Quick Recap

Four days ago I watched a YouTube video of five or so brave police officers first sit upon and then taser an unarmed, immobile student at the University of Florida for asking one to many questions of John Kerry. John Kerry, who attempted to stop the proceedings but failed, could only look on in horror as Mr Andrew Meyer was first grabbed, dragged, strangled, sat upon and then tasered. All when he was so very clearly rendered immobile. Furthermore, what was the motivation for such an attack? He asked a couple of potentially uncomfortable questions of John Kerry.

The good squad, for I can find no better name for them, stepped in and beat up Mr Meyer.

I was appalled. So much so that I took the time to send an email to the President of the University of Florida, Mr J. Bernard Machen's who can be contacted via the following email address president@UFL.EDU.

Before I show you the reply, I just wanted to include the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. For those individuals, such as the University of Florida Police Department, who don't know the words, they read;

"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 of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

The Reply

Mr J. Bernard Machen's reply is as follows.

Good morning,

Your message was among those I have received since Monday afternoon when University of Florida student Andrew Meyer was tasered and arrested at a town hall forum held by Sen. John Kerry.

I want you to know I hear you loud and clear and share many of your concerns. What I regret most of all about the incident that occurred during a political forum is the lack of civil discourse, which is the keystone of an academic institution such as ours.

We have begun several steps to gain a full understanding of how events unfolded on Monday and to determine what protocols need changing. Students and faculty will play an active role in this process, and every aspect will be open to public review. We have not and will not assign blame until the investigation is complete.

Updates will be posted regularly on www.ufl.edu.

We appreciate your patience as we allow the process to take its course.

Sincerely,

J. Bernard Machen
President, University of Florida

Firstly, I would love to know exactly what charge Mr Meyer was being indicted with. Failure to comply with a completely made up rule invented on the spot? Unwillingness to be a passive victim of a fascist mentality? I joke. But given he couldn't have broken any law, his arrest for subsequent 'resistance' would be unmerited. In the UK this chain of events is known as "Fruit from the poison tree.". In other words, the initial event can not support any further legal action as itself was illegal. In the sense that a police officer burgles a house and subsequently finds some potential evidence of a crime. That evidence is rendered unusable because it cannot be relied upon due to the 'chain of evidence'. In this case, the chain shows an individual exerting his rights held under the constitution (or any legal framework say) who is then attacked by first one, then a number of police officers. From this point onwards, no matter what we or they may consider him, HE is the victim of the attack. Pure and simple.

Lets change the context. Your walking down a street whistling and a police officer jumps out of a cruiser and attempts to use pepper spray on you for 'that offence'. It doesn't exist. It's not open to legal interpretation and yet the officer appears to feel they are both officer, judge, jury and executioner. This is not legal. No matter what the 'best advice' might suggest.

The bottom line is this. Despite all the strongest suggestion to the contrary, the Police Officers in Florida, New York, Manchester UK, London, Paris or wherever ARE NOT ABOVE THE LAW. Neither are they allowed to MAKE LAWS UP WHEN THEY SEE FIT. Police Officers do not have the right to dispense justice if and when they see fit. Unless I'm not mistaken, we are not living in Nazi Germany or New York in the time of Judge Dredd and just because some officers would like to do something, it doesn't give them carte blanche TO DO something.

Did I mention I was going to reply to Mr Machen.

Tags: florida university, taser, brutality, police