'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Anon — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 12:48:40 GMT

I believe that this student was being unruly. It shows him cursing while questioning Kerry. As soon as the guards were trying to usher him out, he should have complied. Instead he fought while pushing and pulling to get away from the guards. This student was at fault!

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Kerry, Danville, IL — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 12:52:54 GMT

This idiot was looking for his 15 minutes of fame knowing he was at a televised event. I just switched off the Today show because you're giving him more than I feel he deserves.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Len Rogers — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 12:53:10 GMT

I think this is a real example of where U.S. citizen rights have gone under the Bush administration. Maybe there is a connection with Kerry & Bush. Our current Pres. has certainly shown that he is not above dishonesty after all. Maybe neither was kerry. I would like to know why the wimpy Senator did not call for the police to stop their actions. But then he did a pitiful job of addressing the swift boat nutcases over his medals. Power & fear do not mix. I mean really five or six police against one unarmed man speaking his mind??? Oh yeah taser!!!

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Renee' Micanopy, Fl. — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:09:16 GMT

I support the police 100%. I do believe that if they had used the oppropriate level of force and restrained this guy and escorted him out effectivly from the begining things would not have escalated to to the point that they did. He should not have been able to struggle free flalling his arms about, ect. He got taserd because he refused to comply to the police. We have given police this kind of authority for a reason. When things go wrong and someone is able to hurt others we complain that the police didn'[t use enough force. Let them do their job, let this be a message that we should learn to respect the police and and understand that they will do what they have been trained to do to keep us all safe.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Todd Rountree, IL — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:20:37 GMT

I find it funny that people can somehow blame our administration and President Bush for the actions of an unruly student. Every action and reaction of everyone involved in the situation was a direct result of the descions made by Meyer. The only sure thing that can be said from watching this video is that Meyer had the power to stop the confrontation by complying with the Officer's lawful order. I believe the Officers involved showed great restraint in the incident. The descion to use multiple Officers and the Taser demonstrated to me the Officers not wanting to cause bodily harm to Meyer. Meyer refused to place his arms behind his back. The only other option other than the Taser would have been the use of physical force, which most likely would have caused injury to Meyer or the Officers involved. Watching Meyer leave the jail with a smile on his face and no injuries proves the use of force was not excessive and the taser usage more than appropriate.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

JudyT — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:20:55 GMT

I felt all along that the student was at fault. Then I heard that he is known for video-taping his "pranks" for which he is well-known on campus. This was purely a bid to get attention, and he certainly has done that. Stop reporting it and he'll go away.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Mark Villareal — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:21:54 GMT

I really wish you guys would stop saying that this guy was tased while he was asking the senator a question. He was tased after he was asked to leave for using profanity and acting disorderly in the presence of the senator. It has nothing to do with his freedom of speech, it's a like of discipline and respect on his part!! You aren't pointing out the fact that during the whole video not once does he comply with the officers. I have been in corrections and law enforcement for around 7 years, and I would have done the same thing those officers did. He could have said OK officers I will leave calmly and quietly and without incident. He didn't!! He got what he deserved for noncompliance. What should have happened if he complied with the officers, the officers would walk behind or on the side of him not having to touch him, but he freakin' didn't and you people want to crucify the officers for doing their jobs. How were they supposed to know what this guys intentions were?!?!? Did have any weapons?!?!? How much of a danger is this guy to the senator and people in this room?!?!? Not once have you guys mentioned those things!!! I don't particularly care for that senator, he's abit more dry than some of the others that I have seen in public, but that would not prevent me from showing a little more respect and self discipline for the man. And, above all, if I am asked to leave by law enforcement I am going act the way this guy did and act like I dont know why I am in trouble.

By the way, I have watched the show for years, and I have truly enjoyed you guys in the morning. This particular subject is a strong subject for me because I have been in the business of taking care of the people society doesnt want, and we all seem to get held to higher standard with media and the public. But, there aren't necessarily droves of people lining up to do the jobs of officers and corrections officers. In this case, the officers are being turned in to the bad guys and they were just doing their job. Remeber somebody had to give them that order. Why dont you find who gave the order and ask them why they wanted this guy out of the room?

