ap38 Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 I can't get the video to work. But as for the use of a taser, it will get a resistant person to comply without the danger of "physical force". The use of a taser greatly reduces the chance of injury to the person and the officers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Yeah but this guy was already on the ground when they tased him. Watch the video ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singlestack Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 He got exactly what he wanted. And IMO, there is no first amendment violation here. Read it again. Amendment I 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Boudrie Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Most college campuses have a "free speech area" where students can go to protest or exercise their right to free speech I assume you meant to say "Most college campus have restrictions on the type of speech permitted unless they go to a designated area that limits the audience to a time and place of the administration's choosing." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbadaboom Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 (edited) The whole incident is discusting. When we accept things like this we allow the Government to use force to silence us. Whether or not 'you' agree with the guy, he was not harming anyone else through force or fraud and was exercising his freedom of speech against a political figure. Staged/planned or not. Since when does a badge give someone the right to put their hands on someone else just for speaking? We allow the Government to take away too many freedoms so that we can have security from being offended. We have given them the power to "ENFORCE" their power upon us. No previous post here changes any of this and I've read them all. I do not have to follow your orders just because you have a badge if I am not breaking the law, and all rules are not laws. This makes me sick for the future America that My children will live in. Edited September 21, 2007 by Bigbadaboom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFlowers Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Regardless of the reality of the situation, this guy and his "team" got exactly what they wanted.... a news clip showing a college student trying to get answers from a politician and being swarmed and abused by officers. Why do you think he was yelling lines like "What have I done? Don't Tase me!". Solely for the recordings. They set the officers up to seemingly "overreact" and got what they wanted. What do I think is going to happen? All Charges dropped and a quick settlement to make it all go away. And its use against Kerry if he becomes too big a threat over the next months will serve to keep it in the limelight. Now, like many of those here and a small portion of the rest of America, I have enough sense to look at all this and give it the 5 minutes of consideration its due. I find it hard to worry about the 1st Amendment implications when I am pretty sure the guy was baiting the officers. Guess he still have 10 minutes of fame left in his life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 I think they tazed the wrong guy. The guy on stage behind the podium needed it more.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhunter Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 I think they tazed the wrong guy. The guy on stage behind the podium needed it more.... +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 The tazer decresed the odds of someonne getting hurt and caused the person to complie with the less amout of force. It's kinda like posting the results for nationals on the wall in a small hallway leading to the only Bathroom. Sounded Like a good Idea until everyone shows up. OR Like being the a 10lb turkey at a thanksgiving dinner for 20 people. ----- "If its not a lawful order I dont have to obey." - you are correct but you may have to argue it from Jail or the hospital. But hey you were right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Political Theater. If you're at a meeting to ask questions, ask. If you run out of time, you're done. If the nice police officers ask you to step down because you've exceeded the time, get your sorry ass into the seats. However, if your intent is to make a big stinking mess of things, follow the script this fellow had. As for the tasering, and subduing someone, have you done it? I have. I had to subdue a friend who was drunk, agitated and (at least possibly) self-dangerous. The subduing was "easy." I have multiple black belts, and wrestled in High School. I could (barely) keep him on the ground for the fifteen minutes it took for the police to arrive. It took four officers, all 20-30 years younger than me, to get him up and out. In the process of "handing" him off they had to taser my friend, and since I was still holding on I got a bit of the overage. (Not the first time I've been tasered, and none of them "earned.") Let me tell you; when the charge is running, you do not go "ow-ow-ow." I doubt he actually got hit. The usual reaction is silence, with some few screaming like the zombies are eating their brain. He did the whole thing as a setup to get airtime, attention and maybe money. He suckered the police into over-reacting, carefully escalating his actions all the while protesting like a seven year old. Again, all political theater, for the cameras and attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPatterson Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 I think the punk got what he deserved. Other comments restricted to comply with forum rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhunter Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 I agree with Mr. Sweeney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Round_Gun_Shooter Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 I think they tazed the wrong guy. The guy on stage behind the podium needed it more.... +1 Light em up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 More than one there could have been tazed and it would have felt right to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scirocco38s Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Whether he was in the right or not, you cannot blatantly disobey the orders of a LEO. I have to