John Kerry as Much to Blame in Florida Incident as Police
Maybe those swift boat veterans for truth were right. John Kerry sure didn't look like a Silver Star winner with his embarrassing inaction when Andrew Meyer, in a scene that looked like something out of the novel '1984', was being manhandled by cops for (God forbid) using his right of free speech and questioning an elected official.
If you watch the video closely, the cops, who should be jailed, first tried to pull him away from the microphone when he asked questions about voter disenfranchisement in the 2004 election. It is a very good question, one that one of the so-called policemen (aren't they suppose to "protect and serve"?) obviously didn't want to hear. If you have read any of the reports in Ohio on the 2004 election, you wanted that question answered. It was legitimate, and Meyer, as a journalism student, should be applauded for asking it.
Next, he asked about impeachment for Bush. Is that really out of line? Many people in the nation share those sentiments. Should I get a taser shot if I dare express those feelings in public? That is not the America that I want to live in. Has this society gone so far that expressing dissent results in brute force by our "protectors"? Has the United States of America turned into a police state?
Meyer then asked about Skull and Bones. Without hesitation the police were there to apprehend him. The scariest thing is some of the comments condoning the police force and their actions. I imagine patriots like Samuel Adams, a known muckraker, is rolling over in his grave. That John Kerry, who was elected to protect our Constitution, did nothing to help the student is a bigger breach of ethics than anything that Larry Craig did in a men's room.
Comments
Resist the Man! (anti-christ christian-fascists)
I agree. The cops overreacted and acted badly. And any respect I had for Kerry is completely gone now.
I have to say that for this to happen when a conspiracy theorists questions are being asked of an official is about the worse thing that can happen.
Here's my view to all you christo-fascists republicans who lie down with anti-christ storm troopers and the illuminati bushites.
"Each person has the right to resist an unlawful arrest. In such a case, the person attempting the arrest stands in the position of a wrongdoer and may be resisted by the use of force, as in self- defense."
(State v. Mobley, 240 N.C. 476, 83 S.E. 2d 100).
Senator Kerry
Please, the senator did nothing wrong or inappropriate. This was a police matter and the Sentor address the officers and asked that he be allowed to finish his question and Kerry would answer it.
My guess is you would of found any excuse to bad mouth Senator Kerry who is bound like us all to respect the law.
luckily, most people are more resonable than yourself and can consider all the facts before condemning someone.
"Each person has the right
"Each person has the right to resist an unlawful arrest. In such a case, the person attempting the arrest stands in the position of a wrongdoer and may be resisted by the use of force, as in self- defense."
(State v. Mobley, 240 N.C. 476, 83 S.E. 2d 100).
That is a great comment. Thank you. Its shameful that people in auidence allowed that to happen too.
And it makes me ill that I voted for Kerry. He actually could've won the 2008 election if he would have jumped in and stopped those idiot cops. What a campaign video that would have been.
Arrest???
Who said he was being arrested??? The cops just wanted to get this idiot out of the building.
FOLLOW THE WHOLE STORY YOU FOOL
Don't you know how to read - Of coures they arrested him to cover their butts for using the Taser for no reason - He didn't threaten anyone !!!! Keep up with the results of the story IDIOT !!! NOW THEY SHOW BE SUED for "Police Intimadition and Excessive "FORCE" AND I WOULD HELP FUND Mr Meyer !!!! If they didn't have tasers would they have SHOT HIM -- I susppose you think they should have ----
You're the fool
The guy was an agitator and an actor dying to be on Youtube. He was arrogant and disuptive and he did it on purpose. He SHOULD have been arrested. Free speech has its place but so does "DISTURBING THE PEACE AND PUBLIC NUISANCE."
Big Deal
He continually resisted the police and got what he deserved. The idea that the police should go to jail over this is utterly hysterical. This jackass doesn't have a right to go on some wacked-out diatribe without being asked to stop. He was asked to leave the microphone and he refused.
It looks like these college
It looks like these college students know more about the freedom of speech than you do:
Get Real
Spare me the 60's free speech crapola. Meyer's had his chance to question Kerry, chose to act like an deranged child and was politely asked to stop by the cops. There are reasonable parameters that people asking questions are asked to abide by during a town hall meeting. Meyer's refused to honor those requests and he lost his chance at your precious 'free speech'. Were they supposed to let this boob ramble on for hours? What about the other people wanting to express their 'free speech'? And don't they have a right not to have to listen to some insane person
This guy is a complete moron. It doesn't surprise me that the anarchists and SDS are whooping it up in the video.