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Brenda Cassell, Virginia Beach, VA — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:27:36 GMT

Tase this boy again!!!! He was unruly and undisciplined....a fanatic....No Manners....when you're in a question/answer forum...you ask your question...you wait on an answer...then you sit your behind down in your chair....This kid is a senior no less.....what an example

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Marrisa, Decatur, Il — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:31:05 GMT

Why give this guy any news time? It is clear he was wanting the attention. What do they expect the police to do. Know if this guy had pulled out a gun and started firing They would have been saying the police did not do enough.

Lets here about some real news like the Jena 6. Why are they not reporting that.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Josh Brandsma — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:38:20 GMT

How dare the media attempt to portray law enforcement as "too forceful" in this incident? The only mistake I think the police made was not deploying the taser soon enough. In a situation like this, you have an unruly subject, acting like an idiot, causing a disturbance that could very easily get out of hand. He was ordered to stop resisting and when he didn't comply, he should have been tazed, handcuffed and escorted out of the room. PERIOD. End of story. I see more and more police "hesitant" to use the necessary force to acheive the end result because they are under the microscope way too much and face negative publicity like this. Police should not have to think "how is this going to look" when they deploy their tactics. They have to make split second decisions on a daily basis and are trained to do so. Let's give them a break. This man was a complete idiot and caused a disturbance, not to mention resisted arrest - another crime. Police had every right to use their batons on him as well. Would this guy rather have a broken arm or leg over this ordeal? Wake up people.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Julie, Clearwater, Florida — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:04:09 GMT

The bottom line is that this guy used profanity in questioning the senator, which shows complete disrespect. There has to be a line drawn and he was a perfect example of what wasn't going to be tolerated. He got what he deserved by being removed, however, with that amount of officers, they couldn't have cuffed him instead??

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Portland, Maine — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:24:06 GMT

The media is playing into this guy's hands. He might as well have written the script for networks that are portraying him as an innocent victim who did nothing whatsoever. His grin resembles OJ Simpson's....both of them smugly getting the attention they want. Meanwhile, the media has no time for real news.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

william brown,chicago,Illinois — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:47:28 GMT

Andrew Meyer seeking attention He was attacked by the police.which part of unconstitutional you don't understand.what law did he break.william from Chicago

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

N. Commenator, Tucson, AZ — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:01:01 GMT

I truly find it difficult to have any sort of compassion for this young man. The footage we have seen is very straight forward. This person crossed a line in public behavior that brought on consequences, and he was apparently very willing to escalate things to ever greater levels.

I don’t care if the event is a Church Bake Sale, when our behavior at a public event draws the attention of any law enforcement or security personnel for that event, we are obligated by definition of ‘Law & Order,’ to abide by the instruction of these authorities. That is a crucial part of the very core of our society.

When we encounter law enforcement personnel, and are given specific instruction, we should follow that instruction. IF WE HAVE AN OBJECTION TO THAT INSTRUCTION – that is an issue we can take to a court of law, but at the time, we should still follow their instruction.

This person has since released a statement affirming that his intention was to essentially hijack the purpose of the University’s ’ event, and make it a forum for his own wishes. This is not an allowable scenario. That would be like going to the opera only to have some guy stand up with a bull horn and start into a political rant. Wrong thing – Wrong time – Wrong place.

With the ease of using the internet today on UTube , MySpace, and the rest, as an avenue for our stating our thoughts and ideologies, these childish displays of public misbehavior really shouldn’t be tolerated.

This persons’ behavior was akin to that of a spoiled little brat, and he should take the punishment for his actions, move on, and grow up.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Kevin, San Francisco, CA — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:32:25 GMT

The campus police completely mishandled this situation and used excessive force on this student. There is never sufficient reason to use what is essentially a torture device to maintain the peace. Police in this country are becoming less skilled in the job of maintaining law and order and more dependant on toys: tasers, Terminator-esqe body armor overkill, and other high tech weapons that spell out pork for the manufacturers of such products; money that could be well-spent actually "training" police officers. Lastly, it never fails to shock me to hear my fellow Americans advocate the use of such barbaric methods of restraint upon their fellow citizens. What "values and way of life" do we supposedly feel are threatened by the terrorists, again?

