Generally speaking when I see a video of a someone being tasered because they misinterpret the first amendment to mean they are free to disobey police or private security, I laugh. On this one I have mixed emotions. If you watch the video below you can plainly see that the officers tried to take him out of the forum peacefully, but he was not willing to go peacefully. At the point of the video when he attempted to push his way back into the auditorium I would have agreed with the officers for tasering him, however at the time it happened there was clearly no need, by then he was already subdued.

Here is the video (if the video does not embed click here)


Yes it is true the question the student asked was stupid, but I was unaware you could be tasered for having the IQ of a rock. Before you crucify me for degrading the “victim” please understand I am doing so because he deserves it. This is a student who apparently has some interest in politics, and is given he opportunity to ask a question of a major political figure, and he decides instead of asking a question about the war in Iraq or immigration, he wants to ask about “secret societies”. Hey bonehead, do you think if someone is a member of a secret society he is going to tell you?!

In fairness to the security, they were removing him because he had already asking several questions and was eventually asked to stop. He was then asked to leave and refused, obviously believing incorrectly his first amendment rights allowed him to interrupt a public forum unconditionally. As the officers were removing him, he attempted to push his way back into the auditorium. It is at this point where I would not fault the officers for using necessary force in order to remove this student. My mixed emotions are because this student was laying on the floor with what appears to be six officers around him when he was tased. This does not appear to be necessary force, so in that regard the officers were wrong.

The most interesting point of this story however is the incident occurred during a speech being given by John Kerry. As of this writing, the ACLU has not spoken out on this issue, however it only happened this evening, I can only hope by this time tomorrow they have issued a statement condemning the University, along with John Kerry for unnecessary force, the same as they would had this been a speech by George Bush.

We can only wait and see.

Hat tip Stop The ACLU

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ACLU, Politics