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September 18, 2007 at 10:21:04
"Help what have I done?" The abridgement of free speech by Mary MacElveen Page 1 of 1 page(s) |
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In watching this disturbing feed in which an audience member challenges Senator John Kerry concerning the 2004 presidential outcome, you will clearly see he was not a threat to anyone. So, the question is; why did the police move in and taser this man for asking a question that is most likely in the minds of others? I noticed that this same feed was picked up by MSNBC and was bantered about by Tucker Carlson and Willy Geist who is a frequent guest of his. Geist opines this man’s question as being “strange” and who is he to judge a question that has been on the minds of many as I read various political lists? Most likely he opined it “strange” because the man cites ‘Skull and Bones’ which is a society that both Senator Kerry and President Bush belonged to while attending Yale. CBS did a piece on Skull and Bones back in June of 2004 in which they wrote of it, “Bonesmen, as they're called, are forbidden to reveal what goes on in their inner sanctum, the windowless building on the Yale campus that is called the Tomb.” I do not know about you, but I find that strange and not the question asked of Kerry’s and Bush’s membership to it. This event took place at the University of Florida and I am of the opinion that a university is a place where students are supposed to be learning and that does mean asking questions. They should be free to ask questions of invited guests. Shouldn’t they?
Geist states that this man “disrupted” the event as he asked that question of Senator Kerry. From what I saw it was the police who disrupted the event. This is disturbing on so many levels where a citizen of this country cannot even ask a question of an elected representative without being ensnared, a taser gun used on them and ultimately arrested.
Senator John Kerry served in the military and the military is used to fight for our freedoms and one of those freedoms is the first amendment to our United States Constitution. Yesterday was Constitution Day and Senator Kerry should have stood in defense when that amendment reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
The man arrested was exercising his right of free speech in asking that question. He was petitioning the government for a redress of grievances” since Senator Kerry is an elected representative of the Senate. From what I viewed he was calmly asking the question thereby fulfilling that the people have the “right to peacefully assemble”
Geist opined that the “student became more and more worked up” Wait, just wait, Mr. Geist. He was not getting worked up, but was calmly asking a question of Kerry. Mr. Geist, he was not being “annoying” or “pestering” Senator Kerry as you so stated on that program, merely asking a question and even citing Greg Palast.
Now let me opine on this arrest. Instead of standing up on that stage, Senator Kerry should have told those police officers to stand down since he represents this government and he should have upheld our United States Constitution which he is sworn to uphold.
The chilling words that I heard is when this young man who had every right to ask these questions of Senator Kerry was, “Help!”…“What have I done?” and “I didn’t do anything!” To that young man, you have not done anything and your first amendment rights were violated.
I also think what bothered me is the humorous nature both Carlson and Geist treated this abridgement of free speech. They did so as they enjoy their first amendment rights day-in and day-out. To that I also add, shame on both of them for treating this in such a jovial manner.
I have often said of our founders, they were geniuses when it came to drafting the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They must be saying how dumb some are for not upholding these rights guaranteed to ‘we the people’.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
http://www.mary-macelveen.blogspot.com
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
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You hit the nail on the head
We saw what kind of stuff Kerry is made of in 2004 when he failed to contest the bogus re-appointment of the Bu$h Junta. His weak-kneeded response to the S**t Boaters for Lies was also indicative of his spinelessnes and I'm not so sure now that his war record wasn't padded as sure as Bu$h boy's AWOL records were stolen. Kerry's similarly yellow response in Flordia described in this story confirms for me that it was just as well Kerry threw the election. by James Nimmo (54 articles, 0 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 22 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Tuesday, Sep 18, 2007 at 11:25:02 AM  (0+)
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I agree with you entirely
Your straight forward commentary is right on track. This was a major event that should be broadcast widely. People need to see and experience at gut level what is happening to our freedoms. Kerry is only one of the ubiquitious sheep we need to replace. http://www.gpln.com/timesawasting.htm Mark by Mark A. Goldman (81 articles, 2 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 243 comments) on Tuesday, Sep 18, 2007 at 12:30:20 PM (0+)
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I agree, support
and here again urge the Opednews to condemn that act and ask Mr. Andrew Meyer to publish his questions to Kerry here, on Opednews or obtain those and publish those under editorial. Please, see my comments to similar articles by Frank Ranelli and Hans Meyer. It is inconceivable to me that not even one comment on the MSM expressed any compassion towards Mr, Andrew Meyer and his family. by Mark Sashine (72 articles, 19 quicklinks, 269 diaries, 4101 comments [131 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Tuesday, Sep 18, 2007 at 1:23:52 PM (0+)
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Where I come from
I am compelled to share a story my father told me. In 1946 he was 15 and he studied in my native city of Kiev, Ukraine in the all- boys school. It was right after the Great War and it was hunger there. In the school the administration arranged for the children to get extra bread but around it gangs of the hungry street kids would attack anyone with food. Once they surrounded the school and there was a bloody street fight between the kids from the school and the gangs. It went out of control and then the authorities dispatched a paramillitary unit to stop the violence. The people in that unit were WWII veterans in full gear and they were told to do anything and use any measure at their disposal. They were told that they could shoot if necessary. According to my father NO KID WAS HURT! The unit efficiently and with ingenuity surrounded and separated the most violent groups and then the instigators were detained. All the others were dispersed by just stern commandment and demonstration of the gear. There was no shooting, no hand twisting, no brutality. The people in the unit understood that they were dealing with the hungry children and most of them were fathers themselves. They were courageous soldiers who risked their lives before in war and now they were ready to spare even the nastiest kid. That was done in the Stalinist Russia where people were used to any types of terror and never had a free speech. I am asking a simple question here- how come here, in the USA so famous for the protection of the free speech we see our children tasered for it- one young man attacked and tasered by a number of officers. Shame on us. by Mark Sashine (72 articles, 19 quicklinks, 269 diaries, 4101 comments [131 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Tuesday, Sep 18, 2007 at 1:44:14 PM (0+)
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The untold story of Taser-related deaths
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/2894/ by Jay Lovestone (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 103 comments) on Tuesday, Sep 18, 2007 at 3:03:43 PM (0+)
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Back your candidate ....all the way!!!