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Rachel, Chicago, IL — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:46:35 GMT

You are all missing the point. He knew what he was doing. Yes, he wanted attention, maybe not the taser. Everyone is focusing on whether or not he should have been tasered. As the columnist wrote Meyer was trying to make a point (You can infer that from his blog) unfortunately none of you seem to get what that point was.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Tom R. Albany, NY — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:05:24 GMT

TO all you "mild Mannered" citizens: I ask you, if our democratic principals would have been graciously given to us, if it were not for Irate and verbal confrontation to the powers that be? The individual did NOT physically attack anyone. and while I do agree in those settings as we have all seen, it is always a possibility, but the video I had seen clearly indicated he was not a threat to any audience participant, JK or four..four....policemen! This guy was not on a drug enraged tirade. Our Constitutional right to freedom of speaech was clearly under attack . Wake UP!

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Dean,Dallas,Texas — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:16:39 GMT

I like how everyone is ignoring the the statement he said "LET ME GO AND I WILL WALK OUT" Definately excessive force with the taser 5 trained cops can't cuff 1 guy what is he The HULK? c'mon people wake up
I won't be suprised if the police investigation shows
that they used thier new rights granted under the The PATRIOT ACT! I have seen abortion arguements escalate verbally way beyond what happened here without any police involvement. Stunt or not The student Freedom and rights were violated and that must end in this country. The message from this video is clear do not speak out. Fear your freedom of speach! be mindless sheep and do not question your government! When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

J, Phoenix, AZ — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:44:27 GMT

I cannot believe that everyone here is supporting the fascist police state in this instance. This individual was being obnoxious, rude, causing a scene, and generally being an a$$. And he meant to do it. That does not give the police the right to assault him. He reacted in such a way any individual being assaulted by a gang of thugs would react. He resisted! Did anyone bother to mention the fact that he told the officers that if they would stop assaulting him he would leave? It's clearly audible on the videos.
Where were the others in the audience? Sitting and watching like dull-eyed cows while the thugs with badges assaulted this man. We are so scared of authority that we would have done nothing until after the fact if the cops had shot him in the head in front of the whole crowd. This is the very definition of a police state! The government should fear its people, not the other way around. These cops, clearly assaulting someone could have been calmed down by someone sitting in the audience getting up and objecting while it was happening, the kid would have left, and the situation would have been over with. Instead, the cowboys with their us-and-them complex assaulted an unarmed man who was simply trying to stand his ground against authority figures abusing their authority. Kudos to Andrew!
According to the police report, resisting arrest with violence is tantamount to one of the six officers experiencing pain in a toe. Give me a break! How about the burn marks from the Taser and the wrenched out of socket shoulders and being slammed on the ground that he received? Is that not violence?
This kind of herd mentality dependent upon the government to decide what's best is the very reason that this country is subject to our liberties being taken away every day by the federal government. It matters not which party.
Personally, I completely disagree with Andrew Meyer's politics, the politics of the droning robot John Kerry, who has proven that America did the right thing by not electing him President, and the politics of the current administration. Just because someone's politics is opposite yours or because they're being rude and causing a scene does not mean that they no longer have the rights afforded by the first amendment to do such a thing. This situation could have been handled better by all parties involved, but that still does not give the police the right to assault someone on the premise of their "inciting a riot". Funny. I saw no riot. I totally support any lawsuit that results from this situation. Those two cops who caused the problem (not the other four, they stepped in later and all they saw was the struggle) were way out of line and deserve to be at the least suspended WITHOUT pay.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Marius, SJ, CA — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:13:25 GMT

For all of you who believe the police did the right thing and he was creating trouble. For all of you who support the Police State. Here is something that was written by wise people who were able to think outside the box you placed yourselves in:

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.
Pastor Martin Niemöller

When they will come for you, who will be left?

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Michael, Jersey City, NJ — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:17:29 GMT

Everyone is missing the point. What happen to our civil liberties? What exactly did the kid do to deserve being tasered? It’s called free speech. I could have gone up and asked Kerry what color underwear he was wearing if I wanted to, its freedom of speech. Wake up America!

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Barbie from Rhode Island — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:28:58 GMT

This kid was a loose cannon just waiting to explode. He went in there looking for a confrontation and I applaud the police for getting him out of there before anything worse could have happened. Hello? Have we all forgotten Virginia Tech?????? Who knows what could have happened.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Gail P. Buffalo, NY — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:38:37 GMT

Abuse of power, plain and simple. Taser WAS NOT necessary. Six officers could have eventually walked Andrew Meyer out. (Have you ever been in a confrontation with 6 against 1?) Plus, this is a young, male, college student; this is the time to ACT UP in life!! And I, for one, would have liked
to hear John Kerry's response to the questions!!!!

