at a Q&A?
So its either electrocution or bullet in the head?
Again, please enlighten me on these levels I am so wrong on. I am listening.
If we let this police state continue soon the choices will be more drastic than electrocution…err, taser!
I am now seeing you as a very clever spinner. But I will listen with an open mind as to these levels you speak….
Lets see what you got. I have read every comment…Have you?

None of this is surprising. A tough question to a liberal politican is like pushing a cross into the face of a vampire.

A police state. That’s too funny. We are not a police state. Now, that said, Hillary wants the Federal Government to punish every American that doesn’t purchase health insurance.

Vomeggido- I made that point. Neither electrocution nor being shot in the head is acceptable. Sometimes people do not get the sarcasm in which I make points. My mother was raised in Nazi Germany and later the family was put behind the Iron Curtin. She was one of the few who escaped before the real wall went up. I am apposed to any police state. What they did to this kid was appalling and un-American unless you’re a liberal in denial. Again if this were a conservative speaker and the kid did this and was beat down and arrested he would of be heralded as some hero today.

Clinton was not impeached the charges did not follow through in the Senate. He should have never been asked abotu this situation in the first place. Meanwhile this kid is asking why Bush isn’t being impeached for this war and he is tasered after being floored by 6 cops. Shame on everyone defending the cops and calling this liberals vs conservatives. This kids freedom of speech was violated and he was assaulted by a police force.

I ecal when Bush announace the invasion on Iraq. We attempted to speak-out on the issue but were meet by threatening police on horses-bashing us to stay clear. Our then Mayor Lastmann (Toronto)ordered these police.Some good folks wee clubed. After then–no-one protested. For those posting creeps that disagree with this mans actions–shame on all you .Wait when the draft calls on you and no-one is there to speak for you. This man put his hands up–to show he had no weapon or intent to fight

vomeggido:
Yes, I have read all of the comments. One thing is for sure, one can easily see who is rational and who believes that anarchy is a Constitutional right.
Please give me an example of a police state. I can:
Nazi Germany was a police state. The USSR under Stalin was a police state. Even during WWII, Russian troops that failed to fight in the manner that Stalin wanted them to were killed on the frontlines. Not by German troops, no, no, by Stalins own death squads that were stationed behind regular troops to murder those who failed in their orders. That, my friend, is a police state.
In this country people are given carte blanche to do whtever they want to do for the most part. Would the level of porn that is viewed and collected by many, many people in this country exist in a police state?
You imply by your use of the phrase police state that people are powerless to do things such as speak out against the government, question policy, or anything that the leaders would deem threatening to them. That, simply put, is not even close to the state of things in this country, regardless of what moveon.org may have you believing. Take all of the daily trash that is thrown out there by the MSM regarding our current president as a classic example of a free society, not a police state. In a police state moveon.org or DailyKos would not exist. George Soros would already be hanging in the village square as a reminder of wht can happen if you stand against the current administration. Likening a taser episode to the proven polices states that have existed and still exist is proof of how crazy you and your ideas are. Of course, you have that right in this country, for if we were really in a police state you already would have been hauled away from your computer for speaking out so strongly against the establishment. Yeah, this is a real police state, and meanwhile, in a real police state such as North Korea, you would not even have access to yuor computer. Now do you understand the difference, or are you waiting for more talking points from moveon.org?

Hard to believe that there are so many people so incredibly stupid as to think that: Barging unto a stage with a US. Senator doesn’t subject someone under the immediate scrutiny of law enforcement (to spell it out to you bleedin’ heart clowns: “what if he had a weapon?” They have to, by law, remove them.
Freedom of speech means you are free to say/write what you want, but not at the expense of someone elses rights; like Kerry’s right to protection as a US Senator, but if the cops have to remove

It was the fact that he lied multiple times under a federal oath!!! Liberals are so blind to truth that it is no wonder that no one takes them seriously. If you or I lied under oath we would face criminal charges….not billy bob though. There is a reason he is forever banned to practice in front of the Supreme Court and why the Justice’s did not appear at his last State of the Union. They wer just as disgusted by him as most of AMerica was, and still is. There are other sources for history besides moveon.org people!!!

kerry should have jumped in and helped this kid. doesn’t he have like 10 purple harts?

LampyLeap,
I never have been on Moveon.org (for they are the Useful Idiots- if you know your history), but your right this is not a police state in terms of a totalitarian govt. but your wrong in terms of having your civil liberties eroded away. It may not be at the point you have made LL, but we are headed down a slippery slope. Just look at the eminent domain laws which now state one can have their private property taken away justified by an expanded tax base for a govt entity- no this is nothing like they do around the world is it? (again sarcasm) Look at the bottom line of the patriot act and go figure we are the ones proposing to build a wall on our boarders. Your right LL, we are not there, YET! Go figure, I am no Liberal, Just a disenfranchised conservative.

Alice writes, “I’m totally disgusting.”
His freedom of speech was not the issue. Get out of your box.

vomeggido Thanks but you have me confused with LampyLeap. Yes my mother is still alive and yes she has strong feelings on this. We were raised every day to kiss the ground we walk on. I have had real relatives who were behind the wall until 89. They too remind us who were lucky and by the Grace of God born in the USA too kiss the ground we walk on for our freedom here is something that is rare around the world. This is why I get passionate about examples like this. I kid about Skull and Bones but it is funny that is when the kid lights got put out. Coincidence? Watch the tape and you decide. Today I am not sure if I am living in the America my parents raised us in. My dad was in the Army for 20 years and my mother grew up under real oppression the type of oppression Lampyleap speaks of, the type if you did speak out you were hung from street lamps (no pun intended) because that is what the Nazi’s did to their fellow countrymen who did speak out. They did not hide their executions, no they wanted their neighbors to see what happens when you did speak out. I know the US is no where near that point but we are on a slippery slope with examples such as this kid at the Kerry Q&A.

Lammy-
This is a “slow indoctrination” process. Hitler made the mistake as did most fascist leaders of the past by implementing brute force too soon.
They have learned since then. MUCH!
As for porn- its getting nailed all the time. They are even talking about rebuilding the internet for PROTECTION of course.
You are the one who is wrong on so many levels because you don’t see the big picture – what I am saying it what will be in the very near future if something is not done.
If the powers that be could use brute force without opposition or controllable opposition they WOULD. Count on it.
Its a little difficult to contain 302,907,069 people many of them with guns- Many of them VERY ANGRY. Many of them willing to die for our beliefs from which this country was founded upon. LIKE FREEDOM of speech!
Wanna change the rules and prove to the people that a dictatorship is the better way for societal evolution? Fine- tells us whats better about it so we can FREELY choose.
.

If we all scream Police State or NO POLICE STATE..there is less of a chance of actually becoming a total police state in the future.

Americans do not deserve the freedom they so happily rant about in their daily lives. When they finally wake up and realize they live in a fascist society, maybee, just maybee they will standup and fight for real freedom. 2 thumbs up for Andrew Meyer, he is concerned about his future and the future of his children.
Andrew, despite all that is published in the private news sector. You are a hero. Those officers deserve jail time for not allowing you your right to speak freely on whatever subject you choose.
You are a HERO!!!!!!!!

