Hi! My name is: Katie
09-18-2007, 07:46 PM
Has anyone heard about or seen the coverage on the University of Florida student that was shocked by police officers at a Q&A with John Kerry? I've seen several versions of the footage, and I really don't understand why they were harassing the kid. Here's the breakdown:
Student asks a question. In order to have his question understood by the audience he had to explain some things about why he was asking the question. As he was explaining the question, police officers make their way to stand near him. He finishes asking his question which is kind of a three parter, or three questions depending on how you look at it.
As he finishes asking the question, the police officers start grabbing him. He starts to yell, asking if people can see what is happening. He asks why he is being arrested repeatedly. None of the officers seem to be responding, and I didn't hear them reading him his rights, though they could have been. He pulls away from them, and they begin to restrain him in earnest. He doesn't want to go with the crazy people in the uniforms that won't answer his question, but keep manhandling him... I sympathize, I'm not sure I would have wanted to go with them either.
Then you can hear one of the cops say something like "do it" and he begs them not to taser him then he starts squealing as if in pain.
The university has released a comment about the situation, and says that no students were harmed... he sounded like he was harmed, plus the psychological impact of having his first ammendment rights burned must really cause some pain. He's been charged with resisting arrest violently which is a felony, and some other lesser crimes. From what I saw in the University of Florida policy manual, the only crime he commited was disrupting the function by asking his questions. But, Kerry had told him he would answer the question, so asking it doesn't seem inappropriate.
The question is this, who is on his side? Who thinks he was abused at the hand of law enforcement officials? And, who thinks he should have shut up and taken a seat and minded his manners? And if you think he should have shut up, do you think he should have been forced to shut up with a taser?
I'm pretty sure this kid will sue their asses and end up not paying for his student loans. In fact, I kind of hope so.
Student asks a question. In order to have his question understood by the audience he had to explain some things about why he was asking the question. As he was explaining the question, police officers make their way to stand near him. He finishes asking his question which is kind of a three parter, or three questions depending on how you look at it.
As he finishes asking the question, the police officers start grabbing him. He starts to yell, asking if people can see what is happening. He asks why he is being arrested repeatedly. None of the officers seem to be responding, and I didn't hear them reading him his rights, though they could have been. He pulls away from them, and they begin to restrain him in earnest. He doesn't want to go with the crazy people in the uniforms that won't answer his question, but keep manhandling him... I sympathize, I'm not sure I would have wanted to go with them either.
Then you can hear one of the cops say something like "do it" and he begs them not to taser him then he starts squealing as if in pain.
The university has released a comment about the situation, and says that no students were harmed... he sounded like he was harmed, plus the psychological impact of having his first ammendment rights burned must really cause some pain. He's been charged with resisting arrest violently which is a felony, and some other lesser crimes. From what I saw in the University of Florida policy manual, the only crime he commited was disrupting the function by asking his questions. But, Kerry had told him he would answer the question, so asking it doesn't seem inappropriate.
The question is this, who is on his side? Who thinks he was abused at the hand of law enforcement officials? And, who thinks he should have shut up and taken a seat and minded his manners? And if you think he should have shut up, do you think he should have been forced to shut up with a taser?
I'm pretty sure this kid will sue their asses and end up not paying for his student loans. In fact, I kind of hope so.