An Enlightened American Response To Student Enquiry

[Guest DissipatedYouthIsValuable]

Story and video

Coming soon to a country near you?

[Harry Sacks]

Yep, land of the free!

I like how his fellow students jumped to his help rather than sitting there like sheep on heavy medication.

[BTLlivingthedream]

Yep, land of the free!

I like how his fellow students jumped to his help rather than sitting there like sheep on heavy medication.

Ive seen a number of these tazer vids. It seems obvious that these are used less to disable a potential threat rather than used to discipline a member of the public that refuses to immeadiately obey the policeman. In other words, do as I say or i electrocute you.

[Guest DissipatedYouthIsValuable]

Yep, land of the free!

I like how his fellow students jumped to his help rather than sitting there like sheep on heavy medication.

Ok, so he was a bit heated, but hardly a terrible threat to an accomplished orator.

I'd like to know the answers to his quite interesting questions.

[OzzMosiz]

Are they going to bring Tasers in and have a go at Jon Snow when he's interviewing politicians for the Channel 4 news next?

[Krackersdave]

No offence but the smart a$$ was just grandstanding. Perhaps his equally smug GF was in the crowd and he wanted to impress her on the chance he might get some action.

The renta-cops shoulda given him a quick boot inna nads as a keepsake.

[Thread Killer]

That was completely unjustified a use of the taser. The guy was in custody and handcuffed.

I think he should sue the police for at least $50000 and if he doesn't get it then be prepared to find the officer who used that taser gun and break his jaw.

[Guest xeouialp]

Only in America

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1770

[RichB]

It was interesting - almost carbon copy of a library incident a few months back.

What I find particularly interesting is if you find a good sized thread discussing it (eg the many on ubube) where a quite amazing number of people think it is justified either because he was 'obnoxious', or not doing what he was told, or its better than being shot or having your leg broken. ??!

It seems very strange to me that although doormen in the UK are able to get drunk and or extremely violent people out of clubs and pubs with relatively little hassle that these cops are shown time and again to be unable to do so. They seemed to have gone straight for head on conflict rather than handling the situation in any calm or professional manner - granted we do not see the whole runup to this.

Tasers - coming to a police force near you this year.

Frightening.

Btw - anyone remember the first gulf war - or kosovo - and the 'torture chambers' where people were treated to electic shocks and cattle prods? It was outrageous then - but this seems to be generally fine with a broad section of the public.

I really do worry about where we are heading on this.

[Solvent Celt]

To my mind that was a wholly inappropriate use of force by the police. I hope he sues their arses off.

The police rapidly escalated the problem when the sensible thing to do was to de-escalate it.

What on earth was the point of tazering him when he was already on the floor and in handcuffs?

The guy should have been asked firmly by the chairman to kindly return to his seat and allow the speaker to answer his questions.

Surely better to have a half hour of robust interruption than this debacle?

[symo]

Land of the free? Whoever told you that is your enemy.

[Solvent Celt]

Land of the free? Whoever told you that is your enemy.

Well at least he wasn't taken outside and shot.

Citizens of the US are certainly freer than we are. None of your rights are guaranteed by a written constitution. The government can take away your "rights" any time they choose and there's jack $hit you can do about it.

[RichB]

Well - they were, but the patriot act fairly rapidly sorted that out.

[Solvent Celt]

Well - they were, but the patriot act fairly rapidly sorted that out.

I thought that the courts had ruled certain parts of the patriot act were unconstitutional vis a vis freedom of speech. That's the advantage of a constitution.

Here the government would just slap a D notice on you, serve you with an ASBO or some gagging order. No constitut is going to protect you.

[Justice]

America now has a dictator and this type of action will only increase in the future.

Wait till they get RFID's that give you a shock !

[RichB]

I thought that the courts had ruled certain parts of the patriot act were unconstitutional vis a vis freedom of speech. That's the advantage of a constitution.

Really? I had heard they were being challenged, but didn't know that they had been judged. Got any more details on that?

As for the cat ds... well. We have a propaganda machine the likes of which the nazis would be jealous.

"My dear brothers, never forget, when you hear the progress of enlightenment vaunted, that the devil's best trick is to persuade you that he doesn't exist!" - as Baudelaire said long ago.

Full translation here for those who are interested: http://www.piranesia.net/baudelaire/spleen/29joueur.html

[Solvent Celt]

Really? I had heard they were being challenged, but didn't know that they had been judged. Got any more details on that?

As for the cat ds... well. We have a propaganda machine the likes of which the nazis would be jealous.

"My dear brothers, never forget, when you hear the progress of enlightenment vaunted, that the devil's best trick is to persuade you that he doesn't exist!" - as Baudelaire said long ago.

Full translation here for those who are interested: http://www.piranesia.net/baudelaire/spleen/29joueur.html

The first case was brought by the ACLU on behalf of an anonymous Internet service provider. Judge Victor Marrero, a U.S. District Judge in the Southern District of New York, struck down the entire NSL statute on Sept. 29, 2004, saying "democracy abhors undue secrecy." In the ruling, the court said that the unlimited gag imposed by the NSL law violates free speech rights under the First Amendment.

The court also said that the FBI's demands for records without giving recipients of NSLs an opportunity to test the validity of the request in front of a judge is a violation of the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

I.m not sure what the current state of play is but at least the US constitution seems to be standing up to to those parts of the patriot act which are inconstitutional.

What chance would we have against such legislation? None.

Mt cursory readin of the Act seems to indicate that the provisions are geared against non citizens in the us. If they don't like it they can always leave.