Bill and Lammyleap-
Almost without fail, every bush and cheney apologist find themselves in a pew every sunday. The opiate flows easily through your veins. Thomas Jefferson would’ve wanted it that way. He hated religion and was all too aware of the dangers it posed…a few of which are manifested today all throughout this posting. Bush should be locked up. I spoke up agasinst the establishment-get the taser out!! I hope that all of you that defend this trash that runs our Country encourages every family member you have to sign up and go to Iraq. We are absolutely getting raped as a people. This time though, the ‘roofie’ so to speak, is mind-numbing fear.

singram: Please show me where I voiced my support for Bush…..PLEASE!!! No, I just voiced my support for God, Jesus and country. You are the one who melts when you read the bible or think positively of this country. But your hatred is exact proof of how free we are in this country…thank God for that. Even a dillusional extremist like you can be heard, which is why I love this country. My question to you would be, “Do you love this country, and if so what are you prepared to do for this country?” Loving this country means that you except all that makes this country great, even the fact that a majority of Americans each and every Sunday will be in a church somewhere. That must really make your skin crawl. Even your socialist, icon Jimmy Carter is a born again. I am sure you don’t hate him now….do you???

Rex: I too am a very angry conservative that feels betrayed from the current administration. But I look at the differences between the two camps in this country and the fact remains that in a worst case scenario I would take even Bob Dole over a liberal nutjob who hates this country and looks to instill multiculturalism and remove nationalism. As angry as I am at Republicans abandoning conservative principals, the real threat to this coutry continues to be the liberal left of the Democratic Party that has a louder voice and looks to chink away at important freedoms such as religion, education and speech under the disguise of what they percieve to be freedom. The fact thatt an anarchist such as the one at UofF is viewed as some sort of hero of free speech just proves to me how desperate the left is to establish an if it feels good do it mentality.

Statement From Kerry and Staff on Tasering Incident

…

Sorry Pat, I hate to see people getting disillusioned with that “land of the free and home of the brave” thing. It’s too bad the believers in that stuff never took a proper look at the role of slavery and native American genocide in our history. Not to mention Lincoln’s denial of habeus corpus, and America’s very violent war against organized labor from, oh, 1870 to 1932.
And by the way, didn’t Woodrow Wilson have socialist presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs (look him up on wiki!) imprisoned for the duration of WWI due to Debs’ opposition to our role in that conflict? Didn’t FDR send Asian-Americans to concentration camps during WWII?
There’s nothing new to the American experience in what this delusional student (“They’re going to kill me!”) underwent.

Meyer is a true patriot and a hero to the American people. Without people standing up for what they believe in this country would be hell. I hope all of those cops get what is coming to them and are stripped of their rights some day. I also hope that the students of UF will not stand for this and roit like there’s no tomorrow. I know none of this would fly on my central Florida campus. FREE MEYER!!!

“Alice, I’m sorry but again you use straw man arguments. No one is saying, “Oh he was talking too long…” or “Man that guy was crazy…” as you suggest for reasons why he got tasered. Rather, it was becasue he repeatedly, consistently, was belligerant to the police and focibly preventing them from removing him peacefully. If you push a police officer and resist to the point he did, you may very well get tasered!It is completely appropriate. I commend the police on a job well done.”
I wasn’t listing those as reasons he was tasered, I was listing them as subjects people are focusing on instead of seeing that he was wrongfully removed, and wrongfully tasered. Admittedly, if it were me, I would have let the police lead me out since I know good and well the consequences of standing up for my rights against a cop who would rather I just do as s/he says. Unfortunately, this guy knew their reason for removing him was crap, and chose to try and make a stand. Plus, you can hear him saying “I’ll leave!” amidst the calamity. Aside from that, cops know how to restrain people and they should have just cuffed him. The taser is for situations where individuals are either out of reach and are posing a threat to police officers or are overpowering a police officer. Again, this is utterly overkill.

Actually, Alice, in my course on Comparative Religion at my university we spend a little over a week discussing the varying definitions of Paganism and what a Pagan stands for. There is not one overall accepted definition of the word, but since you seem to know so much about it I will offer my definition, the one I teach my students, while I wait for your definition.
I teach paganism to mean, “Belief in religions other than Christianity Judaism or Islamism, especially ancient Greek polytheism, which was a non-revealed religion.” thus, a Pagan could be an individual who see nature over God, or a person that practices vodoo. Thus, most people who rally against religion are exhibitng paganism in their behaviors. Is that clear enough for you? I await your definition, since their are many that are recognized.

There is a reason I went to college for ten years to get my Ph.D. in history and religion. In a Christian perspective, which most of this coutry is, propping nature up before God is paganism in its purest sense, which is why I introduced in my post. I am sure you will not deny that. It was in no ways a slam, and I am sure that you can see that. If anything I stated that it was protected by our Constitution!!

I have to disagree. When a person doesn’t even believe in God you can’t state that they’re Pagan in any sense. I can understand that you were trying to insinuate that he’s religious for placing nature before God, but it still doesn’t make sense since you’re taking his motives out of context. Besides, you gave a more offensive definition in your previous post. It’s even more offensive now that I know you’re educated.

And I never called myself liberal either, only sensible. Both scare them. It’s prolly gonna get worse before it gets better, sad to say.

I am a 22 year US Army combat veteran, a veteran of four major US conflicts(Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom), two peace keeping missions, and seven covert operations. I am completely and utterly disgusted with these police officers their actions and anyone who defends them and there actions. I thought when I retired that my days of defending freedom were over, but I found out that I had to come home to defend freedom still, here at home, not from sunnis or insurgents or al qaeda, but from “American” law enforcement and “American” politicians, whom are all acting like these are the early days of Nazi Germany. I have come home to find local, state and federal law enforcement acting like the gestopo of 1936, and a Home land Security acting like the SS movement of 1936 Nazi Germany.
Those police officers, such as they are, are sworn to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and its freedoms. Title 7 section 1983 of the civil rights code makes it a felony punishable by 10 years and or a 50 thousand dollar fine for using thier authority to deny and interfere with an individuals rights or freedoms. By violating thier oath to the Constitution that also border lines an act of TREASON against the Constitution and the people of the United States, if you violate your oath to defend it, you become an enemy to it and that makes them Treasonous, or traitors to this country, which by the way is a capital offence. Furthermore, thier actions are a direct dishonoring slap in the face of every verteran who has ever fought for this country, and especially the true heros of this country, those who have died to give and protect freedom for all.
It is time that individuals who hold ANY kind of office in our governmental system are held to the strictest terms of the laws, because their bad actions always walk on the edge of Treason when they treaten freedom.
The only answer to Orson Wells’, “1984″, is 1776. “Give me Liberty or give me death” on the battlefield, which ever way anyone who threatens freedom wants to go with it.

I’ve written over 5,000 letters and mailed them to Congress by way of the US postal service and everynow and then somebody gets annoyed with my continuous redress of grievances…..I gotta wonder if I would get tasered also if I showed my face up on Capitol Hill…..

vomeggido-
Thanks! We definitely are in this together. Folks need to understand that ‘us’ is ALL of us. Texan, Arab, Jew, even NASCAR fans. They try so hard to divide and to foster the ‘us vs. them’ mentality…

vomeggido – i have been shot four times (clinically dead for 22 senconds on one of those occasions) stabbed twice, two helicoter crashes, and the victim of 3 terrorist bombings what can they do to me that has already been done or tried……??????

I hear you Ron!
I survived a childhood that reads like a serial killer or worse- and yet I have survived as well. There really is nothing worse they can do except blow it all up rather than be exposed or change.
Sounds like we could both use the rest (peace)!
You are one of my heroes.
If I may- how do you get past past the sadness of humanity not rising to what we are truly capable of in being our best?

Hey Self thinker- I went to his website. So what. The contents on his site have nothing to do with what happened at that particular Q&A.
He is a college kid.
btw, he can play the piano and his girl can sing.
He is only 21 years old!

