I just watched the University of Florida student getting tasered and read the account of the falsification of the police report. I am appalled! The video indicates no wrong doing! The questions seemed appropriate and Kerry seemed willing to answer. The growing abusive police state in this nation must be contained! What growing abusive police state? The abusive police state that commands on of our military personnel, who put his life at risk to protect your freedoms, to stand up so the officer can shoot him. The students who sat idly by should have risen from their chairs when the officers stood threateningly behind the student. They should have made a human barricade and assured the freedom of speech that our forefathers gave their lives for during the Revolutionary War. How we dishonor them! Our government exists by the will of the people and if the government is stepping out of line then the people must step up! Besides, what’s college if you haven’t been arrested at a protest?
Easier said than done you say? I would have sat idly by also if I were there you say? You don’t know me very well then. All that said, I acknowledge that maybe there were other circumstances not conveyed in the video or the media that led to this event. Perhaps the student had an altercation with the police earlier.
As Naomi Wolf has rightfully pointed out, the tasering of Andrew Meyer will be remembered as a watershed moment in American history. That much is certain. The only thing that remains to be seen is how we, as Americans, react to it. Will we sit passively by while our Constitution and our Democracy are murdered right before our eyes?
…
The choice is clear: either we fight fascism right now with all our power, or we will be the next ones on the ground with a policeman’s knee on our throats and 50,000 volts of electricity coursing through our bodies.
[Source]
Update: Is that officer laughing?!
One thing that separates you from the students in that video is you have 5 kids and a wife to support. They can afford a few nights in jail.
The republic hasn’t fallen, the public is rightfully outraged, the cops will probably eventually get their due as will the UofF police dept. Nothing would’ve been served from the students defying the cops en masse.
Sorry, the quote at the bottom makes me roll my eyes. I just don’t see the “creeping fascism” around the corner, down the street or three towns over. I know a lot of people do, but the logic completely evades me how these will ever be anything more than isolated incidents. Regrettable, yes, and in need of attention but not so widespread as to imagine “the Constitution and Democracy are being murdered right before our eyes”…
I thought the quote a little over the top also but it seemed to communicate smirking chimp’s thoughts better than leaving it out.
I don’t think we are heading to a fascist state. I do see things changing in disquieting ways. The false securities that people seem so strongly to believe in like the security guard stopping every car at the school to ask the nature of our business. That’s a waste of his time and mine. Building fences instead of communities is a mistake. We protect our freedoms and way of life by living our way of life and teaching morales; by example! Not through legislation, monitoring, assumed guilt, and checking of papers.
I remember in college studying East Asian history and having a discussion about the rise and fall of dynasties. Historically, so the professor taught, dynasties have 200 years of prosperity followed by 200 years of decline. I have trouble not seeing the United States as a dynasty that is in danger of following that model if we the people are non-participants in our government.
Help Create Democracy 2.0
Week Released: September 17-21, 2007
The Millennial Generation, including myself, is interested in being an
active part of changing public policy. This interest led me to be a part of
Mobilize.org¹s Democracy 2.0 Campaign.
On July 4, Mobilize.org began the Democracy 2.0 project to call attention to
the ways that our democratic process and institutions are properly serving
and failing to serve the interests of Americans, specifically young
Americans. The purpose of Democracy 2.0 is to call attention to the main
problems of our current political system, highlight the distinct
characteristics of the Millennial Generation, and provide guidelines for
change to help cultivate a renewed political process in America.
Currently, our political system is trying to manage a 21st century society
with 18th century political institutions. Democracy 2.0 will upgrade our
current political system, empowering citizens to identify community
problems, propose solutions, be a part of the implementation of these
solutions, and change the way politics is done in this country.
To begin this endeavor, Mobilize.org asked a series of questions and
collected data from youth, ages 16-30 that will be reviewed and evaluated by
Democracy 2.0 Ambassadors at the Democracy 2.0 Summit on October 3, 2007,
with the intention of releasing the Democracy 2.0 Declaration of Our
Generation. The Declaration of our Generation is a short statement of
principles describing a citizen-centered approach to democracy. The
Declaration will focus on three themes: 1) What currently works and what
does not work in our democracy; 2) What defines our generation; and 3) What
Democracy 2.0 should look like.
The Declaration will call attention to areas in which the government is
succeeding and failing to serve the public interest, highlight the unique
and defining characteristics of our generation, and provide guidelines that
will serve as a call to action for American citizens to help create this
renewed form of democracy.
I wanted to mention this opportunity since every posting here has an
interest in this. Mobilize.org is looking for people who want to serve as
Democracy 2.0 Online Ambassadors to be a part of the drafting process. If
you have any questions, please shoot me an e-mail at brendan.chan@mail.utexas.edu.
Crap! I feel so young but I live in denial. Now there it is! In writing!
Doug is old! Don’t trust anyone over 30 because they always run. Good God they’re remaking it! (but runners are now 21)
It appears that the police report has been substantiated via eye witness reports. The videos that were posted at Youtube and other venues start after the lunatic behavior calmed somewhat. Also, another video clearly shows Meyer taking a swat at an officer just prior to being ‘taken down’
Maybe tasering was over the top, maybe not. I’m not a cop and I was not there. But I have wrestled with out of control maniacs and when in that situation, you use whatever you can to subdue them and protect yourself and your colleagues.
Like Barry, I don’t see the “creeping fascism” in this country. Not even close.
I’ve been told (unsubstantiated) that the student is a known harasser of visiting speakers which is why the police where on the ready with him. So there is a history. Perhaps the force was excessive and the tasering unnecessary but the students sitting by without much reaction could be a “he finally got what he deserved” reaction.
In the book of Logan’s Run the age limit was 30. In the original movie they changed it to 21. Or vice-versa, I don’t remember. Anyway, it’s not without precedent.
It will be interesting to see a modern remake, especially since the first one was steeped in that era (mid-60’s to mid-70’s-ish, pre-Star Wars) when almost all cinematic sci-fi was post-apocolyptic in nature. Planet of the Apes (+4), Zardoz, Barbarella (hah!). Star Wars switched the mind-set from depressing and little hope for the future to great hope and optimism (A New Hope!) that continued on for a decade or more. Now we see things shifting back that direction, especially with televised sci-fi like Farscape and BSG. It will be interesting to see what direction they take.
I’m looking forward to it! The costuming choices should be interesting too 🙂