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Rudy, Oregon — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:44:10 GMT

I hope all you people applauding this tasing, someday get tased. Where I work, a student brought a taser into school and tased a couple of other students. In one of the student, the tasing resulted in serious chest pains and the student ended up missing a considerable amount of school. The student who tased was expelled and charged with using a deadly weapon. So, if you think tasing is some appropriate choice in an incident where an unarmed student is just being beligerant, then all I have to say is fine, I hope it happens to you and I hope you realized that tasing is over the line.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Phil Yust, Wichita, Kansas — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:46:28 GMT

Had this been a Republican speaker with an opposing student's questions/views...nothing would have happened, except shouting the speaker down or a pie/egg in the face. Ask Ann Coulter and others who have tried the "free speech" policy on our supposedly open forum state university campuses. The young man was not out of control...the police were. Kerry, himself, said, "I will answer his questions." Open debate, free speech, tolerance(?)...more like socialistic ideology.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Jeremiah Patoka, Austin TX — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:52:23 GMT

Wow, the fascists are out in full force on this website! Apparently asking uncomfortable questions "in the presence of a senator" is now a reason to be arrested.

He asked three questions, 1) Why did Sen Kerry concede the election when there were irregularities, 2) Why does Kerry not support impeachment, and 3) does it have anything to do with being a secret society member alongside three generations of Bush family members?

At the point when his mic was cut (there were no cursewords, as if that is justification for arrest), the cops immediately used force to remove him from the hall. The use of force at that point was excessive and a citizen has the right to resist illegal use of force. Then he was handcuffed and taser'ed while restrained on the ground. That constitutes torture.

I don't care if he was "rude" or even intentionally drawing attention to himself. HIS QUESTIONS ARE VALID, AND ONLY FOOLS WOULD FOCUS ON HIS ACTIONS AND IGNORE THE IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT HE WAS ASKING KERRY TO ADDRESS.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

jay blazek — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:05:52 GMT

He'll get big bucks now, a la Rodney King, plus statement he wanted the world to hear and the recognition he craved. Get out the check book U. of F., Shapiro, Dershowitz and Johnnie Cochran are on the line.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Joanne Deutch — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:06:33 GMT

The whole incident was very confusing. I'm not sure the motives of the young man , was it to get on "YouTube" or was he really trying to make a political statement. Sally Fields after winning her Emmy the other night, made a political statement and was cut off just like this young man. But I didn't see the police rushing her and shooting volts into her body. I can only hope that it was a true political statement and not done to get his name into 15 minutes of fame. I do feel sorry fror the campus police who i don't think were trained to handle these types of events which happen all the time on campus's around the USA. Perhaps, they need more training about what to do, such as, just let the speaker carry on until the person who is the high paid speaker answers him.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Nathan Hunter, Ottawa, Ontario — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:30:01 GMT

Am I the only person who heard Kerry say 'I want to answer his question'? He did ask a question (however 'pointed' or 'rude' it may have been) that was very pertinent to both the speaker as well as hopefully the audience (and presumably the nation). Unfortunately, it isn't surprising that the same news media who mysteriously did not want to investigate or question the voting irregularities in Ohio would be more focused on the type of person he supposedly is, rather than the questions he was asking.

It truly is incredible, how a nation that once prided itself on democratic principles, and a free and open society could turn out to be so rotten, corrupt and unconscionable at it's upper echelon's of power in both the public and private sectors. The only thing more incredible, is how little most of its citizens seem to care.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Joe Safety — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:40:41 GMT

The first time one of those campus police touched him it was assault because he didn't break any law by asking Kerry those questions. He had every right to resist because the police were not enforcing a law. The student asked many times while he was resisting their tyranny, "Why are you arresting me? What did I do?" The police serve the public. It's not the other way around unless you actually break a law. Goodbye Bill of Rights, Hello Polie State 2007

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Roman, Belton, TX — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:43:29 GMT

Only ignorant naive decadent little children believe that this clown's rights were in some way violated. His point, no matter what it was, is utterly irrelevant. The fact that the organizers of the event cut off his question is irrelevant. What is relevant is that he resisted arrest and refuse to comply with lawful instructions from a police officer. He should be convicted of a felony.