Kerry was in charge and directing the entire situation- only delegating the repulsive to the keystone cops who hung back waiting for hand signals.
Kerry could have easily said, ” leave him alone and let him continue- he has a right to speak up.
But Kerry did nothing. Like all of them in that room. That kid was on his own.
And no matter how much propaganda you spin- the country has seen it and weighed in on it.
YOU LOSE!

I didn’t see anything about a preordained time limit for questions. Kerry couldn’t even pack the room half of it was empty.

Josh, my man, you are funny! First off, let me tell you, I am not some shallow archetype as you might imagine. I am not even from America! I’m actually from across the pond but have lived here for a lot of my adult life by now but believe me, I get out and about–not stuck in some backwoods as you might think. Try again.
No I have not seen the “rev” video you are referring to so won’t comment on that. I can’t speak to the Chicuita banana story either. However, yes, I’m not saying there aren’t times when there is real police brutality but this isn’t one of them. Let’s not use straw man arguments. (You people love to do that.) The guy deserved what he got, I’m afraid. As for corporate pillaging, that’s another story. I’m going to stick to this story here, OK?
Have you ever considered what might have happened if ththis guy hadn’t been further subdued after resisting the police? One never knows for sure. I doubt anything would have happend and he probably would have left but the police are reacting to an situation very quickly, doing the best they can. As far as they know this guy might have lunged at Kerry after getting all worked up, or someone else. Really, you’ve got to admit, if he had gone peacefully the first time, none of this would have escalated.
His shouting “Ow, Ow” seemed terribly put on and staged. He seemed like a big cry baby wanting attention. Hey, he even has his own website, no wonder. His other rants indicated he was certainly not in a right mind, thereby more liekly to do something completely unpredicatable and possibly dangerous. One never knows. The police did the best they could.
And yes, I saw the video. It’s like we are are watching two entirely different clips. I don’t get how you think he didn’t deserve what he got. Silly man. This was hardly a Rodney King type beating as some professed.

You call us raving liberals but yet you aren’t even from this country…What the man should have done was what I do and I GET RESULTS!!!! I flood Congress with letters sending them home made videos, home made post cards, Louisiana Hot sauce, Louisiana post cards and even Mardi Gras beads…..The last Congressman who told me that I didn’t have right to do what I did saw me push over 550 letters to every single member of Congress through the U.S. postal service in just two days….Yes I know that there are only 535 members of Congress but I wrote some of them twice….Cost me over 500 bucks but it was worth it and it definitely got their attention!!!!
Next time he should just flood Congress with mail….it has definitely worked for me all though the technique proves to be very expensive……I’ve written over pushed over 5,000 letters to Congress so far and it has costed me over 5 GRAND to do so but I get the results that I want…..Talking to Congress on the phone just doesn’t get it….I like him only get into screaming matches with them and their staff on the phone…..Next time “Flood ‘em!!!”

Kerry Condemns Heckler Arrest might make a nice headline, but it would be better if somewhere in the article you show were Kerry actually condemns the arrest.
He does not.
He says he believes he could have handled the situation, hopes no one was hurt yadda yadda.
“Condemn” is too strong a qualifier just to invent out of whole cloth.

Sharon, kudos to your involvement in the political process!
BTW, believe me, we have “raving” liberals in the UK too–more of them actually than here, or the “looney left” as Thatcher loved to call Foote, Scargill and the like. They were pretty much Trotskyites and Marxists working within the Labour Party as you have socialists here working within the Democratic party, but even worse than that! (Blair at least had some common sense to ‘fess up to the fact some of Thatcher’s reforms actually worked! But again, another story.) These far left liberals won’t be happy until government, their form of government, runs everything. If they need to shout slogans like “Police State” or “Police Brutality” or anything else that undermines our very structures of democrcy they will do just that.

I couldn’t believe it when I heard Meyer was tasered. It is really a shame that the UF police department found it necessary to tase coach Meyer. After all Meyer has done for the football team, is this any way to treat the man who brought the National championship to Gainesville? From what I’ve heard, Kerry was the one who should have been tasered for rambling on and not answering any of the questions.

Since when do you have to act perfectly calm with a Senator in the room?!!! I have been around many Senators in a room and even well known Generals and wine and beer was being served…..
If Congress is that so darn afraid of folks acting up then why the three kinds of different wines and the four different types of beers??? After one glass of wine I loosened up and shook more hands than the law will allow!!!! I talked so much to the politicians that they ran out of catfish before I had a chance to get any!!!

Sharon & Vomeggido,
the main problem with your heartfelt point is that this guy was violently resisting arrest. out on the street this might not have been a big problem, but acting foaming-at-the-mouth-crazy while a feet away from a senator it becomes a problem.
i don’t like cops & brute force either but I know better than to continue struggling after I’m told that I am being arrested.
plus, this guy does this kind of stuff all the time (and is proud of it), its obvious his main motivation is to create a scene.

I bet he was faking the whole taser thing. He was ACTING the entire time. The news article said that once he was in the hallway, his entire demeanor changed. He was joking and laughing with the cops.

You don’t get “electrocuted for being an idiot.” You only get punished for illegal actions. There are plenty of idiots alive and well today, as is evident in all these postings.

My guess is that the police state is being helped by people such as you: rather than find a way to manage people like this student, you prefer to call upon the police to administer authority and force. What’s next? Have the police distribute food as people jump the line? Perhaps the army?
You have not read the post: “in a healthy society” you should not have the police manage such events. Is that your conclusion: anarchy? There goes the skewed reasoning.

Here is what I would do.
I would step down from the podium, walk to the student and face him calmly. When he was done speaking, as he would, I would reason with him calmly, even attempting to answer every question with honesty and directness while engaging him in the answer. It would not be possible that he would be so beligerant that he would yell in my face.
Possibly, possibly, at the very end, I would ask for the security (not police) to help after fair warnings.
It is because the student felt he was not listened to that he insisted over his alloted time.

Florin, thank you for attempting to answer the question. However, you assumed he would be done speaking. This guy will NEVER be done speaking. Now what do you do? You are very naieve. “It would not be possible” are the words of a very naieve person who has had the luxury of growing up in an extremely sheltered world. You are lucky to have been so protected. But, you need to learn that it IS very possible, and that is exactly what this fellow was doing. So re-answer the question, and this time the guy NEVER STOPS TALKING AND YELLING. Now exactly what do you do???

Vomeggido, keep going, you’re doing great. You are a good advocate for the your liberal leanings.
Yes, I definitely got to you, didn’t I? I’m signing off now. Feel free to swear as much as you like–it really helps clarify things perfectly.
Oh, btw, as we do live in some awful Police State, why do you anit police liberals continue to write your diatribe? I’ll be calling the in the FBI now. Maybe “they’ve” wiretapped your line and will be picking you up in the morning? Keep your eyes out on all those thug police out there. Just when you think you’re getting a speeding ticket, watch out! You might be dragged away and never seen again as this sad young man tried to suggest.
You’re too funny. Good night.

FLORIN – answer the question. What will YOU DO when the bad people never shutup. WHAT?

