Student Tasered at Kerry Speech »
Posted by: Poulenc 11 months, 3 weeks ago337 Comments Report this Story
A University of Florida student was Tasered and arrested after trying to ask U.S. Senator John Kerry about the 2004 election and other subjects during a campus forum.
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Poulenc11 months, 3 weeks ago
The guy keeps screaming, "What have I done, what have I done?" as campus cops restrain and then Taster him. What he has done is exercises his rights as a free American to challenge a politician in an open forum.
See the video if you have the stomach for it.
Jesus!
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SonOfTheMask11 months, 3 weeks ago
Free speech rights do not give you the right to be bellicose. If his turn at the mike was up and he continued on and on in a demanding manner and then got pugnacious because they turned his mike off (which is what various accounts have asserted), then the police have every right to step in and end a public disturbance. If he then resists the police officers, he's going to get restrained.
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Bkumm11 months, 3 weeks ago
I agree with you, to a point. I watched the video and it sure didn't look like he got wound up until they tried to take him without telling him what he did wrong.
Further, they waited until he finished. That strikes me as odd. Now, I wasn't there and I'm sure we don't yet have the full story, but from what I saw on the video the police were way out of line.
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lvrofwolves11 months, 3 weeks ago
SOM- did YOU watch the video?
I wonder how many other people wanted to stand up and 'ask' questions, after seeing what happened to that student???
I would have gotten up and left right after that...that was bull shi t.
I'm STILL shocked that nobody got up to help that kid while he was screaming for help. And you know damn well it wasn't because they all thought he deseved to be treated that way.
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UnusualSuspect11 months, 3 weeks ago
I agree he was becoming a bit agitated. But Kerry did say he wanted to answer his question, (even tho the student had several), and Kerry did try from the stage (and probably not being heard because of the yelling by the student) to calm things down.
But turning the mike off, dragging him off, cuffing him, and then, while cuffed yet, on the floor, they tasered him! All while 5 (count'em) officers had him on the ground!
The officers definitely over-reacted, the student did as well. But quite saddening for me was seeing other people in the audience just sitting there after he was tasered...some applauding, most just sitting.
Good thing he was the last student to ask questions...how many students there would have wanted to ask any questions, for fear of being tasered?
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injest11 months, 3 weeks ago
What I noticed was the Cops took the guy down just after he babbled something about cabals? Or secret societies? Something like that. I think that might be a "key" for security that this guys a nut case. Like him or not Kerry is a target for wackos. Not political wackos I mean "real" wackos looking for some fame.
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ZippySpincycle11 months, 3 weeks ago
The words "John Kerry" were in the headline. Therefore,John Kerry is personally responsible for everything within a 200 square mile area, right?
Look on the bright side--at least knothead didn't blame Clinton this time.
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injest11 months, 3 weeks ago
Sooo. . . the University of Florida security guys are on John Kerry's payroll?
????????
What are you smoking?
LOL, no what I am thinking was "security" who ever they are probably have guild lines to follow when their protecting a VIP. I don't think all those cops were in the audience for grins and chuckles.
Looking at the vid again it is clear that the cops moved on him when he asked Kerry if he belonged to the "skull and bones", I think the cops interpret that as this guy is a wacko and took him down.
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lvrofwolves11 months, 3 weeks ago
wow! I can't believe everyone else just sat there, some even looked bored. Scary to think if martial law ever came to be....what would everyone else do as people were being stopped from expressing their rights? tasered and led away. I think that was toally unnecessary force.
Would have liked to have heard Kerrys answer as well....
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Goppy11 months, 3 weeks ago
From us Christian Conservatives viewpoint - we say he got off pretty darn easy!!
Just last week, LordyLordy - one of us Christian Conservative members here on Netscape - commented on several threads that democrats who disagreed with GW should be investigated as treasonous - and shot!!!
See how we Christians have brought such a fun aspect to politics??!!
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SonOfTheMask11 months, 3 weeks ago
"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labour to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked where is the security of property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason, and experience both forbids us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."
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hyperbola11 months, 3 weeks ago
Whose religious principle? Whose "national morality"? The chosen people?
American Fundamentalisms
American Exceptionalism Meets Team Jesus
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174837/tomdispa...
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cherev11 months, 3 weeks ago
I checked out the video. The guy definitely resisted the police.
I thought if someone was tasered, they lost consciousness. That didn't happen here.
