Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Your Government at Work

Try to watch this without getting sick to your stomach.
(Longer version available here). Thanks to Thy Goddess for the heads-up.

9 comments:

TheVillageIdiot said...

Tell us what you really think. Your comment to view without getting sick leaves me (at least) clueless.
Do you mean we should be sick of the abuse of authority. That even campus cops can harass and violate ones right of free assembly. I guess the uniformed officers were university police, although I could be in error.
Or, should I assume you are offended by a "gadfly" disrupting an open meeting Q & A to pursue his own agenda. Was he (the victim) forming a statement as a question to get his Warhol 15 minutes.
I don't know! I have been a spectator and a participant in meetings where both of those scenarios happened, and I am offended by both.
If, in fact Sen. Kerry wanted to respond, as the video seems to imply, then shame on the organizers for not interceding. Even, or "especially" - after the shoving started.
However, if the student ? ? ? he had no student ID, had used his time allotment and refused to yield the microphone, even becoming loud and disruptive. And if, in fact, order was being lost . . .
Then isn't it the obligation of the monitor and security to restore order?
I DON"T KNOW. Facts, even eyewitness can be skewed. Tell us what you think, and don't be so cryptic this time.
SRN

Archaeopteryx said...

VI, I'm mulling over a post on the Andrew Meyer situation (just because we need one more opinion on the matter). Until then, let me be clear--five police officers dragging a student out of a public political forum and tasering him is disgusting, unAmerican, and unforgivable.

nemo said...

What a performance. He's a whiner and deserved what he got.

Archaeopteryx said...

Nemo--thanks for expressing your opinion, even though it's wrong. Don't worry, though--I won't taze you, bro.

TheVillageIdiot said...

That's more like it!
I like your writing style. I like almost all of what you have to say . . so far.
I remember the mid 60's at San Francisco State when S. I. Hiyakawa (then president of the college) allowed his campus police to do the very same thing. They used batons back then.
And then there was Berkley, et al. And then there was KENT STATE.
So even though I've not been around the activist youth for many, many years, I still remember.
I only hope I'm still able to be disgusted and appalled.
I only hope I haven't let my age and cynicism insulate me.
I just don't know all the facts. I haven't heard the other side of the story.
However . . You are clear. And for that, I thank you

Catnapping said...

As far as I'm concerned, those cops should be charged with battery and torturing.

Archaeopteryx said...

VI--I was thinking the same thing. The government isn't making the same mistake they made in the sixties--today they beat down any opposition to their evil war before it gets out of hand.

Cat--Amen.

nemo said...

You're going to all turn out to be wrong. This disruptive whiny baby has a reputation for this sort of activity. Who in the hell has the right to interupt a speaker? If it were a Q and A session that would be different. Get off your liberal pity pots and see the truth. Shock him again!

Archaeopteryx said...

Nemo--

A) It wasa Q&A session.

B) Being a big whiny baby doesn't negate your First Amendment rights. In fact, it's only people who have unpopular or irritating opinions who need First Amendment protection.

C) I think it's odd that you think protection of First Amendment rights is only a "liberal" point of view. I know lots of conservatives who jump up and down and get quite offended when their First Amendment rights are abrogated. Lots of folks seem to be upset if they're not allowed to wear Christian t-shirts or jewelry to work or school. Some anti-choice groups seem to think their freedom of speech is important.

D) If you think calling me "liberal" is an insult, or is in some way hurting my feelings, you're confused. I couldn't be prouder to be liberal.

Thanks for commenting!