This student was intent on making a scene. I don’t believe I am naieve. I watched the clip carefully and went to his website. He’s a mouthful and a jerk.
However, that does not excuse or encourage the presence of the police. The message I am trying to bring across is that we should not increase the use of governmental force to regulate aspects of life that we should be able to handle ourselves.
A person who wants to be president should be able to manage a miscreant. A leader, a person of character and with people abilities, should handle such a nut.
Please read my post again as to *my* reaction as it would probably satisfay even you: by turning the focus on him, asking him to voice his concern, he would eventualy difuse. He wanted noise and disturbance and he got kindness and respect.
If however, after repeated attempts to calm the situation and after fair warnings, I *would* call upon security but not the police.
Don’t tell me I lived a protected life – I lived an oppressed life that ended in a bloody revolution with me in the streets to witness it.
I lived under a regime that was embraced by people believing that they would be helped by the government against the rich. And the governemnt did exactly what EVERY government with too much power does: turns against its people.
So keep giving up your liberties. Keep trusting the government and the police. Keep demanding that they handle your life’s little problems and they will do just that.

Damn . . . sure are a lot of ignorant comments in here. Both left AND right. Does anybody out there understand that these knee-jerk reactions keep us mired in the problem and miles away from the solution? Just listen to yourselves rant!
I think I’ll wait to read the WHOLE story, if one is ever told.

OK, that is a pretty good response. It is NOT what I was understanding from your earlier posts.
I actually like your line of thinking, that a presidential candidate ought to be able to handle this. In fact, we should put candidates through a stress test before elections, not through sham “debates”…
Thanks for clarifying your opinion, well stated.
I still say the police were just doing their job, if the campus or the city or the Speaker wanted anything different, then tell the cops about it beforehand. Its pretty certain they were following pre-approved protocol.

I’m really disappointed with all the people who think that what the police did was right and the guy got what he deserved. No he did not follow “proper etiquette” and quickly ask his question then turn and sit down quietly. but John Kerry is not the “soup nazi” from Seinfeld.
Go to most question and answer sessions all over the country and your bound to have at least one person act like he did. Should they all get tasered? Our country was founded on the idea that everyone has the right to speak their mind, especially to the powerul elites. Not only did the police overreact, they should have been stopped. Were all the people in the audience cowards? Are we to lower our gaze when innocent people are hauled off by the police? How is that any different than when the Nazis or the communists arrested people?
Mostly I’m ashamed that there so many people who claim to be pro-America patriots but are really fascists.

I didn’t see anything about a preordained time limit for questions. Kerry couldn’t even pack the room half of it was empty.

Obviously this kid was a serious threat to our civilized, conservative society otherwise the thought police would have never intervened.
Kids like this, with their critical thinking and unscripted questioning of authority are the greatest threat we face today. We have to rise up and Taser them back into submission before it’s too late.
Besides, everyone knows, sometimes you have to crucify a few radicals to keep the Empire stable.

Since when is freedom of speech countered with a TASER?!
Oh, I remember now, DUBYA removed that right regarding negative protesters whenever he was talking “about important stuff,” if you can call it talking.
We see now how Kerry would uphold the Constitution if he were president. Not at all.

That university spokesman wasn’t even there. …”His microphone was cut off, then he became upset.” Yeah, Orlando. YOU’D be upset too, if police grabbed you for no crime. He wasn’t doing anything worth being arrested for. That’s the standard, should be the standard. Just being a little obnoxious shouldn’t end in your getting tasered by university cops. Dam Nazis think they can taser anybody that verbally disses them a little. Yeah, I saw that in the videos, I admit he was being an aggressive questioner. But he was being polite about it. Dam Nazi police.

Why do you the Liberal Press ask did the police go to far? Why was your question not was the student out of line?

Of course the police went too far…as they most always do! An article should be done on their constant abuse of power!

The heckler was causing a disturbance. He did not co-operate with security after they asked him nicely to leave.
The heckler paid the consequences.
They did the right thing in order to protect themselves, Sen. Kerry and the other students.

The police are given way too much power over the public!!!! I have to live in this area, they are never around when we need them but they are sure available to use this brutality on a college student trying to make a statement, which is are right! Granted he should have stopped but that does not give the COPS the right to taser him. FREDOM of speach.
And as for the person who said they would take him to field and have him shot, you need to re-think what kind of world you seem to be living in. You must have real issues with yourself, maybe you should get some help with that anger and maybe get re-educated! (its people like you that ruin it for all the decent people trying to live a good life!!).

Two words “KENT STATE”

So, in the end, did he answer the 3 questions?
- The elections were rigged.
- Iraq.
- Skull and Bones Society
I would love to hear them…

Americans get what we paid for. We gave up our right to free speech and gave the Republicans the right to control our freedoms for their right to gain government control, called ” National Security”. Stop complaining and shut-up and do as your non-counted voted leaders tell you. America isn’t a leader in Democracy, it’s a third rate contry living in it’s past.
JUST SHUT-UP and Stay Home Dogs!

It makes me physicaly ill to think that our country has come to this! Did anyone else watch the video?! The guy started hitting and pulling away from the officers FIRST! They were calmly trying to escort him out!!! He acted like an idiot when the situation wasent a threat to his physical saftey.
Does anyone know what happened before the police were ASKED to remove him?! What did he do or what did he say while he was on the microphone. Some words and language are not to be used in public. You can get your point accross in an adult way, and not use this language. The video did not show what he did. O’ NO! It only showed this guys struggle with the police. Its always this way!!! Im am sick that good manors and morals are now thrown out the window because the majority of the population thinks that the constitution protects our right to act anyway we want. Use common sence and stop blaming other people for your stupidity!

Political stumping. If Kerry had really thought this he’d have spoken up then. Seems to me he’s waiting to see where the wind blows and then jumping on. I land somewhere on “they should have given it a couple of more minutes.”

The “kids” who think the police were wrong, are part of the new generation who have grown up with no discipline. They have no respect for authority, and think they can act however they choose.
Kerry adressed it because he needs every vote he can get. Very few born before the 60′s would have thought the police were brutal. What were their choices? He refused to cooperate.

I work in our prison system and deal with inmates that argue and at times fight. I believe he had the opertunity to walk away and chose to be confrontational, it escolated to being escorted and he pulled away so to protect the officers I believe they did what they needed to, for the officers to be safe and unhurt. He chose this course of action for them, next time he will think twice before running his mouth.

AGAIN! Another case where we only see the resolution, in this case the struggle with police, and not the cause. The guy was out of line in how he asked his question, not because he asked them! WAKE UP! It’s not all a conspiracy! The government it not out to get you. He could have asked his questions as a responsible and respectful adult, but he choose not to.
This person was prbably never held resonsible for his actions as a child and now as an adult he thinks he can do as he pleases with no consiquences. Way to go Mom and Dad!!!!
24 year old college grad form Virginia

The taser was designed to be used in place of a gun.
There was no justifiable reason to pull a real gun and thus no reason to electrocute or torture an unarmed kid.
This is the kind of political suppression I would expect to see in China or Cuba or other third world country. So much for the seat of freedom and democracy!
Time to bring the troops home to fight the war on terrorism at home, the cops and government are the one we need protected from!!!

“This is a matter of the student disobeying direct orders of police officers.”
By what authority can a police officer give civilians direct orders? Sorry, their position does not include the right to boss people around.

That’s the spirit everyone! He should have just COMPLIED!
That’s what everyone in America should do. Just Comply. How do you say that in Latin? It may be time to change our motto to something other than E. Pluribus Unum.
Kerry was speaking at a college campus, allowing college kids to ask questions. Fortunately, at that point in there lives, some of them still have a spark in them that allows them to think they can change the world.
At least this kids spark was doused yesterday, eh?
Now move along. Nothing more to see here.

He made a decision to act like a 5 year old, made a decision to (blatantly) resist arrest, and it was either use taser or beat him with the their billy club, because he was not going to listen and just continue doing whatever he wanted. Like I bet he did his entire life,
I am glad they have this on video, to show he got what he deserved.
Well done police!