disagree. If its not a lawful order I dont have to obey. Yes sir, I agree with you 100%. Maybe I should have said you "probably shouldn't" blatantly disobey.... But here is the rub. You have to be willing to pay the price. There may come a time in this country when I or others are forced to become "lawbreakers" because our constitutional rights have been trashed. At that time we will all have to make the decision to comply or revolt. Whatever the choice, you will have to decide if you are willing to pay the price. Thanks for disagreeing. My problem is I don't agree with public a$$holes. There are better ways to get your point across. FWIW dj And I agree that you have to be willing to pay the price, lawful or not. Problem is when we all are not willing to pay that price. At what point do we open our eyes? If this guy set this up then I say go taze him again. If he was just a citizen holding a political officials feet to the fire then its a sad day. I have to agree with Chuck on this also. Is the guy an annoying ass, probably. Does he deserve to get tazed because the Leo are a bunch of idiots, no. Does he deserve to get tazed because he's an ass, maybe. He deffinitely doesnt desrve it becuse he wouldnt listen to and Leo, probably 30-35% of the people in law enforcement have absolutely no business there, they dont either have the physical size necessary or the mental maturity. So they go and take classes and get (certified) doesnt mean a whole lot. The worst ones are probably the university and hospital cops because they are itching for a situation like this touse the toy of the month. I know this will irritate some of the Leo on this forum but most of the Leo's I shoot with could have handled this better, quick, and with less fanfare than this event show. If he set this whole thing up to make a point with John Kerry and wasnt threatening anyone verbally or physically, let him have his say and then let him either set down or leave. If he was threatening anyone there I didnt hear it. Overreaction to insignificant events are what the media and to a lesser point our government are about. You only need to watch the news 1 day a week to see what they are trying to accomplish. This guy was an insignificant bug in the grand scheme of things and by his and the others actions around him he had the media, police and the local govt over a barrell for a few days. Everybody overreacted and that was what the media feeds on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 What's that I see?? Is that Flex w/ his finger poised over the "Close Thread" button???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 What's that I see?? Is that Flex w/ his finger poised over the "Close Thread" button???? but we are discussing shooting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cking Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 (edited) I know the tag line is Taser me, but the Tasering really isn' t the issue here. I would much rather be Taser than billyclubbed or maced. I've experienced all three. I believe Tasering has the lowest risk of injury. Although it can be over done. The big point is freedom of speech, right to criticize a public figure, in a open to the public forum free from fear of goverment reprisals. Also it doesn't matter that it was staged, trust me no great planning was done by UFPD. Yes the UFPD was duped by a kid smarter than them, but he proved his point. The police are limiting our right to dissent! So what do I think should have happen. Kerry heard the three questions, kill the kids microphoe, answer his questions or decline to do so. Tell him to go to the back of line and wait for another chance to ask his questions. If he failed escort him out of building and let him go. Wow end of story no big video to sell, no court case, no embarassment for Univ of Florida. Many cops are victims of I'm in charge here syndrome, and will escalate rather than descalate a situation. The student used their weakness against them to prove his point. Situational awareness, just picture if this was a large demonstration, you could easily provoke a riot. I have seen the police do just that, a large crowd harassed by the police until someone shoves back. Now the police have there justification to wade in. Don't you remember Nixon convention, Martin Luther King marches. Wether you agree or disagree let them march, speak, pamphlet and protest. IT is our RIGHT! Remember when it got dangerous and black panther marched armed, let not get back to those days. Edited September 21, 2007 by cking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentlemanJim Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 A skinny little colege kid armed with a note pad...and a big mouth. Not your average drunk or dope head ..or garden variety criminal. I doubt he posed any real threat to anyone....and most likely had NO experiance with LE. Was it staged ?..could be!! I cant just jump on the band wagon with unquestioned support for the police (dont think they were real professional about it) I also cant dismiss the poor behavior of the kid and just look at it as free speech. This is clearly a situation where no one side has the high ground. But BOTH sides have valid issues. Situations like this tend to polarize people into two groups .....each holding his ground on some part of the issue. Both sides are right...and both sides are wrong. Please dont let this issue create a divide within our group...as it will elsewhere. This episode is a loss on both sides. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airic Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Most college campuses have a "free speech area" where students can go to protest or exercise their right to free speech I assume you meant to say "Most college campus have restrictions on the type of speech permitted unless they go to a designated area that limits the audience to a time and place of the administration's choosing." Google free speech area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 What's that I see?? Is that Flex w/ his finger poised over the "Close Thread" button???? Nope, that was me. It's gotten way too political at this point. If anyone has anything of value to add, please PM a moderator and we'll take it under consideration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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