A quick reminder...

[Bjorn Against]

Amendment I

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.

I believe this means that the police can't arrest someone just because they ask a question that some people say is "disruptive".

[Jack Bone]

1. "The Constitution's just a God-Damned piece of paper..."

:sarcasm:

[TomInTib]

2. But they can arrest someone who throws a punch at them.

And that is exactly what the idiot did.

He got off easy.

Note the fact that he is not charged with Disorderly Conduct, but with Resisting an Officer.

Big difference.

[Bjorn Against]

5. I saw him struggle a bit when he was being dragged away but I did not see a punch thrown...

But even if he did throw a punch that is beside the point, because there is not reason he should have been dragged out in the first place.

The police can't arrest someone just because they find their question disruptive. Whether you liked the guy's questions or not he was well within his Constitutional rights to ask them.

[KAZ]

11. I'm seeing this "punch" meme more and more.

I respect TinT, but I don't see it in the tape.

[TomInTib]

12. If you see the clip again..

watch the point when they first attempt to calm him down.

I know a little bit about physical control.

When a guy that big starts getting physically aggressive (flailing about and screaming), you move in close and try to disrupt their rhythm.

If the continue, you try to hustle them away, bouncer-style.

That's when he swung round-house style with his right hand in a fist. Clipped the cop right on the chin.

That is something I would never recommend doing.

[question everything]

3. If the event took place in private property

and the owner of the property considered a behavior disruptive, the person can be removed.

Tasering, however, is another matter.

[Bjorn Against]

8. It happened at the University of Florida, a public school. n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. That's true.

They arrested the nut for disrupting a public event.

You can't shout "FIRE?" in a crowded theater.

[Bjorn Against]

6. When did he shout fire?

He asked some tough questions, but he did not do anything that would cause mass panic and the possibility of injury.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. "he did not do anything that would cause... injury."

He took a swing at a cop.

[Bjorn Against]

10. I didn't see that in the video, but even if it did happen...

They had no right to drag him away in the first place. Unless you are suggesting that he took a swing at them before they started dragging him away then the cops were still violating his Constitutional rights.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. Sure they did.

If you disrupt an event, they've got the right to ask you to leave, and if you refuse to leave, they've got the right to drag you away.

[Bjorn Against]

15. Asking tough questions is not the same as disrupting an event.

If this happened at a Bush event I have a feeling your reaction would be very different.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. No, and Meyer wasn't asking tough questions.

He charged the mike, cut in front of other people, heckled Kerry, and resisted police.

"If this happened at a Bush event I have a feeling your reaction would be very different."

Actually, no. I have no problem with cops arresting hecklers at Bush events either. If you're going to commit civil disobedience you come prepared to be arrested.

You don't see Cindy Sheehan taking swings at cops.

And I think the comparison between Bush and Kerry and Bush protesters and this guy is disingenuous and insulting.

Reminds me of the "Clinton did it too" crap we're always hearing.

[Bjorn Against]

18. I believe that police need to allow people to excercise their Constitutional rights....

If you find it "disingenuous and insulting" to hold the same standards for everyone then I don't know what to say.

And by the way I am not blaming Kerry for this, I am blaming the police. I see no evidence that Kerry had anything to do with the police decision to arrest the guy so I am leaving him alone. It frightens me to see so many on DU defending this type of police action though, we have a Constitution and if we want it to mean anything then we need to stand up and speak out when it is violated.

[Connie_Corleone]

9. It's not the question that was disruptive. It was his ACTIONS!

I'M NOT SAYING HE SHOULD'VE BEEN TAZERED! I'm saying his actions were disruptive before, during and after the questions.

[Bjorn Against]

14. What specific illegal actions did he take?

You may not like his words, but in the video I saw he asked pointed questions but I did not see him doing anything that would warrant arrest. The police can not arrest people without just cause, and there is nothing I saw in that video that would be just cause for arrest.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

17. Disturbing the Peace.

And the much more serious Resisting Arrest with Violence.

[Bjorn Against]

19. It is a frightening day when speaking your mind is a crime called "disturbing the peace"

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

20. Yes, yes, I'm sure you're very concerned.

:rofl:

[Connie_Corleone]

21. And where exactly did I say I didn't like his words?

I could've sworn I said it was his actions, not his questions that were disruptive.

[Bjorn Against]

22. And I asked you what specific actions he took that warranted arrest

I saw a man who was physically dragged away by the police for speaking, if it is really his actions and not his words that he was arrested for then you should be able to tell me what illegal action he took.

[Connie_Corleone]

23. The police were trying to escort him out the building, he resisted.

Whether you like it or not, resisting the police will get you arrested.

The reason he was being physically dragged away is because he was flailing his arms around, screaming and pushing away from the cops.

In my neighborhood, people get tasered for that. Again, that doesn't mean using a tazer in that situation is justified, but some cops do use it for that reason instead of trying to subdue him by hand.

Now, you can argue whether it was right or not that he was being escorted out of the building. But, you don't resist the police. You risk getting injured. Not even Cindy Sheehan resists the police when they arrest her.

Resisting a police officer is against the law. You may not like my answer, but that's the law.

[Bjorn Against]

24. They had no reason to grab him in the first place

His Constitutional rights were violated before he started to struggle.