THIS IS THE SAME GUY THAT IS SHOWN ON GMA PLAYING PRANKS ON THE WEB. THIS LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER STAGED EVENT TO ME. SHOULD THE OFFICERS HAVE PEPPERED SPRAYED HIM? AND CONTAMINATE THE WHOLE AUDITORIUM? MAYBE THEY SHOULD HAVE USED BATONS AND SAPS ON HIM? NOOOO, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO SHOCKING TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. DON’T EVER PULL AWAY FROM THE POLICE STUPID!! THAT’S CALLED RESISTING.

Tell me group of several police could not take down a single student without using a taser. This was a total misuse of force and the officers involved should themselves be tasered. :p

Talk about a day late and a dollar short… Kerry just needs to take a personal note on this issue, and start acting on what happens around him. And personally if a guy wants to lead a nation, he shouldn’t have to be reminded of that.
We’ve gone from the great JFKs and Martin Luther Kings, to people nick named after beach apparel… (flip flops)

This happened in America, the land of the free and home of the brave.
I find this very disturbing that a young man was asking John Kerry a few tough questions and the police hauled him away, threw him to the ground and tasered him in front of an audience of people who showed no collective outrage for what was happening right in front of their eyes, AND as John Kerry answers the young man’s question (why didn’t he also ask the police to backoff a bit while he answered is beyond me).
This young man threatened no one, he struck no one, this young man didn’t hit police…this young man asked questions of a high-ranking government employee and was treated in a brutal manner, all while his fellow citizens watched (and some others actually applauded and smiled).
I long for the government we had that was for and by the people, not against the people.
Thomas Jefferson stated…
“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”
Be active, ask questions of your elected representatives, and if you don’t like what you see and hear, elect them out of office and out of power, for we the people should have the power, not them.

*sigh* It’s such a shame that there are so many of you who don’t understand why it’s important to not be assaulted by the police. Most likely it hasn’t happened to you, yet. But for the rest of us this is commonplace. The truth is that most regular cops are cro-mags, the same people with “Horn broken, watch for finger” bumperstickers on their trucks. The police had no right to lay a hand on him in the first place, and raising your hands in the air is typically a sign of the intention to be non-combative. Someday you, or your lovedones WILL be abused or ignored in one way or another by the police, and you’ll understand. Until then, at least appreciate that you can post comments like “He got what he deserved” without being pushed away and tazed.

Police Brutality

Mark Hendricks-
Thank you for posting this well thought out comment. Sadly, many on here will not actually read your comment
The most awesome result of this horrible incident is that Americans are responding and seeing it for what it is and the reaction is shaking the very core of our dictators rule.
I had a deep and very real fear that Bush would declare war on Iran and thereby lock our country into a state of Marshall law thus ending the possibility of a 2008 election. This was not an unfounded paranoid fear- it had a chance of happening and was well on its way- but this fly in the ointment put the kibbash on that scenario!
With the current batch of presidential contenders- there is not one in the bunch that will not do the same thing as Bush disguised as something else! It will be dressed up.
A brief period of time has been bought for the people to get organized and informed before its too late.
We can stop this, reverse it and do what our founding fathers intended.
First order of business- force the closure of the Federal Reserve Bank. Then disband and dissolve the CIA.
If those two goals can be achieved- then our children will have a future.
If not- we will fail and repeat history.
Thank s again for your wonderful comment- if you scroll up and read all of them you will find that many of us argued those same points and people still logged on and posted the police acted accordingly!!!!

There were several officers holding this man on the ground. There was definitely no need to taser him. Sure he was being loud and quite annoying, but the taser isn’t supposed to be used for that purpose. The police used excessive force in subduing this individual, in fact, they had him subdued. People yell and scream all the time at police, it’s supposed to come with their territory.

People,
Watch the FULL video… Many versions of it can be found on YouTube. He didn’t go beyond his alloted time, and he didn’t push his way to the front of the line. His questions were rambling, but still more based in reality and intelligence than most of us moronic Americans are capable.
He ignored and subsequently resisted the police because they had absolutely no right to do what they did, but at no time did he strike, push, or even verbally direct his tirade AT the police officers. Beyond that, the fact that they stun gunned him while they had him fully detained on the ground, and simply because he was still yelling, is absolutely no reason to use that kind of force.
John Kerry was more than willing to answer his questions, and if you listen to the video, Kerry was practically begging the police to stop their assault on the student. They ignored both reason and the target of the student’s questions. For what? To flex their ‘badass’ campus security muscles. Their behavior was deplorable.
Non-lethal weapons (stun guns, tasers, bean bag rifles) have not decreased the number of police shootings, it has simply increased likelihood that a police officer will overstep their bounds.
The fact is that this isn’t a liberal or conservative issue. This is an issue of the freedoms afforded by the constitution and procured, via blood and toil, by our founding fathers. In order for a sensible person to be free to do as they please, rambling morons must also be afforded such luxuries, no matter how much it offends your pseudo-intellectual sensibilities.
Read the Declaration of Independence, our reasons for fighting to break free from Britain, and then read the Bill of Rights, the amendments to the Constitution that secure our freedoms. Alexander Hamilton was against a Bill of Rights, arguing that such rights should be inherent in the system, but even with that Bill, we still struggle for them. Why? Because mob rule is apparently too powerful an instinct to fight.

Basically, Kerry could have stopped that if he really wanted to.

I watched the unexpurgated footage of Meyer’s questions and arrest. Sorry, those cops were thugs, plain and simple. One of them, a male cop, even looks happy and amused as Meyer is zapped. The cop is grinning . This country is slipping further and further away from its ideals and the rest of the world is right to be leery of us at best, and contemptuous at worst. If this is American democracy, we really have no right to be trying to export it. Currently it’s as toxic as Chinese dog food.

Check Kerry’s various websites for comments on his statement. # of Comments? Zero. Or at least, zero allowed by Kerry’s handlers, including mine. Sure, you don’t have to get dissed on your own website, but it’s pretty idiotic to censor all comments when the issue is your willingness to defend dissent. PS: I’m a Dem… or used to be. Third party, here I come!

This is surreal.
What kind of a world do we live in that the police are justified in using potentially lethal force on an unarmed citizen for exercising their rights?
First, think about the time line. He doesn’t imagine that he has to fear being tasered for asking a question. He doesn’t realize it as even a remote threat. He can behave as he would like, what’s the worst that can happen?
A man during an open forum attempts to ask questions, which is what is encouraged with the mics being placed in the audience.
He is last, he is allowed to ask the question, and his mic gets cut off. What are the police officers doing there at that point? There is no justification for arrest.
The media wants to paint this person as an outsider, attention seeking extremist. It is their “angle”. But it is the angle they have always had against young millenials and people perceived as being techy, knowledgeable, or liberal. They think everyone operates on celebrity status, idolizing the media as themselves.
What type of man is this?
A man, who has previously been involved in anti war protests, who is also creative and has video taped himself online, which is not unusual for adults attending a college age.
What he has videotaped previously has little bearing on this incident, as he was an impassioned constituent who wanted to have his opinion heard and get a dialogue going.
The fact is that there was no need for the taser, he was under control, pinned to the ground for 4-6 officers. It was his mind and words that was threatening the the police, and he was attracting attention, making the police feel less empowered/in control of the situation.
The police were actually looking for a reason to taser this person. That’s right, at some point, the police officer actually decided or realized that he wanted to taser/injure/torture this individual, because he was not following his will/command/authority. Maybe it was because he wasn’t listening to him, maybe he felt disrespected, maybe he had a fight with his wife. Like Bush entering into the Iraq conflict, he was looking for a convenient excuse to do so.
They were coming up with an excuse, any excuse, such as resisting arrest or disturbing the peace. But I consider it entrapment, when they egg on this type of behavior instead of attempting to reasonably handle the situation. There are many ways to control behavior, and elicit certain responses and the police are well aware of it.
The officer didn’t want to take the time to calm down, follow procedures, be physically forceful if necessary, or seek another method of enforcement, even withdraw and allow someone else to take over the situation.
They were not patient in enforcing the law. Of course, they have no tolerance and no allowance for expression/humanity.
Look at the intentions of the law, to protect the safety of the public. There was no threat here, except to the egos of the authorities entrusted with keeping the peace.
The police here need to get beyond the follow your orders mentality, and apply a little humanity and understanding to their training.