Why blame Kerry? Will the activists never forgive Kerry for quiting? What did you do to support him? I worked for his campaign and I had to listen to many people say that they didn't like Kerry, but they hated bush more. People, like me, that had studied his background and went back into his history voted for him because we knew that he was honorable, intelligent, caring, and would make a wonderful president. It infuriated me when I would ask why they didn't like Kerry and they had no good reason. It still makes me mad to hear so-called Democrats blame Kerry for everything. There was no way that Kerry was going to be president. The MSM would not even report about all of the vote 'fixing' that was going on. So get over it and save your petty anger to rectify the things that defeated Kerry in 04. Start with the media, caging of votes, swiftboat for 'truth', and rovian tactics. Then start truely backing your dem choice. Fight as though you were fighting for your life....beause you are. I don't know if our country or the world can make it through the rest of bush's term. I know we won't make it through 8 more years like these last 7. by LYNNE KRINGLER (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 70 comments) on Wednesday, Sep 19, 2007 at 12:53:16 AM (0+)
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My Freedom
No, they shouldn't have tasered him. However, your freedom 'ends at my nose'. He wouldn't let Kerry answer his question, he went on and on, he didn't let anyone else ask their question and felt that 'beating Kerry over the head' about something that should have been over and done with was more important than any one else. Disrupting other's rights is not acceptable and I personally resent it when people do that. He definately should have finished his 'question', let Kerry answer and let the other person ask theirs. He deserved to be removed. If he wants a forum to express his own personal thoughts then he should get speaking engagements where people come to hear him instead of interupting everyone else. He had the freedom to ask his question. He chose to abuse it. by LYNNE KRINGLER (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 70 comments) on Wednesday, Sep 19, 2007 at 1:07:33 AM (0+)
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It had nothing to do with the content of his question
When your allotted time has expired.. you step aside and give others a chance. That's the rule. He knew it and he broke it.. flagrantly and deliberately. He was subdued for causing a scene and resisting arrest. I consider myself a flaming liberal but what I do NOT like is my many of my fellow liberals' apparent automatic disdain for law, law enforcement, and discpline generally. by Matt (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 5 comments) on Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 at 12:18:26 AM (0+)
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His actions brought on the tasing...not his question
After watching the video several times, it looks like the initial removal--not arrest--was at the behest of what looked like one of Kerry's staff/entourage. When the guy asked the question, you can see the guy in the suit, behind the officers, giving the "cut it" signal with his hand, then whispering to the officers, who promptly tried remove the guy from the podium. (Judging from what others have mentioned, he was removed as much for going over his allotted time as for the content of his question.) In the background, you can hear Kerry offering to answer the question, and continuing to speak over the guy as he's being removed. Instead of quietly leaving the stage to hear Kerry's reply, the guy then continued to talk loudly over the speaker, yelling at the officers, and then resisted leaving the stage, endangering himself, the officers, and the surrounding audience. By the time he was at the back of the audience, he was completely disrupting Senator Kerry's speech, at which point you can clearly hear an officer warning him that if he didn't settle down, they would have to tase him. At which point, he starts yelling profanities in the crowded hall, and getting even more agitated. To say that "he was tased for simply asking a question" is completely misstating the case. He had every opportunity to simply leave the podium, and deliberately escalated the situation. by Melissa E (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 27 comments) on Saturday, Sep 22, 2007 at 7:08:05 PM (0+)
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