Tasers are not "torture devices." Tasers are non-lethal incapacitation that leave no lasting effects on the target.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Roman N. — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:55:53 GMT

We have cool “Don’t tase me, bro!” T-Shirt to celebrate American freedom of speech: donttasemebro.cc

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Robert, Los Angeles CA — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:56:25 GMT

Believe it or not I think that there is a middle of the road approach to this issue. First lets look at the entire situation. His question was more of a comment that turned into a longwinded three part question. At this point he is being rude but nontheless has the right to freedom of speech. At this point almost simultaneously the police grab him and Senator Kerry says in the background,"its ok I'll answer the question." To me this denotes that he sees the police presence behind Andrew and that he is basically telling the police look I know the guy is a dick but I will humor him and answer his question and get the event wrapped up. At this point the police begin to escort him out, regardless if he says "i'll come with you if you let me go" the police just cant go ok sure no problem mister and take the chance that he runs off and could possibly harm someone. Its been proven that Andrew Meyer is a showman and loves to get his opinion out to anyone that will hear him, and has no problem using unorthadox methods to prove his point which I think he has done here. At this point he could have very well easily walked out escorted and been done with it but he RESISTS!! Its no different if he saw a pitbull and knows that its dangerous, decides to poke it in the face with a stick just to see its reaction, eventually it will fight back and you wont like what it does when it does. You can clearly see and hear in the video that they tell him that if you dont stop resisting that he will be tazed, he resisted a good 30 seconds of squirming before they did it once. Giving someone due process and telling them of what is happening to them before it happens without cooperation is not a police state! We do not live in a country where if we say something about the government we are locked up and never heard from again. How do you expect to maintain law and order without punishments, rules, or discipline? No society can function without them in this time and age we need them more than ever. To think that people can say whatever they want about whomever they want in this country and they dare to say our country is oppressive. To those people I say that you are an embarassment to be called an Amercian citizen. We have more freedom and rights and privledges than ANY other country in the world and you still complain. Its truly pathetic that we let a 22 year old wanna be Johnny Knoxville encapsulate our entire attention instead we could use that positive energy into more important things like improving the standards of our work or our countries infastructure!

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

M. Boley — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:56:44 GMT

You fools have all been had.

Yes, this was staged and Meyer proved his point: most people really are suckers. You all fell for his stunt and now you all look like complete idiots for doing so.

The cops fell for it by Tasing a nonviolent person, all those who recorded the chaos fell for it because of its supposed' entertainment value', Kerry even fell for it because it made him look even more impotent, and ESPECIALLY the media fell for it because this story is still being covered with tabloid-like fury - just like the Anna Nicole Smith hoopla and Paris Hilton with her chihuahua. Once again, you fools would rather concentrate on this story rather than the REAL issues.

Nice going there, Andrew. You get an 'A+' from this professor.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Marsela, San Jose, CA — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:57:13 GMT

it's a shame on democracy...
hey let's always use the taser... extra word - taser, extra step - taser... It wont be a democracy, it 'd be darkest timeof the world...

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

M, Minnesota — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:00:51 GMT

My respect lies with the security and police officers who have an obligation to restore order to a situation before it escalates. It's easy to make a judgement after the fact. Andrew Meyer is another example of obnoxious behavior that has become acceptable to many people. It was rude to both the speaker and to those in attendance. Stop making excuses for him.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

None Of Us Are Free, U.S. — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:27:33 GMT

"All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others."

Read the above comment rules by MSNBC and ask yourself why the press is afraid of free speech too.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Brian Glass, Austin, TX — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:47:07 GMT

We should all be as fired up about politics as Andrew Meyer! Back to the street protests, hunger strikes and hardcore street tactics that have shaped this nation for the better.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Jason, Rockville, MD — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:49:17 GMT

I am a criminal defense lawyer in Washington DC, and I hope that doesn't taint my comments. But, there is no way I can sanction this kind of police action. This kid was asking legitimate questions, and that's not grounds to have him removed from the building. It appeared from the way he was speaking that he would never have raised his voice if the police didnt attempt to remove him from the microphone. If he asked four questions instead of the allowed one, it's only because these are IMPORTANT issues.

Regardless of my approval of his pre-"arrest" actions, the police should NEVER have tased this man for refusing to leave the building. He was asking questions of the government. This case just reeks of the same type of political fraud that has plagued our system for the past seven years, and even though these police clearly had no idea what they were doing, they should really come off as the bad, bad guys this time. How can they sleep at night knowing they've set back our political system? How can we now possibly convince our children that they have a voice in government?