“(and some others actually applauded and smiled).”
Oh yeah, Mark, i was one of them. Matter of a fact, I’m still smiling…especially when I tink of his patheitic little “ow” “ow”s! I love it! Normally you wouldn’t say “not the taser bro” but he wanted it caught on camera. If only he had pee’d in his pants. This kid was an attention seeker. This isn’t his first stupid prank. Next time he wants to run the bully pulpit I hope the cops are even bigger bullies and teach him a better lesson. At least give him a continued zap.
All you guys who hate the police can enjoy my piece of meat i throw to you dogs. Gnaw away..I’m going to give another hand clap to the campus police. I’m so glad they have tasers for bullies like him.

“but at no time did he strike, push, or even verbally direct his tirade AT the police officers. Beyond that, the fact that they stun gunned him while they had him fully detained on the ground, and simply because he was still yelling, is absolutely no reason to use that kind of force.”
Are you kidding me? I guess we all watched different videos. He totally pushed and resisted being led off. He was verbally demanding with the audience members saying he would say all his points before asking his question. He didn’t go quietly. You need glasses. The poilce only acted stronger when he resisted them. Get real.

“Police and Government torture.”
What a joke. Seriously, you need help.

Pheonix- are you serious with your comment?
the police have been caught on tape even the one I posted previously which occurred months before Meyer/Kerry.
You are scary with your disinfo!

It is amazing how few of the people commenting here have actually ever attended a political event. They are unaware of how emotional people can get at a microphone when discussing something that is important to them. Thus they justify police action by saying the kid was “crazy” or “acting obnoxious”. If that is true the police should be attending every political event in the country and Tasering someone at each event. Also, writers on this site seem to be unaware that when people at a political meeting overstate their case or hog the microphone, the situation gets handled without police action. Usually the candidate or speaker is able to handle a heckler. Often the crowd does so. Never have I ever seen a situation where the police were required to make a person leave a microphone.

This kid is lucky to have only been tasered…he should have gotten a lot more, especially being around a senator and being so rediculous…It’s obvious the guy’s just trying to be cool and get people to think he’s a funny guy…Well i bet he’s not laughing anymore…

The police tried to get him to leave peacefully, but he refused to go. When you start resisting, then force is necessary. How much force depends. Would I have tased him? No, but he would have been subdued. I don’t know why twelve cops couldn’t get a 21 year old under control and why they felt tasing was neccesary, but I wasn’t there and we don’t know what happened before the video started. I’m not necessarily defending the cops, but the kid isn’t innocent either.

When politicians address college students, they constantly return to the same theme: “Be an active member of your community, be politically engaged and speak up for what you believe.” John Kerry’s lecture at the University of Florida predictably delivered this message. What a shocking disgrace that when Andrew Meyers took Kerry’s advice, he ended up getting electrocuted.

WHERE IS OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN THIS COUNTRY!and police should not be able to taser people.This is an outrage.

first and foremost i am disgusted by kerry’s reaction. i think he should either have said “let him ask his question” or he could have said something dismissive such as “young man, i would like to answer your question but your time is up. everyone was alloted 60 seconds and unfortunately you didn’t use your time wisely.” the latter would be an avoidance of the question tactic, but at least he’d be acknowledging that a situation was unfolding before his eyes.
second, the student was a bit moronic. he wanted to cause a stir, and that’s fine. but by the time he was actually being handcuffed and hustled off, i think it was clear that the intensity of the “security action,” if you want to call it that, was only going to intensify. and since nobody was rushing to his defense, he might have been wiser to go with the flow. however, that is arguable.
third, the security or cops or whatever the hell they are used excessive force and poor judgement as far as i’m concerned.
fourth, the proclaim the rest of the audience and spectators to be nothing more than i’ve always said (and unfortunately sometimes been): BOVINE.

It is shocking that so many believe this kid was out of line.
1. He never barged to the front of a line (where did people get this idea?)
2. He did not resist arrest.
3. What does this have to do with his website!!!!)
According to the rules of conduct for the forum the kid did nothing wrong until the police moved in and provoked an arrest- now it was not until near the end that any kind of resistance took place and if I were Meyer I would have resisted as well.
It is not a crime to resist arrest.
Mr. Meyer waited until the end of the Q&A to pose his questions. The session had ended and he was acknowledged by the speaker- which gave him (as everyone participant) an allotted maximum of three questions and/or three minutes.
Mr. Meyer even stated he had been waiting for over two hours before asking his questions, using his valuable time he was gracious for his visitor’s time and patience.
As verbose as this kid was in forming and/or prefacing his questions his time had not expired!
The crud or unacceptable language as cited was not out of context or inappropriate because Mr. Clinton was impeached for allowing an intern to provide the President a bj, then lied about it. It was not Meyer fault for pointing this out- it was after all true!
All anyone has to do is stick to the facts here- simple true facts- then it is easy to see the shocking and horrible reality unfolding in front of our eyes!
Sure people on here and everywhere will resort to accepting the kid deserved it. There is always ample denial when something so monstrous like this happens.
Who wants to believe the truth when it unfolds like this. The smaller majority isn’t ready to acknowledge we are on our way to a full on police state. They want to keep the fascism disguised and continue to view our country with rose-colored glasses. They just cannot handle it. They are slaves to the remaining “Flat-Earthers”.
Thankfully the majority of Americans are not so closed and/or narrow minded.

“2. He did not resist arrest.”
–Darrell, I suggest you go back and watch the videos. He did NOT go peacefully. He was wailing his arms around, shouting, resisting, etc. Anything beyond walking out peacefully and quietly IS resisting arrest! You need to get your facts straight. And yet, strangely and admittedly, you also write, “..kid did nothing wrong until the police moved in and provoked an arrest- ”
–Yes, indeed. He provoked! That, again, IS resisting arrest. You are contradicting yourself.
“3. What does this have to do with his website!!!!)”
–It says a lot. It shows he is an attention self-aggrandizer seeker who has done this sort of thing before. It highly suggests that he knew what was coming, had provoked the officers “maybe” before and exaggerated the screams of “ow!” I’m goign to give the police more credit that you could ever bare.
“his time had not expired!”
–We don’t know that! We do know that he was belligerant with the other audience members and verbally demanded that he get to say all his stuff BEFORE he actaully asked his question. That is, in effect, going over your time slot. He was given time to go up and ask a question but chose not to. That was his choice. Should we give the floor to a bully pulpit?!
As for Clinton, you’re right. Clinton shouldn’t have got away with his perjury either. His wrong doesn’t somehow justify Meyer’s. What kind of twisted logic is that?
“All anyone has to do is stick to the facts here- simple true facts-”
–Refer to first point above. Now, if only you would stick to the facts!
“There is always ample denial when something so monstrous like this happens.”
–Nothing “monstrous” happend! You are in denial. You, like the guy you are protecting are both making a bigger deal about this and simply trying to stir up the pot with the police. I wonder if your prejudice is blinding you?
“The smaller majority isn’t ready to acknowledge we are on our way to a full on police state. They want to keep the fascism disguised and continue to view our country with rose-colored glasses.”
–This, and the “flat Earthers” comment is so laughable. So the larger majority think we are rapidly running to a Police State? We already have “facism” here?! Amazing anyone dare leaves their house! If you really think that then, why, as I’ve asked before but no one can really answer or justify, why do you even dare take risks condeming the police here?! Don’t you think down the road they could track you dowm and have you disappear as this guy was suggesting?! Come on, be real. You know you are free to write what you want here and have no real fear of existing facism! You are merely writing this to stir up the pot and live in your wanna be delusion to justify your angst at the police. Maybe you watch far too much TV? Very gullible indeed. Maybe you, yourelf, have a narrow spoon fed TV dictated world view?

