This story and video should send a chill down every freedom-lover’s spine.
An anti-Bush student at a John Kerry event at the University of Florida stepped up the mic to politely ask the Massachusetts senator some questions about the 2004 presidential campaign. He went a little long and someone tried to interrupt him. He continued and asked his questions, finishing up just as they turned off the mic. And that’s when the cops moved in and grabbed him by the arm.
For being a little too long in asking his questions.
And then the proverbial spit hit the spam.
As the kid is being forcefully apprehended and led away, the guy asks why he’s being arrested for asking a question, saying he just wanted to hear Sen. Kerry’s response. As he’s dragged to the floor in the back of the auditorium, you can hear the guy begging for help and repeating over and over that he didn’t do anything.
Which he didn’t.
The fact is, he was asking some questions of an elected official in a respectful manner. I thought the questions were rather juvenile, but since when in the United States of America is that an arrestable offense?
But it got worse. Five…count ’em, five…armed police officers have the guy on the ground in the back of the auditorium and they Taser him. You can hear his anguished screams of pain and an audience member demanding, “Why are you doing that?!!”
Indeed. Why is an American citizen arrested and Tasered for asking a question of a government official?
The cops, of course, are saying he was arrested for resisting arrest; however, as you’ll see in the video the kid was arrested for resisting arrest because he was first forcefully man-handled by the cops for asking his questions. They didn’t even give the kid a warning or ask him to leave before they grabbed him. The police didn’t stop an outburst, they caused one.
I don’t care that the kid is a liberal, naïve, Bush-whacking John Kerry supporter. This sort of police-state abuse of the right to free speech should be condemned by Americans of every political stripe and philosophy. We all may not agree with what the kid had to say, but damn it, everyone of us should defend his right to say it.
Posted on September 18th, 2007 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: National
I heard that he was being warned but kept resisting … ?? I watched Kelly’s Court on Fox News…
Looks to me like he was being combative.
I have to say that I am with the police on this one.
I’m married to a long time police officer and I hear what kind of crap they deal with, day in and day out. No one can ever stop to see it from THEIR side of it and what horrible things they might face.
I get sick of the media making it out that the police are always the bad guyS …
If these people would do what the police tell them … there would be no problems. Plain and simple
I was just thinking … when someone is misbehaving such as this young man … resisting and being combative ……
how do you know that he wouldn’t reach down and try to grab one of the officers weapons?
The video starts with Andrew Meyer asking his question, then being dragged away and tazed by the police.
According to some of the people who were there, the incident started before Meyer asked his question. These audience members claim that Senator Kerry gave a speech that lasted longer than scheduled, which reduced the amount of time for questions. After a few questions, the moderator said that the Q&A session was over. That’s when Meyer, who was still standing in line and would have been frozen out of the Q&A, started shouting and demanding that he be allowed to ask his question. Senator Kerry said that he would allow Meyer to ask his question after the current questioner was finished.
When Meyer was able to ask his question, which turned out to be more of a speech than a question, that’s when the trouble started. Apparently, no one has video of what occurred before he asked his “question.”
I think it was wrong for the police to have zapped him. However, in the video, up until the time he was zapped he sounds to me more like a drama queen than someone who is actually being hurt. Also, Meyer has his own website and seems to be a publicity hound. I’m sure he’s basking in the publicity he’s garnering from this incident.
This incident is completely different than what happened at Virginia Tech earlier this year. But I have to wonder how much the memory of the Virginia Tech murder rampage affected UF’s police when they had to react to this guy.
Just desserts! Act like a jerk … get treated like a jerk. He chose whether or not to keep resisting once he crossed the line.
It seems that in the incidents fomented by Meyer and his ilk, Law Enforcement Officials are never givend sthe benefit of any possible doubt . Decent law enforcement people are going to be hard to find. Who would want a dangerous, low paying job in which public concensue usually find for the miscreants that thd police are defending the public against.
Hey Chuck,
I think you should watch this video again. This guy’s a pro agitator. He had the floor for over 90 seconds without asking a question. He recognized right away that his mike had been turned off. Only a pro would notice that as quickly as he did. His time was up. And he did resist when he was being ESCORTED away from the podium so others could speak. When he started to forcefully resist, other cops came in to assist in escorting him out. He started the fracas. the cops finished it. His cries of “Help” were completely phoney. He sounds like a little crybabie throwing a tantrum for not getting his way. And he’s not very tough, either. I mean that not as physically strong, but mature.
WAIT, CALL THE WAH’ MBULANCE for the little creep.
I tend to agree with the original sentiment Chuck expressed, regardless of how it went down, 5 armed officers dragging off and tasering a guy for asking a question of an elected official… that’s 1984 chilling.
Yeah, he was disobeying what the organizers wanted, but he didn’t threaten anyone.
