What do you think of the man that was tasered during John Kerry's speech?

Question

Personally, I think it was completely out of line. If you didn't hear about it, here's a video about it.


http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=18371987

At first, he was just asking a few questions, and Kerry didn't want to answer it. So, the guy got to asking "too many" questions. So it all goes down hill from there. I am ticked off at what happened. He was using his free speech a little too much. That's a load of crap. Well, don't criticize me on my opinion, I just want to know what other people think. So, plz answer, Thx. God Bless. <3

Answer 1

He had his time to speak and he had many opportunities to shut up and walk out when his time was done but he chose to be obnoxious and resist arrest. He had it coming.

Answer 2

Meyer went overtime with his questions; nevertheless Kerry offered to answer. But as soon as Meyer mentioned "Skull and Bones Society," the cops grabbed him. Is this a coincidence?
Meyer was acting like a jerk, not giving others a chance to ask their questions; nevertheless he wasn't posing a threat to anybody, so I don't know why so many cops couldn't control him without the taser. He resisted arrest (he seemed to be asking for arrest) but he didn't offer violence to anybody. Didn't these police have any training in "come-along" techniques? Why did they resort to the taser? It seems rather extreme.

Answer 3

His time was up and he went over it, but kept acting like he owned the forum. He deserved what he got.

This was NOT a free speech issue. There were rules to follow and he broke them. Loudmouth spoiled rich little brat.

Answer 4

I am a UF student and I am protesting this guy's arrest/charges mostly because you should never let police get away with uncalled-for brutality. Whatever Meyer's motives, the taser wasn't needed. I think the police made a big deal about something that was just, at worst, an annoying, loud student. They crossed the line. The tasing was completely unnecessary. Plus, there is the free-speech issue.
In the police's defense:
a) They were keeping the peace (or at least trying to). John Kerry had finished taking questions when Meyer insisted on asking his, and going on a mini-rant. When the fascists cut his mike, he started yelling. Police came to escort him out, and he sidestepped them, still talking.
b) security was already really tight and alert levels were high for UF.
c) He "resisted police" when they were trying to remove him, and then when they tried to arrest him. Although he never swung at them, or presented physical danger, or aggression, he pulled away, and did not want to be taken.
d) Meyer was being pretty freakin annoying. He was loud, impassioned, and pretty rude.

In Meyer's defense:
a) He didn't actually DO anything, I think. Sure, he was a little loud and was hollering, but who gets arrested for hollering? They called it "trying to get others to riot". Yeah, not really. That's a total stretch. The police should have stayed back until he presented some sort of threat that went beyond "annoying people."
b) The tasering was RETARDED. He was already on the ground, handcuffed, with like five cops sitting on him. He was yelling, "What did I do? HELP HELP. What did I do? Can someone do something? They're arresting me!" Then they tasered him for like seven seconds, when he was SO already subdued. It really freaked him out. He thought the cops were going to take him and kill him or something. He was freaked that they were giving him to the government. I think he was taking himself waaay to seriously there, but after being tasered, I don't think he was thinking rationally.


My bottom line/opinion: Andrew Meyer is a rabid, radical, and obnoxious child who put too much trust in the so-called right to freedom of speech. He should have sat down and shut up when the police came up to him and let Kerry try to answer his question. The cops just made the situation worse, and should NEVER have tased him. He was already subdued. It was totally police brutality and I think it trampled some rights. Everyone involved was in the wrong
Most of the students I have spoken to at UF are pretty hacked off and freaked that the UPD would overreact like this. Bad choices all-around and as a uni, we are sorry to see it happen.

Answer 5

Listening to his (student's) comments of "Oh my! What's happening?" etc. I think he planned the episode in advance not so much to embarrass Senator Kerry and give fuel to vacuous critics but more to get himself on national news programs.

He is/was a journalism student with a very bad reputation.

His comments sound like they came from a Japanese cartoon.

Answer 6

I think the police were there only to keep order in the place...and he was out of order.

Answer 7

My son attends the University of Florida where this took place, he said the guy definately did not deserve to be arrested, it seemed politically motivated, but then instead of going peacfully he put up a fight and kept trying to run, so while he did not deserve to be arrested to begin with, he did earn the tasing.

Answer 8

He's playing it nice for the camera but uses the words 'at the protest' right at the end, which sheds some light on his motives.

Answer 9

they did it to prove something to kerry.

yeah, that they are over zelous power hungry fool's. good going cops. at least now kerry know's that the police need improvement.

i dont know, would you be impressed is someone was tasered for you?

i dont think so

Answer 10

Funny as hell and he deserved it. He was disrupting the peace and would not stop or go peaceable with the cops. I don't see anything wrong with that.