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Jan Frouman, Framingham, MA — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 23:00:39 GMT

Call me shallow but I just think it's funny. Especially when someone says don't tase me, bro. There's a funny t-shirt based on it on t-shirt hell's website. to me that's what's important.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Brian Bernfeld Miami Fl — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 23:08:36 GMT

i think this kid was unruly but they shouldn't of "tased" him. i think that those things could kill someone. the police went over board in what they did when John Kerry was in the back round saying i am happy to answer his question. the police once again went too far.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Juan, Los Angeles, CA — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:13:40 GMT

He was subdued. They tased him. Police brutality, end of discussion.

Also, being "unruly" is not a crime. There's this (rather irrelevant) document called the Bill of Rights... you fascists should look it up, just for kicks.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Z, Stl, Missour — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 02:31:22 GMT

I see a lot "facist", "Police-state" because one boy is fighting for what he believes in and behaved BADLY? Last time I checked, there are people DYING for things they don't even believe in and those are our soldiers. I'm sure everyone is forgetting it just used to be Guns and nightsticks. The taser is an alternative so no one has to bring a bodybag to mommy when your child refuses to be removed from property that is NOT his. I'm guessing though, since it's all about his first amendment rights, everyone has forgotten about trespassing and inciting a riot.

And also, America pioneered police-states/facism and "tearing away" rights. Let's not forget about slavory that CONTINUTED even after the costitution and the "freeing" of the United States. And oh yeah the sweet consentration camps in the US for Japanese citizens during WWII. Hmmm, more rights taken away, America doing that? No way!

And also, I believe you forfit your rights when you don't use them properly and when you use them to break laws. You can say whatever you want, but there are classifications of wrong doing with your words, Purgry, Slander, and things like that. If you speak your words in which they take rights away from other people, you have to face the consequences. I think I remember a black woman saying, "no, I won't give up my seat." And was persecuted for doing NOTHING wrong. In the case of Meyer, the moment he darted back to the microphone, was were he messed up. No one was tasering him because he was talking trash. He was being hostile and possing a potential threat. But hey, if you guys like stuff like v-tech happening all over again, then the cops should have let him do whatever he wanted.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

S. Dunn Cola, SC — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 05:22:15 GMT

Even if it was not his full intent to do so Andrew Meyer has made us all think about our freedoms and whether or not they are being threatened. I personally think they are. It is an unfortunate truth, but people will trade freedom over security any day. And then one day we'll all wake up and look back on the days when we had a right to assemble, a right to say "this isn't right", and the right to lift our voices in protest (no matter how rude or ineloquent they may be).

The boy was on the ground. With 6 cops around him, one who was strong enough to lift him from the ground and carry him towards the door. A taser? I mean really? And on the note of wanting this to just "go away" what better thing to debate and report on then our freedoms, our rights, things that makes us who we are? What would you rather see on the front page, Brittany Spears and her child custody battle? Because that is really what matters in life.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Karl, Jonesville, North Carolina — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 05:50:48 GMT

I've seen 2 different views of this "scene", and the student is pretty much ignoring anything that the security asked of him. He resisted from the start all the way to being tased. He was tased while on the ground but was still resisting and still not completely subdued or handcuffed. I believe that it was in everyone's best interest that the student was tased and escorted out. The main reason being that John Kerry is an ex presidential candidate and security should be at it's best in that case alone. This student could have be a distraction for something else terrible yet to come for all anyone knows.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

jonahtrainer, J.D. — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 05:51:55 GMT

On my blog I do a detailed legal analysis under Florida law of the issue:
Should the UF police who attacked Andrew Meyer on Constitution Day be tried for Attempted Murder?

http://pleasedonttasemebro.blogspot.com/

Read the blog and vote.

As far as what he should have done? http://FlexYourRights.org has a great instructional video, BUSTED, you can find on YouTube. In my opinion, every citizen should be thoroughly trained by that video. Would make my work defending alleged criminals, like the officers or Mr. Meyers, a lot easier.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Marco Giordano, San Francisco, California — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 08:25:42 GMT

The Fascist response to this is stunning. All those who blame Andrew for exercising his 1st amendment right are Un-America and may as well tattoo the Swastika on their foreheads so that we free people and true Americans will know who the enemy is. Kerry drowned himself in shame and extinguished his moral credibility in this life and any afterlife as have the knuckle-dragging fascist slaves who've not come to Andrew's defense. Welcome to Stalinist Russia, Mao's China, Hitler's Germany, Tojo's Japan, Mussolini's Italy and the squalid, reprehensible, criminal and inhuman state you belong to. Would that your mothers had not borne you.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

N. Cola, GA — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 09:19:08 GMT

a rebel for 15 minutes of fame. a south park kid playing the role of left wing nut bag gets electro shock therapy and achieves his plan. peter gabriel says, "sometimes you got to shock the monkey." "don't tase me, bro!" becomes a confused talking point about nothing.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Raul — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 10:07:50 GMT

I have nothing to say , very amazing!