Good article.
Only the title, “Kerry Condemns Heckler Arrest”, I think mischaracterizes Kerry’s position on the incident.
New title suggestion: “Kerry regrets Police intervention and detention of Heckler”.

DEmocrat, normally one would follow the appropriate protocol. Places like this are more appropriate for this sort of banter. Now, if the guy had wanted to ramble on here that wouldn’t have been a problem. He decided not to ask a question right up front but bullingly demand to make all his points first when others wer still wating. He foolishly used up his time on hot air. Poor choice…just like his resiting being led away by the police
Yes, it is all intersting. All the expressions here clearly whow the value divide our country is in. Most of the time we just live/work civily next to eachother but these are safe palces to vent..and apparently safe places to be outraged that we are in a “police State” too. Ha! I guess we should all be very afraid then? No, rather, we actually know it’s safe to write what we want here. No cops are waiting to wipe us out…though I’m sure there are many of the anti police protesters who would love to to my posts just what they apparently abhor the police for! Quite ironic really.

“Surely the speaker, moderator or audience could have handled the situation as they do at every political event that I have ever attended. This is the issue”
YTes, I see your point, but in answer to it: if only they had! As it was, no one did so the police were asked to quietly remove the man. There didn’t have to be a scene if the guy had been polite and gone quietly. I still seriosuly suspect this guy wanted the attention, especially when considerin his other rants on his website It seems so staged. And yes, I attend my local city meetings on contentious issues, like Walmart trying to move in, but we all know when enough is enough.

A democrat-
Of course we are all ranting on our computers and we are smart for doing it this way.
Electrocution hurts!
I am thinking about buying a taser myself and zapping “dzigner” and people like him/her a few times!
What’s really funny is the powers that be are coming out against this reprehensible atrocity- mainly because they have been caught.
Then what will the ranters like “dzigner” have to say!
And what’s off the charts hilarious is Mr. Meyer will probably get his own TV show and be laughing all the way to the bank while “dzigner” changes his handle and tries to find another job so he/she can save up his/her money to get out of his parents converted garage!
LMAO!

Darrel, I see you still keep giving yourself away. Better watch out. LOL. Your avoidance of the issues but continued input here says volumes.

Darrell, I refer to your avoidance of why you say we are “full on” to a “Police State”, refer to the situation as being fascist and yet continue to post here? If you really believed that you wouldn’t be so foolish, surely. You don’t address this nor can address my piece by piece response to you (1:47pm +). Actually, I am not some kid as you assume and no doubt you too can surmise from my posts, but prefer to keep it that way, if you prefer. I know you like to make outrageous comments to stir the pot. It seems to be your M.O. (Besides which, even if I happened to really be a kid, which I am not, being one would not detract from my position. You are showing another prejudice here apparently–ageism to the young then!)
“And yes- the police are well aware of who I am. VERY AWARE!”
–Well, no wonder. That doesn’t surprise me.
The real fact is this guy did indeed resist arrest and “provoked” the actions of the officers as you yourself wrote. He did not leave peacefully. That and your continued entries here when you ‘apparently’ think we are in such totalitarian peril show just how much you contradict yourself. You wouldn’t have such freedoms or dare write if it was as bad as you initially tried to exasperated.
Yes, continue the “lunacy” and other childish comments; it’s the best you can do when questioned to defend your position. Typical, again.

I am very amused that many people actually thought Mr Meyer’s objective is to stand up for rights for free speech.
His intention is simple, grab attention. Imagine he can wait 2 hours till the end of the session to ask question, he even made sure that his action is video and he purposely resisted with the security, it really show how much he is willing to go to execute his plan.
Obviously his plan worked and he got what he wanted, he is now 1st on Youtube and known all round the world. So Americans only idolize pranksters?

I agree with vomeggido’s comments dated 9/18/07. John Kerry should have taken a lead role and prevented this incident from escalating. Kerry is supposed to be a leader but he isn’t! If Kerry can’t protect the First Amendment of one person in a school setting, he can’t do it for a nation. He was a poor candidate for President and he is a poor Senator.
I certainly want to acknowledge the young man appeared overly agressive, the cops tried their best to remove a possible threat to the event, but Kerry, again, should have taken a lead role and should have prevented this situation from escalating.

Oh to live in Florida! The police have nothing better to do than moderate political speeches. There are no grow ups to bust, no crack heads to arrest, no prostitutes to hassle, no Mafia, no Hells Angels either. I can’t wait to retire and join the white heads in a state that obviously has no real need for police.

What people do not realize is this: while tasering may be uncomfortable, it WILL NOT cause permanent damage and therefore DOES NOT infringe on the “rights” of someone who is resisting arrest (note that Meyer’s rights to a peaceful arrest were nullified when he resisted because he was infringing upon the rights of the officers by becoming violent).

I completely believe Meyer planned this to get attention, and perhaps expose UF police. I believe he anticipated this response. HOWEVER, that doesn’t excuse the police behavior, or Kerry’s unwillingness to take charge. Kerry should have been able to handle it. He can be heard mumbling “I will answer the question”, but I never heard him ask the police to stop. He should have took charge. Kerry reports that he was unaware that the student was tasered, but I can’t imagine that he wasn’t aware of what was going on. A leader would have stepped up. I completely agree that Meyer isn’t a ‘victim’, but I don’t believe the police were justified in the excessive force used. Meyer’s only crime was being obnoxious, hardly a taserable offense. He wasn’t violent or a dangerous, simply a pain in the butt.

