UF student Tasered after questioning John Kerry

He wasn't cooperating with the cops. If they wanted to just slap the cuffs on him, they would have done so by the podium.

As to the arrest, he was looking for a reaction. It appears if he was asked to leave first and refused. He may not have even been arrested if he complied with the officers directions and left the podium when asked.

 

Who decides if he is a nuisance? Those with a view as to handle politics in a way other than he did? The greater force is not always the right one. Ask Hitler, or Luke Skywalker. The typical, good ole' American reaction to anything that's different is to snuff it out before it causes too many head to turn. The problem is, sometimes the opposite happens instead of letting shit run its course. If this guy was on his way to embarrassing himself, let him. If he was causing a disruption in a public gathering, so what? Who does it hurt? When you are at a Ravens game, how many Steeler fans do you taze when they boo McNair? This isn't any more significant than that. If he would have made a charge at Kerry, then yeah, taze the hell out of him... but he didn't. Whatever point he was trying to make got lost in his chosen method of tactics throughout the entire course of the forum, but come on, it's not like he was just sitting in the middle of a crowd screaming senslessly the entire time Kerry was speaking. He clearly wanted to be heard for a different reason or he would have done just that.

 

These aren't real cops, are they? Please say they're not.

They're these over-compensating university/shopping mall cop wannabes, right? Someone gives them a uniform and all of a sudden they're the fucking SWAT team.

I can't decide what'd be better: for the guy to sue their asses or for the university to fire them immediately for incompetence.

 

Correct! He is obviously part of the Moveon.org Kook left-wing conspiracy nut fringe.

Kerry won the 2004 election? Only TRUE nuts think that.

Guy was obviously pulling media stunt ala Cindy Sheehan.

My only Q - why didn't the cops use more voltage on that taser - lol?

 

The fact that he brought a videotaping partner and acted the way he did indicates that he went into this with the purpose of trying to stage some dramatic chaotic scene with him as the star, probably with the idea of showing himself to the world on youtube or the like.

Does that justify tasering him? No, probably not. The police were stupid to use the taser. But it does lessen any sympathy this guy might've been due.

 

"Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
e·lec·tro·cute /ɪˈlɛktrəˌkyut/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[i-lek-truh-kyoot] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–verb (used with object), -cut·ed, -cut·ing. 1. to kill by electricity.
2. to execute (a criminal) by electricity, as in an electric chair. "

He wasn't electrocuted. Don't build a straw man.

He didn't deserve to be tasered. But, by resisting arrest, he created the situation that led to it.

Electrocuted. Bah.

That's my opinion; you, all of you, have every right to yours.

 

The real question is: Under what circumstances is the use of pain compliance justified?

I personally think the bar should be set a lot higher. The kid was clearly resisting the officers but he was also pinned and I think at the point of the taser being used there was little to no risk of someone being hurt. Pain compliance is just a pc term for torture. In my mind it should only be used in extreme situations in which there is a legitimate risk of injury.

 

Note than none of the protestors from last week's Senate hearings with Petraeus and Crocker were Tased. Just dragged out.

 

George Orwell is somewhere laughing his ass off at the term "pain compliance".

 

In the future, there will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life. All competing pleasures will be destroyed. But always — do not forget this, Winston — always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face …for ever.

 

JR and I find rare common ground. That this situation couldn't have been settled by four cops escorting this geek out of the room is beyond comprehension. But anyone who has covered a major college beat and dealt with campus cops -- anywhere, at any school -- understands what a bunch of pricks these glorified rent-a-cops can be. If they weren't on a campus police force, they'd be working security at Wal-Mart.

 

Isn't that something like S&M?