Shock and awe: censoring citizens with 5,000 volts

Andrew Meyer is not a hero and it's not his fault. The University of Florida student who was Tasered at a John Kerry speech is nothing but another victim.

Meyer asked Senator Kerry some tough questions rooted in conspiracy theory.

Why did Kerry concede the 2004 election amidst widespread allegations of voting irregularities? Did Kerry even want to be president? Why not impeach George Bush before he got a chance to invade Iran? And was Kerry a member of the same secret society as Bush when the two were in college?

Apparently, that's what it takes to get arrested at a Kerry debate.

Meyer's mic was cut off and he was dragged away by police, all the while shouting "What did I do? Am I being arrested? What did I do?"

Getting arrested for disturbing the peace for asking a question after being called on seems a little harsh.

It also seems like the kind of thing one would resist if one was not informed why the arrest was taking place. But being physically removed from the premises for no good reason would have been a cakewalk for Meyer compared to what happened next.

After being thrown to the ground, Meyer was restrained there by six (six!) officers, four of whom were directly on top of the journalism student.

Meyer begged to be allowed to walk out of the building; the police responded by threatening to use their Tasers on him. Meyer exclaimed "Don't Tase me, bro!" to no avail.

The officers proceeded to zap Meyer with their stun guns as he screamed in pain.

Now it's time to do some finger pointing. Obviously, the police were in the wrong for Tasing someone who was simply asking some questions.

But what can I say about the police that hasn't already been said more eloquently by N.W.A.?

Kerry is due for a share of the blame here as well.

While Meyer was being dragged off and shocked, one can hear Kerry in the background attempting to answer the question and telling the police officers to calm down.

Maybe if Kerry wasn't such a silver-spoon mustard-millionaire-marrying Eastern elite Skull-and-Bones bitch, he would have gotten down off the stage and stood up for America instead of letting the U of F SS drag a patriot to the Gulag on some K-G-Bullshit.

Wasn't Kerry supposed to be a war hero? Wade into the fray one more time for freedom, you pussy!

Instead, he attempted one of his trademark hilarious and well-timed jokes that have always gone over so well, saying "Unfortunately [Meyer] is not available to come up here and swear me in as President." Ha!

Kerry's knack for working the crowd comes to the forefront again.

That's one of the reasons Bush is still president; even with the United States rallying against the war in Iraq, Kerry's inability to do anything but duly miss the point sank him more than voting irregularities ever could have.

The pundits, right-wingers and YouTubers alike have had their fun with the situation.

Cable "news" treated the story like any other novelty: they got a cheap laugh and moved on.

If you Google "Andrew Meyer," of course the first result is Rightwingnews.com's story "Andrew Meyer deserved to be Tasered," which cites crazy Coulter Kool-Aid chugger Michelle Malkin.

The YouTube populace, without whom this video might never have been seen, has reduced the video to a "Leave Britney Alone"-level punchline thanks to the highly quotable "Don't Tase me, bro" outburst.

But the people I really want to pin the blame on aren't in any position to make a difference.

At least, they don't think they are. I'm talking about the American public as a whole, typified by the audience in attendance during the debacle.

Just sit back and watch another Christian get torn up by the lions. Don't say anything or you might become the next Simba snack getting Tased, spindled and mutilated.

The crowd watching Meyer get smacked down by the "Thought Police" should have been rioting in his defense.

Instead, you hear one person shouting "Why are you doing this?" while the rest of the crowd sits passively.

The people of America have had plenty to be up in arms about recently.

Even right here in New Hampshire, where reporter Matt Lepacek was arrested at a Republican debate at Saint Anselm's College. Lepacek was escorted out of the building and arrested for criminal trespassing even though he had a press pass for the event.

His crime? Asking a Giuliani spokesman a controversial question about Sept. 11.

That's enough to be kicked out of a Q & A and get your camera smashed in the process.

Lepacek's incident has not received as much attention as Meyer's, although videos of both incidents are available on YouTube.

But with over a million and a half hits on the Meyer video, it's safe to say that the public knows about the problem.

They just don't care.

For some reason, the vast majority of Americans appear to be apathetic towards even the most shocking situations.

I'm guessing they'll be surprised when the secret police kick down their doors. That's why it's not Andrew Meyer's fault that he's not a hero.

It's yours.

Ben Conant is a senior majoring in journalism. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the Equinox.