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Emucentral , Melbourne Australia — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:29:21 GMT

Taser gun, police brutality, 5 police against one protester, arrest on charges of "inciting a riot".

Just what we'd expect in communist China.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

jenifer campbell — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:15:42 GMT

have you people heard that someone made a dance mix?

<a href="http://www.myspace.com/revolucian">Don't Taze Me Bro Dance Mix!</a>

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

daytona beach — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:34:49 GMT

sue the police under "freedom of speech ..."
"freedom to rally..."
unlawful police abuse exsisted here and alterneative mthods would have applied such as "letting student voice opinion."
period. fgood luck bro!

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Joe Justice — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:56:06 GMT

Kerry is a coward! The rest of the audience acted like sheep!

This givernement is slowly establishing a police state. They are constently testing our threshold.

STAND UP. DON'T FEAR THE GOVERNMENT. THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD FEAR US.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

kevin lynch,shirley,ma — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:06:59 GMT

The student was excited, he should not have shrugged off the police. Tasering him was uncalled for. This is still America isn't it?Or has Bush suceeded in his quest of a dictatorship?
The student had legitimate questions on why Kerry did not further look into the illegal voting practices of bush supportors. The company that runs the electronic voting was found guilty in civil court but for some odd reason the governor decided against pursuing criminal actions.
It is about time that these polititions start answering our questions!!

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Michael W. Paschal, Dyersburg, Tennessee — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 01:47:47 GMT

Small minds understand small concepts. If he had simply gotten up and asked his question, it would have been answered, and the answer would have meant generally nothing as far as effecting change. He did not only draw attention to himself, he drew attention to his questions and, hopefully, it draws attention to the subject matter. Yeah, and he wanted to enjoy a little bit of fame. Publicity stunts also have value. So what? Good job, son. Dare to challenge the lazy minds of today's youth and the comfortable minds of out elected politicians. And good for you, Sentator Kerry. You were a radical in your youth throwing your medals over the Whitehouse fence. You attempted to answer the man's questions even while the police were dragging him to the door. You are both winners. The Police? They were doing their job and helped to create the senationalism this young man needed to draw attention to himself and his questions and to the fact that it does not take much for the media to froth at the mouth over events, such as this one, which really hold little importance compared to war, starvation, and other much more important problems which continue to plague the world.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Dylan, Middle Of Nowhere, New Jersey — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 04:40:42 GMT

To anyone who felt he was "resisting arrest"

Please show some proof of the crime he committed, and then I will humbly and gladly kiss your feet.

"An illegal arrest is an assault and battery. The person so attempted to be restrained of his liberty has the same right to use force in defending himself as he would in repelling any other assault and battery."
State v. Robinson, 145 ME. 77, 72 ATL. 260

"Citizens may resist unlawful arrest to the point of taking an arresting officer's life if necessary."
Plummer v. State, 136 Ind. 306."

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Bro McBro — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:27:34 GMT

Right on, bro! Look how many uptight freaks post here about how "unruly" or uppity this guys was. Hey, guess what, bros? Public discourse isn't always organised, lame and pretty. Tough questions need to be asked at times, and tough answers must be coaxed out from the nitwits we seem to enjoy electing time and time again. America was founded upon questioning authority and limiting the power opf the hubris-filled power junkies by giving the people more rights than the politicians. Get over it. Deal with it. And maybe you should try to get a little involved yourselves once in a while, bros.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Scott Kenelly — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 15:16:52 GMT

So, tasers are no longer a "non-lethal alternative" I guess. It seems, by what I've been reading here, that police officers believe that tasers are a "tool to subdue anyone who resists them." I think otherwise. I belive that if a single cop is trying to subdue someone, and they are unable to, and the criminal may get away or physically harm that police officer, then the use of the taser may be warranted. I DO NOT believe it is O.K. for police to be torturing a person in order to cause them to "submit voluntarily, facing similar continued torture."