Read This Over
You need a refresher course.
BTW: This country was built on "rabble rousers".
Amendments
Read the first one over slowly and repeat until you "get it"
* First Amendment – Freedom of religion, speech, press, and peaceable assembly as well as the right to petition the government.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
* Second Amendment – Right to keep and bear arms.
A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
* Third Amendment – Protection from quartering of troops.
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
* Fourth Amendment – Protection from unreasonable search and seizure.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
* Fifth Amendment – Due process, double jeopardy, self-incrimination, private property.
No person shall be held to answer for any capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
* Sixth Amendment – Trial by jury and other rights of the accused.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district where in the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.
* Seventh Amendment – Civil trial by jury.
In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
* Eighth Amendment – Prohibition of excessive bail, as well as cruel and unusual punishment.
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
* Ninth Amendment – Protection of rights not specifically enumerated in the Bill of Rights.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
* Tenth Amendment – Powers of states and people.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
he got exactly 34 seconds
he got exactly 34 seconds before they tried to pull him away you douche :)
no he got forcibly removed
no he got forcibly removed illegally. Period. You should not bee arrested for asking a 1 min 34 second question. WAKEUP!
Does not have the right to
Does not have the right to go on a rant? It is in your American Constitution that he does. FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!! They could just turned off the mike and that would have been the end of it. I think the guy asked questions in a bone head way but does that constitute being tasered? If you answer yes buy your first ticked to North Korea because you fit in real well with their policies...
Re: Does not have the right to
While I do completely agree to you about this man's rights, and the rights of every American, they did in fact turn off the mic. The student comments about it in the video.
That aside... I don't really like Democrats OR Republicans, but yes I feel like this man was mistreated by the police.
The court case about resisting unlawful arrest should be enough to at least suspend those cops, instead of giving them a paid vacation.
Also for the record, sure the guy was being a jackass and I was a little annoyed with him too, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have the right to be heard. From what I saw, he wasn't breaking any laws, even though they (at least tried to) charge him with a felony.
Shame on you too, Senator Kerry, for not speaking up on this issue. You are a SENATOR, an elected official to speak for the American People. Grow a spine and speak out!
"Those who would sacrifice freedom for temporary security deserve neither." - Benjamin Franklin.
"Dissent is the Highest Form of Patriotism." - Howard Zinn
"This jackass doesn't have a
"This jackass doesn't have a right to go on some wacked-out diatribe without being asked to stop."
Actually, he does.
There are two components to this situation. Firstly, violation of Freedom of Speech. You may not have liked what he had to say, but he has every right to say it. The fact that they brought in officers to apprehend him for asking provocative questions is frightening.
Secondly, police brutality. If the student had just walked with the police without resisting, this would have just been one of many acts of unconstitutional censorship that slip by under the radar every day. But no, the student resisted. He broke the law by resisting arrest, and in doing so did a great piece of public service to our country. He gave an enourmous amount of attention to the issue of freedom of speech, and police brutality (he was tased after he was cuffed. That is definetly not by the books, especially since it was 5 on 1).
Also, people are now saying that he is a known trickster, and was just trying to get attention with these questions. To that I say, that might very well be true, but I don't care. The constitution protects his right to do that too,
-abby s.
John Kerry had nothing
John Kerry had nothing whatsoever to do with this fellow's gripe, or his decision to be belligerent toward security. If a fight breaks out in the mosh pit, you don't get to sue Metallica if you get injured. The idea that Kerry should have done more than remain calm in such a situation is preposterous. How was Kerry or anyone else supposed to know whether this obviously hostile individual was carrying a weapon? Bashing Kerry for some kind of imagined inaction is idiotic beyond measure.
And yes, the tasering was wrong, but again, that's between Meyer and police and university officials. John Kerry had no input whatsoever into how this moron was handled. BTW, you might want to point out that Meyer had arranged a rally for himself the very next day, and his website was refreshed while he was in custody. So it seems like Meyer went out of his way to guarantee that he'd be arrested, and he calculated correctly what it would take.
When you see an injustice
When you see an injustice (escpecially in a authority position), it is your duty to stand up and do something. If you fail to see that and believe that this was somehow "staged" than this country is in worse shape than I originally thought. The kid did nothing wrong. If Kerry just said "lay your hands of him, dirtbags!" the cops would have listened. Instead, like a robot, he answered Meyer's question first question.
Would they have shot him if they didn't have Tasers ????
SOMEONE REALLY NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS AND IT SHOULD NOT BE THE POLICE THEMSELVES.........
che vergogna
Ragazzi vergognatevi, avete scoperto il vero volto dell'america.