Additionally, how can you “resist arrest” if you haven’t been arrested? I didn’t hear any rights being read at any point.
Absolutely the police have a thankless, tough job. Unfortunately their job rides that “thin blue line” that is the Bill of Rights, and it needs to be asked whether they crossed it or not. Just like we do to Congress, we need to try to stop things from sliding down a slippery slope.
Are you people watching the same video that I am?! Anyone with a working brain should be whole-heartedly agreeing with Chuck! Why is it pertinent that cops have a thankless job? It’s not!! What matters is that a citizen of the United States was publicly assaulted and arrested by law enforcement officials while exercising his right to free speech. It scares me that more people are not outraged by this!
how do you know that he wouldn’t reach down and try to grab one of the officers weapons?
People are commenting about this incident as a freedom of speech issue. When they do so, they’re focused on Mr. Meyer’s freedom of speech being curtailed.
What about Senator Kerry’s freedom of speech? And what about the audience? Didn’t they have a right to attend this lecture and listen to Senator Kerry’s comments without disruption? I’m not surprised that the audience was largely unsympathetic to Mr. Meyer. Had I attended a lecture given by someone whose views I wanted to hear, and somebody showed up and disrupted the event for his own self-aggrandizement, I would have been pretty much indifferent to any suffering that might have befallen that individual.
The only thing that surprises me about this incident is that the speaker was a liberal Democrat. Usually when a speaker experiences this kind of act on a college campus, he/she is some combination of Republican, conservative, Christian, pro-Israel, capitalist.
He was being removed by police. All resistance ends there. You politely leave and then come back. He didn’t. He resisted. He got tasered. Kudos to the police! Now should he have been removed is another question but once that happens he should have ended and gone quietly.
HAHA, yes, why don’t most all of you hand in your civil rights now! Apparently those of you who supported the police and there actions have not read the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights in their entirety. These valuable documents plead with the Nation’s citizens to question everything the government does, which includes past, present and future and to hold all public figures accountable.
This gentleman, Mr. Meyer has the right to what the Constitution of the United States of America and the Bill of Rights grant us as citizens, and for all the many brave men and women who are and have fought and died defending these rights from foreign entities. Mr. Meyer was denied these rights and many of you support that fact and frankly, I am embarrassed to even believe you (those that support such assaults against those who question) are even citizens of this great Nation. And for any of you to say he was a jerk or made threats have not viewed the video. Yes, Mr. Meyer was vociferous and excited, but these are all indications of being passionate. To me, many of you that encounter passionate people are embarrassed by the fact and become defensive calling the passionate jerks or some other vulgar commentary. More of us should be that passionate about those in our government and have such questions. Specially, if a secret society has that much power to influence the outcome of a president election.
I applaud Mr. Meyer for his bravery and information, as should all American Citizens!!
While this guy was resisting and being a freak….
how would the police know that he wouldn’t reach down and try to grab one of their officers weapons?
This kind of thing happens ALL THE TIME…
The police need to protect themselves and the public.
…jeez, you’d have thought it was anti war demonstrator Cindy Sheehan getting arrested for wearing an anti-war slogan on a t-shirt while in the House Gallery right before Bush’s State of the Union Address in 2006, and thus being denied her constitutional right to free speech.
Why Terri K, do you consider passion about a topic as being a “freak”? Are you scared of and intimidated by those that find passion in something?
Why did the police even interfere? Especially, when there was obviously a discussion and question period. Most platforms are setup to let each person have at least one to two minutes; and I have seen five minute periods on occasion. Any question worth asking most always has an informative introduction, so that the audience and the person being questioned can understand the motive behind the question, and the speaker can answer the question more appropriately.
Do you understand the meaning of English words; do you understand what you mean by saying “ALL THE TIME…”?
But, if you believe that giving an introduction that leads into a question is harmful to the police and public, then you should probably protest to shut down our educational organization that are based on students asking questions and having passion about a topic.
I should know better than to say the words …
always … never … or all the time…
My point is … it’s so easy for people to jump all over the police …
but they don’t realize,
people have and do try to reach for the officers gun.
Bottom line….. this kid should have done what the police told him.
Had he done that in the first place, nothing would have happened.
His fault. He needs take full responsibility for his actions.
If the police report is correct, Mr. Meyer didn’t quite take responsibility for what happened, but he also didn’t harbor any ill will toward the police for what they did.
According to Officer Nicole Mallo’s police report, Mr. Meyer told her, “I am not mad at you guys, you didn’t do anything wrong, you were just trying to do your job.”
So what do you think, djwally, did Skull & Bones brainwash this kid into saying this after his arrest, and should President Bush be impeached for being the mastermind behind the brainwashing?