Tasers are not SUPPOSED to be torture devices, but apparently they have become legal turture devices that police are "allowed" to use. It is wrong for them to be used this way. Just like it is wrong for a police officer to shoot a man in the back to prevent him from getting away, it is wrong for six police officers to taser a unarmed man who they already have on the ground.

The fact that they were soooo incompetent that SIX of them could not get the handcuffs on the guy just proves how untrained they are. The university is at fault as much if not more than the cops, because they did not prepare their security force properly.

I think that Andrew Meyer should win a serious law suit against the university.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Trey, Dyersburg,Tn — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 07:58:38 GMT

Wow I Can't believe the number of people that have commented on this story that don't believe in the right of free speech. I don't care what demographic you belong to after watching several different films of the same incident (The one on youtube is best because it shows the entirety of Meyers comments)the only AMERICAN response is to support Meyers. I wonder have a majority of you people ever been to a Q&A with a national politcian. These guys who would aspire to a public life of leadership should be asked hard and even embaressing questions. The true test of a leader isn't during the good times but rather when the chips are down, and after Meyer asked some decent questions and the police attacked him Kerry failed to act. I would have expected more from a storied Vietnam activist.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

omg — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 19:13:08 GMT

he was asking 4 attention, but there were more than enogh officers to carry him out without the tazer thats ridiculous,.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Dan, Toronto — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 20:51:30 GMT

all i see on this video is that taser really works. Unfortunatlly, tasing is the only way to get some ppl civilized. Hippies in San Fransico want to make an anarchy and call everyone a fashist who wants to live in civilized society.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

OC, Sonoma, California — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:47:51 GMT

This was a rational and reasonable response to a premeditated and extended disruption of a legally sanctioned event. We have laws and no one should be allowed to cause a ruckus at the expense of all of the other people that came to participate civilly. Had he been respectful and not fought officers for several minutes he would have been allowed to leave.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Paige Mehlhoff, Salt Lake City, Utah — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:31:41 GMT

I don't understand why this student was not allowed to ask his question. He may have been phrasing it very rudely and the senator might not have wanted to hear it, but this was a question and answer time. He barely went over 1 minute when they cut him off and ARRESTED him. He wasn't doing anything but voicing his opinion in an open forum. This really shouldn't have escalated this far within 5 minutes. At any point was he given rules of what to talk about or what level his voice should be? Was he asked to be nice or nicely asked to leave? Why resort to violence?

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Nancy Sepulveda-Higgins — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:06:41 GMT

I would like to commend this young man for his comments on the show. This boy took the time to read a book, process the information, question it, and look for answers. Did he go about it the right way? That is yet to be seen. It seems that has learned from his mistake but did he really make a mistake... In today's society where anything goes and in a culture that glamorizes lifestyles of the rich & famous, I really don't know that he made a mistake. After all, how else would he get the attention that he felt his questions deserved.

After listening to him during his brief interview, I applaud him for taking responsibility for his actions and tryng to shift the focus off of the tasering incident. Too often we get caught up in the drama that the media plays up and it appears that this young man is still looking for answers to the questions he set out to get the day of the forum. And for that alone I commend him. The manner in which he conducted himself today has now sparked my interest and would like to know the nature of his questions.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Edward Friend, Pflugerville, Texas — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 05:49:27 GMT

He broke the law! He was disrespectful and showed no regard or respect to a senator of the United States. How is this little child's outburst attributed to the Bush administration? I he broke the law and he broke the rules. As soon as he started fighting with police, they had every right to subdue this law breaker. There are times and ways to get your point across. Acting a fool does not help your cause, the saddest cause, if well put and timed has better leverage than a temper tantrum. I hope he acted that way in court, which I know he did not!

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

Dan, Philadelphia, PA — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:36:06 GMT

It is insane that people are blaming the student here!! How is anyone "at fault" or "being unruly" when they are asking a politian a question. It was a direct and difficult question, but he had every right to ask it. In fact his right to ask it is protected in our constitution...though it seems that the police officers and a few people who posted here haven't read that document.

'Don't Tase Me, Bro!'

William, St. Louis, MO — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 18:37:29 GMT

He did not break any laws when the police first grabbed him. He was being rude with his question, but Kerry said ill answer the question as he was being dragged away. There was absolutly no reason to tase him with 5 officers pinning him down. brutality plan and simple.