I come late to this story – but then, in my mind, the real story is the reaction to the story. I think the young man probably did try to “provoke an incident” in order to illustrate and provoke this very discussion.
And THIS is what it’s about. Yes, the young man was provoking a response. But the specific response – that was under the control of “handlers” and the police themselves. And the response he provoked was ineffectual butt-coverage on Kerry’s part and a violent police assault on the provocateur.
It does not matter that he was “disrespectful.” There is no citizenship duty to respect ANYONE – unless that disrespect rises to actual violence.
And to me “resisting arrest” is not the same thing as “quietly taking your lumps.” I saw resisting assault, and quite frankly, given the level of threat presented, I do not think the young man would have been unjustified in resorting to deadly force.
It would have been the wrong call, but police have been given passes for equivalent mistakes – that’s why you can’t find a black water-pistol on the shelves any more.
Indeed, even the manner of the arrest itself – a “shock and awe” swarming of supposed “perp” – is a tactic developed in prisons (to the best of my understanding) to safely restrain a very violent, hardened offender. It’s also designed to strip the dignity from the target, to force submission and to extract a price in pain and humiliation – a lesson to inspire future compliance.
From the reactions here, the lesson has not been lost so much as taken for granted. And yet nobody on either side has asked what “rules” were in existance that would trump Andrew’s constitutional right to free speech, and consultation with someone who wants to be his elected representative?
It was a not very metaphorical rape, a public punishment for a trivial “offense” of “disrespect for authority.”
That itself should make you not just question, but assume that such authority is not worthy of such respect – and more tellingly, knows what a hollow shell it is, and how tenuous their grasp on society’s willing compliance has become that their first resort is overwhelming force.
I find calls to treat anyone who does not immediately submit to any police command this way to be appalling. This was not so much an arrest as it was a summary judgment and execution of sentence.
It was a very effective demonstration of the respect ordinary citizens are given by the police in the United States.
I should add that, while this might well be the result of training and police doctrine, there are quite different training and doctrine sets that result in VERY respectable and appropriate security without offending anyone’s dignity, that in fact rely strongly on our social conditioning to avoid making a scene as a primary tool.
I’m pretty sure I know how the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) would have handled this, ideally. They probably would have stepped up, right at the edge of his comfort zone, and loomed at him until he ran down, simply making him aware of their presence, and their expectation that he would govern his own actions.
Then, if that were insufficient, with appropriate Sirs and polite deferences, they would have respectfully led him away – in a manner designed to be polite but inarguable – and without making an embarrassing scene for everyone.
Canadian police are not feared, nor do canadians expect them to act with predictable violence to any challenge.
Their job is to maintain the peace, not to breach it.
They ARE widely respected and trusted. Even though Canadian cops are in enough violent confrontations that get in the news for the average Canadian to be aware that there is but one predictable outcome for the drunk, the stupid and the violent.
(One great advantage of the RCMP way is that if a confrontation does escalate, it’s in such a way that there is no serious doubt as to who’s being the ass in the equation.)
But their attitude towards the public is quite different from police here – as is the willingness to accept a degree of risk in order to resolve a situation peacefully. And yet,generally they do.
There is another fact illustrated here that has gone largely unaddressed.
The initiator of violence is the one who has lost control of the situation, and it’s that sheer funk that I smell here – the idea that one weedy college student is somehow threatening our society by asking awkward, pointed questions. He was “being disrespectful” for asking rude questions and “deserves” to be beat down for “running his mouth.”
As it happens, there is no Constitutional exception to the First Amendment for speech that is rude, embarrassing, disrespectful or awkward.
Even the ranting of the clearly mad is protected speech – and their is no “right to not have to put up with it.” The only constitutional remedy to offensive speech is more speech, or of course, to walk away.
Kerry – both for failing to realize that he was both in charge at the time and responsible for this outcome and for failing to acknowledge a publicly embarrassing failure of leadership – has lost any remaining benefit of my doubt.
He’s triangulated himself into impotence, lost any sense of command authority he may have one time had, and as such, has demonstrated his lack of qualification to be a leader, for his failure to restrain this clear abuse of authority.
And for this service, you should be thanking Andrew Meyer. He may be an idiot – but yes, he has been a very useful one.

Ooops, I wish you had NOT waited so long to weigh in on this!
Sorry.

This kid was obviously a punk looking to make a name for himself. Too bad they didn’t shoot some pepper spray up his snotty little nose. Another poster child for the left wing extremists in this country.

I thought the whole point of politicians going out to the public, was to engage in discourse with said public. After viewing the video, I have observed no threatening gestures or language displayed by this young man!
What has happened to freedom of speech? And why are these officers behaving like the SS? Then turning to the camera and grinning.
Since when do we arrest and taser people for asking questions in this country?!?!?!??
These so called officers are guilty of false arrest, and assault and battery at the very least!
What is going on here? This is America! this is supposed to be the greatest country in the world with, “freedom and justice for all.” Where is the freedom? Where is the justice?

Ok so I see the grounds on where they arrested the kid. He was obviously being a little out of control. -BUT-…
They had him in cuffs, he was begging not to be tasered. If he was in restraints and wasn’t putting the police officers in harm I find the need for the taser ridiculous at best. This was a public event and an alotted time is necessary, but to taser a kid while he was in handcuffs is a little ridiculous. The police should be on some probation for awhile and have their jobs looked at.

I think the constitutional approach is as follows:
1. Did the student have the right to speak?
Yes, it appears to be a public forum.
2. Did the restraint by the police officers constitute state action?
Yes, they were state civil servants.
3. If state action was involved, was a constitutional right violated?
Yes, the student has the right to free speech under the first amendment.
4. If this was free speech, what was the nature of the right?
It was pure political speech.
5. If the rights have been violated, who bears the burden?
The government bears the burden under strict scrutiny to prove:
1. The restraint was necessary and compelling.
2. The restraint used the least force possible.
From what I can see, the person acted loud and waived a book for about 1 minute, and the police surrounded him, brought him to the ground, and tasered him.
They could have walked out him of the auditorium and locked the door. That would have been the least force necessary. They do this all the time when liberals act out of control.

Andrew Meyer should have the badge(at the very least) of every officer at the Kerry event. He simply ask his question, and spoke loudly to speak over the others around him. He did ask his question aggressively but not angrily. What happen to our American right to freedom of speech. I even just read an article of people wearing Anti-Bush t-shirts being kicked out of Bush events. I want our freedom of speech protected better. First off don’t try to peg me as some anti-bush liberal, because I am not. I AM PRO AMERICA. I have served in Iraq twice for a total of 22 months, and don’t believe we are there for the people of Iraq, and still feel that Bush is not that bad of a president, he just plays the “dumb” card much more often than most politicians. I just feel that our country can get a lot out of having more control and influence in the middle east.

Bottom line is this is supposed to be a free country and one where we the people vote in these jerks that run are country. Now if we are not free then they should just declare that in the books for the record and then there would be no expectation of anything else. You would know you were going to get tased or killed and you would stay in you place. But this is america and as long as the law allows him freedom of speech and the right to hold those we elect accountable for their actions he had a right to ask his questions no matter how dumb he was. The senator should have told the officers to stand down. The remarks made by so many people are the exact reason why we have a unnecessary war and all kinds of worldly rifts going on because you talk but you know not and they (the people we elect)just laugh at you and keep it moving. Think about it, in my lifetime if ever a president deserved to be impeeched it’s bush jr. But no, as the young man pointed out we will impeech clinton for something that happens daily and is not against the law. Sure he was married and it was not moral, but his wife is still with him so she did’nt care. Bottom line is we have our priorities messed up and becasue jerks miss the point we lose more freedoms everyday without even knowing it. Now!

C’mon guys. If I were at that event, even if I agreed with that guy, I would not felt safe. What if everyone did what he did. What happened to courtesy for others? His right to swing his fist ends where my nose begins.
Even if he had a valid point, there’s no need to get all crazy about it! SHEESH!
If several police officers want me to leave, I’m going to leave; nice and quietly, I’d let them arrest me and later on, I’d respond.
This guy just wanted national attention. What a jerk.

Have you all seen the video? Things in videos are cut out, you don’t know what he did before. If he had done anything that warranted an arrest, or he was being arrested for the safety of John Kerry, alright, then he is being arrested. He was not following police orders which is an offense. Had the police officers not used the taser to subdue him, it would’ve been a lot messier, and he would’ve gone away bruised up. They don’t use the taser to hurt someone, they use to the taser so they don’t have to hurt someone. If he was being wrongfully arrested, that would be decided in court, the guy was an idiot. His anger and emotions took away his judgement.

Great article on freedom of expression. Police should have good understanding with the public and they should not follow violent methods.