No one has yet answered, why the police even grab Mr. Meyer during his turn for discussion and question in the beginning. Mr. Meyer has his arms raised showing not idication of going for one of the police officer’s firearms. He did not show any harm towards anyone when he was giving his introduction and questions for the police to begin their assault upon Mr. Meyer. You can even hear John Kerry in the background telling the officers to let the young man up and so that he may answer his good questions, yes John Kerry says good questions.
In addition, by saying that you just need to do what the officers request, you are inherently suggesting that police have absolute power and they too should not be questioned.
To answer your mocking brainwash question, it sounds to me that Mr. Meyer is a polite young man (as he was during his discussion and question period) and forgives those that wish to harm him.
Please forgive the typo’s, I didn’t proof the previous post, was in a hurry.
“Mr. Meyer is a polite young man (as he was during his discussion and question period) and forgives those that wish to harm him”?
More like he’s grateful for the part the police played in making him a national celebrity.
Pretty sure that OJ’s grateful too. This episode is overshadowing his legal problems.
Yes, his legal problems. Only time will play out his legal dues. But, I would say with a high probability that his legal issues will be well handled by the ACLU, or at least, within civil court.
And if measures show guilt, then the suspension of the two officers already provides us with a glimpse of Mr. Meyer’s trial outcome.
Let’s not forget about a very important question that Mr. Meyer was asking the police and must be answered before detaining. “Why are you arresting me?” This question has to be answered, doesn’t matter if he is being a jerk or freak, this question has to be answered by the police before an arrest is made. Finally, before Mr. Meyer is dragged out of the building you hear an officer saying we are arresting you for inciting a riot. With that, can anyone tell me if Mr. Meyer is being charged with inciting a riot?
Really, I am not interested in OJ. I am only interested in the denial of civil liberties that are provided to every American citizen by the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.
This was a stunt … a prank.
Some of the police officers were actually injured … read the police report.
You sure don’t hear about that.
The police did not move in until they were asked to.
This guy got what he asked for.
“And if measures show guilt, then the suspension of the two officers already provides us with a glimpse of Mr. Meyer’s trial outcome.”
So are you saying that we should consider the two police officers guilty until proven innocent? If so, what should we consider them guilty of?
Terri K, you make me very sad…and fearful for the future of this formerly great republic.
So Chuck, do you foresee some future Gibbon writing his treatise on “The Decline and Fall of the American Empire” and citing this incident (and the approving, disapproving or indifferent attitudes of Americans regarding it) as a catalyst in our downfall?
Arrested for inciting a riot? If you notice in the video you only see dull, stunned and immobilized audience members?
Why did Kerry not speak up and say, “Hey, I’ll answer that question, leave the young man alone.” ??
I’ve seen disruptive audience people show up when Ralph Nader spoke. He answered their questions and didn’t care about the time.
Were those law enforcement personnel or campus police?
Where did democracy get reduced to this supposed facade of politeness? This guy wasn’t over the top or a danger. He’s a young man apparently looking for democracy and not finding it in Florida.
Sounds like he was asking a question many had for John Kerry. Corporate media did not ask it of him. So this young man did. Good for him.
*shakes head*
We must be hearing completely different stories/police reports.
No one has addressed a question that I have brought up a couple times ….
This guy should have done what the police told him to do.
Historically college campuses are forums for expression and debate. As a college student i find it appauling that the police attempted to arrest him in the first place. At one point in the video, a police officer has his gun drawn on the student. The main question is what threat did the young man impose that prompted the use of deadly force? Did that officer intend on shooting that man right there in fron of all those students?
Furthermore I cant belive as a former presidential candidate that John Kerry could do nothing to stop the nonsense occuring right in front of him..it makes me somewhat glad that he wasnt our president. There needs to be accountablitiy when police officers make mistakes. This was a mistake, this man commited no crimes. Yes he may have broken some norms, but you dont arrest someone who wears tacky clothing and you dont taze someone for asking stupid questions. My guess is that those who support the tazing of this young man are the same students who sat in the back of the classroom and never raised their hand in a lecture hall because they were afraid of looking stupid.
I believe in freedom of speech, and if John Kerry opened himself up for questions, one is going to ask what they are wanting to know. You can’t blame this young man for researching material and using facts to ask a question he wanted answered. The university police were out of place by doing what they did, and deserve to be fired. Again, in Democracy there is always be difference of opinions, and if we can’t even dispute these differancies, then we are living a lie, in telling IRAQ that we all have rights, and the right to make our voices heard… Again, all he asked was enlightment into information that he had read.
Terri K., youre question, why didnt he do what was told? WHY SHOULD HE BE TOLD?!? he did NOTHING wrong! riot???? NO, like said before, the audience was bored, and Kerry was ready to answer. people are soooo scared to use they’re rights, and police abuse their job and take rights away to be a hard a**. most police are punks out of highschool looking for an excuse to beat on someone. and this video is the perfect example. Cops are ridiculous these days, they are hear to inforce the law, not break it themselves…. i feel sorry for people like you Terri…..