Andrew Meyer receives 50,000-volts shock for asking a question: this is fascism!
This is ridiculous. Andrew Meyer, a student of the University of Florida, during a Kerry speech, starts to ("educatedly") ask several questions. After the second question they invite him to stop. He goes on:
He's been talking for two hours, I can ask a question now.
After the third question, they cut the microphone, the police starts to take him out. Then the struggle to finish the question. Four police officers drag him to the back of the auditorium and then use a Taser on him while he continues to struggle.
Andrew Meyer receives 50,000-volts
There has been a lot of talking about this incident. It's been covered by several newspaper, I don't want to go into the details of the event, I'm here to point out my feelings and opinion.
I am seriously disgusted by the disgraceful and unnecessary use of brutal force by the police. Nobody in that room was in danger of any kind. Meyer was charged with resisting arrest with violence -- a felony -- and a misdemeanor count of disturbing the peace. He was released without having to post bond Tuesday. Two minutes of questions do not disturb the peace of the room.
I have seen and read people who take either one of the sides. The very fact that it is even in doubt that the police was wrong deeply offend me. It is completely irrelevant whether he went too far 30 seconds with the question or what kind of question was it. He was exercising his right to speak and to ask a question. He wasn't violent, period.
The arrest triggered a vocal but peaceful sit-in Tuesday by about 100 students, protesting what they called an attack on free speech and Meyer's treatment.
One of them, Benjamin Dictor, called the arrest "an assault on reason itself."
"For a question to be met with arrest, not to mention physical violence, is completely unacceptable in the United States," Dictor said.
I couldn't agree more.
Comments
Prank??
I might not agree with how the officers handled the situation, but our local news thought of it as more humorous than serious and an article I read has this to offer:
"The student, Andrew Meyer, who was well-known on campus for his practical jokes, was Tasered after jumping the queue to ask Mr Kerry a series of questions in a Florida University lecture hall on Monday...
...Not everyone has sided with Mr Meyer. Critics have suggested that the entire incident was a planned attempt to win attention for a student who has already posted dozens of videos of himself on his website www.theandrewmeyer.com.
Indeed the video of the arrest was taken on his own camera, which he had brought to the John Kerry Q&A session.
Police claimed that Mr Meyer’s behaviour was very different when the camera was no longer rolling. One officer told the Associated Press that Mr Meyer asked, “Are you taping this? Do you have this? You ready?” before beginning his questions."
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