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questionseverything11 months, 3 weeks ago
in this instance the police gave the "punishment" to an innocent citizen (since we r ALL innocent til proven guilty) without benefit of arrest/trial or jury verdict
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catstevensComment removed: User banned.1 Reply
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Bkumm11 months, 3 weeks ago
Here's a Kerry comment about the incident:
""I believe I could have handled the situation without interruption," Kerry said in a statement issued Tuesday, "but again I do not know what warnings or other exchanges transpired between the young man and the police prior to his barging to the front of the line and their intervention."
"I was not aware that a taser was used until after I left the building," Kerry's statement said. "I hope that neither the student nor any of the police were injured. I regret enormously that a good healthy discussion was interrupted.""
What in the hell is wrong with our country?
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Bkumm11 months, 3 weeks ago
Kerry did say that, but that wasn't shown. I don't know about that. As I said, there is obviously more to this than just what we're seeing, but if he was that disruptive they (the police) should have found a way to deal with it before the guy got to the mike. It's all about diffusing the situation. I recall a line from the movie "Roadhouse": "Be nice until it's time to stop being nice."
Were they nice? Was there an attempt to do this in in a less disruptive manner? We really don't know.
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Poulenc11 months, 3 weeks ago
He's a kid! A twenty-one year old student, who in no way appeared threatening! His mike was cut off to indicate that it was time for him to stop asking his questions.
Yes, he continued to speak, undoubtedly because he felt that he wasn't allowed to finish. (At this point, Kerry should have insisted that he would address the guy's questions--insisted.)
The cops then proceeded to try to remove the kid bodily.
In the midst of the ensuing melee, and his screaming, undoubtedly brought about by anger and fear, he was asked for his ID. When he didn't produce it, the cops tasered him.
What's wrong with this picture? Or, what's right with it?
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AlphaGnosisComment removed: User banned.
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Bruedaddy11 months, 3 weeks ago
taser yourself then.
There is NO reason to do this to this guy. period.
people like you really ****** me off. Get off your high a$$ horse man and get behind YOUR rights.
Sometimes you have to YELL (not scream) to be heard.
With your attitude, I'd like to taser you for just breathing.
And I'll use YOUR mentality to justify it.
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DarkWizard11 months, 3 weeks ago
It is obvious that this out-of-control student was planted by terrorists and would have attacked Kerry and others if it hadn't been for the quick response of those courageous police officers. He's lucky he was only tasered and not beaten or shot. How dare this student speak past his allotted time! We have laws to protect citizens against such verbal abuse!
I'm surprised tasering isn't applied more often! Bill Reilly's show where they debate and go over their limit...taser! ESPN question and answer...they go over the limit...taser! CNN debates where they get out-of-control...taser. It's the law!
The police should be on hand for any and all debating events to protect the time limit law and taser when necessary. I mean, where do you people think we live?! In a country with a Constitution and a Bill of Rights?! You'd think we had freedom of speech or something here?! HA!
What gets me is that Kerry wanted to answer the questions and was interrupted by a tasering.
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dondukdunComment removed: User banned.
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Bruedaddy11 months, 3 weeks ago
yeah and Kerry pleads ignorant to the whole thing.
in the video you can see him watching during the tazing and certainly he could hear it.
what a jerk off. I'm really losing respect for this guy.
"I didn't know he was being tasered"...BULLSH!T
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1basque111 months, 3 weeks ago
I am very upset after watching this video. There is a big difference in disorderly conduct and what this young man was arrested for. This makes a person wonder about the mentality of the officers in this clip.
I am disappointed in Kerry for not putting a stop to this very clear police brutality.
Stop and think about how you would feel if this was your kid being treated in this manner over a simple question.
There is nothing RIGHT about it.
And yes it really pi***S me off.
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PsychoHosebeast11 months, 3 weeks ago
Florida seems to have a real love affair with the Taser.
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jordan1111 months, 3 weeks ago
Well, that was interesting. He's young, and he was going to say what he had to say despite Kerry trying to interject. When did that become grounds for dragging someone out of a meeting? The police obviously have few skills in dealing with overzealous 21 year olds. When did talking too much become grounds to be manhandled? And the female 'cop' didn't like it that he wouldn't 'calm down' and cede to her 'authority', so they tazed him? The police overreacted. Wonder what they'd have done if he'd belted one. Shoot him in the head maybe? Even more troubling is not one person came to his defense when they tazed him. Now THAT is scary.
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