Liberate quel ragazzo e arrestate quei poliziotti!
Saluti da Roma
Since when do Police
Since when do Police officers get to decide when your time is up? If it were a simple case of "this guys gone on too long," then it's up to the people in attendance to deal with the trouble maker at the microphone. The fact that somehow it's become acceptable for the cops, again FUCKING COPS, to referee a public forum to the extent that they would force someone from a microphone physically is what is so shocking to me. Police are supposed to be our SERVANTS, to protect our RIGHTS, not to referee public discourse, whether you're shouting at John Kerry, or George Bush. When cops begin deciding who gets to talk and who doesn't, NO MATTER THEIR VIEWPOINT, I think its good proof that we are living in a fascist state.
"This jackass doesn't have a
"This jackass doesn't have a right to go on some wacked-out diatribe without being asked to stop."
Actually, he does.
There are two components to this situation. Firstly, violation of Freedom of Speech. You may not have liked what he had to say, but he has every right to say it. The fact that they brought in officers to apprehend him for asking provocative questions is frightening.
Secondly, police brutality. If the student had just walked with the police without resisting, this would have just been one of many acts of unconstitutional censorship that slip by under the radar every day. But no, the student resisted. He broke the law by resisting arrest, and in doing so did a great piece of public service to our country. He gave an enourmous amount of attention to the issue of freedom of speech, and police brutality (he was tased after he was cuffed. That is definetly not by the books, especially since it was 5 on 1).
Also, people are now saying that he is a known trickster, and was just trying to get attention with these questions. To that I say, that might very well be true, but I don't care. The constitution protects his right to do that too,
-abby s.
There are limits to freedom of speech.
I'm guessing you understand this basic concept. Freedom of speech is not an argument that is going to help you if you post threats against the life of the President.
When you go to a function like this, there are generally rules set up to allow as many people as possible to have the opportunity to ask their own questions. Naturally, not everyone is going to get that chance, but without basic ground rules, that number would be even larger. It's actually pretty simple. If you go to hear a guest speaker, and you have the chance to ask questions, be civil and mindful that there are others that want to ask questions.
If a person fails to adhere to these ground rules, they are going to be asked to leave. If they don't do so, well then they run the risk of being tasered by the police.
It is every citizen's duty
It is every citizen's duty to resist false arrest
There is no such crime as "resisting arrest." This is a fictitious crime dreamed up by law enforcement to accuse a citizen of a crime when they refuse to surrender to the illegal demands of the police.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on numerous occasions that resisting a false arrest is not merely a citizen's right, but his duty! In fact, the Supreme Court has gone so far as to rule that if a law enforcement officer is killed as a result of actions stemming from a citizen's attempts to defend themselves against a false arrest, it is the fault of the officer, not the citizen.
"An illegal arrest is an assault and battery. The person so attempted to be restrained of his liberty has the same right to use force in defending himself as he would in repelling any other assault and battery." (State v. Robinson, 145 ME. 77, 72 ATL. 260).
"Each person has the right to resist an unlawful arrest. In such a case, the person attempting the arrest stands in the position of a wrongdoer and may be resisted by the use of force, as in self- defense." (State v. Mobley, 240 N.C. 476, 83 S.E. 2d 100).
Not one person attempted to rush to the aid of Meyer who was screaming "HELP! HELP ME!" Do individuals have the right to come to the aid of another citizens being falsely arrested? YES!
"One may come to the aid of another being unlawfully arrested, just as he may where one is being assaulted, molested, raped or kidnapped. Thus it is not an offense to liberate one from the unlawful custody of an officer, even though he may have submitted to such custody, without resistance." (Adams v. State, 121 Ga. 16, 48 S.E. 910).
And on the issue of actually killing an arresting officer in self defense:
"Citizens may resist unlawful arrest to the point of taking an arresting officer's life if necessary." Plummer v. State, 136 Ind. 306. This premise was upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States in the case: John Bad Elk v. U.S., 177 U.S. 529.
http://www.newstarget.com/022041.html
Law for Dummies
It's hilarious reading the hysterical morons attempting to cite the law as justification for this idiot students right to infringe on other's free speech rights. If you're scratching your head right now, you don't have a mind for law (and reason). This bozo, aside from being completely wrong in the premise of his psuedo questions, got exactly what he deserved (and probably wanted). Grow up, children.
So says the know-it-all 14
So says the know-it-all 14 year-old. We should all pay attention.
So says another know-nothing lefty moron
8 years of law practice, 35 years of common sense. Like I said, you people don't know what you're talking about. You're just hysterical idiots.
Pot shots
What's up with all you folks with strong comments who hide behind the anonymity of "guest"? Would you say the same things if we were sitting eye to eye, person to person? Just wondering.
I was very much disturbed
I was very much disturbed seeing police surround a
law abiding citizen exercising freedom of speech at a
public meeting. So what if he asked more than one
question! Many times if one person gets the floor, he asks questions for his associates.
To handcuff a student and then over and over taser
him is way beyond the authority of police regarding this incident. Hopefully, an independent group will
investigate and it will never happen again.
Those police need to be fired immediately for over-
reacting. John Kerry needs to be held responsible
for not objecting to this treatment. I would like
to see him brutally thrown to the floor, handcuffed,
and tasered over and over, and subsequently arrested
for the many lies he has told using freedom of speech.
In my opinion, we need to have a constitutional
revolution which will get rid of all the parasites
in Washington, and put real honest people at the head of our government. People who will not tolerate a police state; but will bring us back to the great country we once were.
it was excessive force:
it was excessive force:
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=17450
John Kerry Florida University taser speech!
I hold John Kerry responsible for not stopping the arrest and tasered student from being terrorized and brutally treated in a Natzi style act of the police. It just showes that no one is safe today in our fascist society. The Florida student had the right to his questions of the senator,but was denied his Constitutional right of freedom of speech in A public place! John Kerry should have come off that stage to the defence of the student to protect his Constitutional rights,if anyone had the power it was he that swore an oath along with the police the same oath to defend the people of the United States Of America. I also hold the other students responsible for not coming to his aid when he repeatedly yelled for help many times, and they just sat there as did Senator John Kerry watched these thugs
as he was taserd,screaming and yelling not to taser him. It was if I could fell the pain he was sufferig from his out cry of which no one came to his deffence. I am ashamed of John Kerry and his behavior as a public servant,the police, and the students. What a pitty we have such gutless servants taking an oath to defend the Costitution and do nothing at all,the very one that has the most authority in that room! What a testamony to the people of this world how an elected senator conducted his authority, it is nothing but a preview of how he represnts his constituants.
A very good question?
This prima donna asked Kerry why he conceded the 2004 Presidential election based on what was written in a book published in 2006. Since you thought it was a good question, I won't assume you'll notice the problem right away. I'll give you a hint, look at the dates.
From there, he makes a nice transition to asking why Kerry isn't pushing to impeach Bush. I'll try to answer this one for you. It could be because the Democrats have very little to gain, and potentially a lot to lose. The Democrats could probably impeach Bush, but at the end of the day, they don't have the votes to remove him from office. So, at the end of the day, Bush will finish out his term. Instead of keeping the focus on the Bush administration and his failed policies, they'll turn the attention onto themselves and their push for impeachment. The full ramifications of their actions may be felt on the next election day when they find the Republican base, not necessarily voting for Republicans, but voting against Democrats because they have an axe to grind.
The Skull and Bones question? Isn't it already assumed Kerry was a member of Skull and Bones, and because it is a, and this is important, a "secret society," members don't really talk about it? I'm sure Meyer was going to tie everything into a nice bow and draw the connections for the audience. Hmmm... Bush and Kerry were both members of Skull and Bones, and because of it, Kerry didn't contest the 2004 Presidential election, and that's also why he won't support impeaching Bush.
Meyer was their to draw attention to himself, not seek answers. I'm glad they cut his mic off and asked him to leave. It potentially left more time for serious questions being asked by others in attendance. If every Andrew Meyer were allowed to ask insipid questions to guest speakers, you'd never get anything meaningful from them.
As for the taser, he essentially asked for it. Had he finished up and asked his questions, he probably wouldn't have been asked to leave. After he was asked to leave, had he done so peacefully, that probably would have been the end of it. He didn't, so the police decided to arrest him. Had he not resisted, he wouldn't have been taken to the ground and eventually tased. "What did I do?" Seems pretty obvious, but I'm sure you believe that's yet another "good question."
USA - New Police State
I find this situation eerily similar to an event that occurred in Russia at the time of the Kursk tragedy.
One of the mother's of a Kursk crewman was speaking out against the Russian government and railing against them in a public forum for inaction and, essentially, letting the Kursk sailors die without even trying to save them.
When the woman became too bold, a "government official" snuck up behind the lady in the middle of her tirade and administered something via a syringe that quickly silenced the woman.
Can this happen in America...it just did.
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