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Sep. 19th, 2007
I'm a little late here...
Sep. 19th, 2007 01:30 pmBut I just now watched the video of Andrew Meyer being detained and tasered at the University of Florida forum with John Kerry.
So after a few minutes I thought I was done trembling with horror and, yes, anger... then I read the comments on that YouTube page, the majority of which supported the police's tasering Meyer in a really disgusting, frightening, this-is-America-how-dare-you-ask-a-question Hitler-youth kinda way.
I was going to say next time something like this happens, I can only hope that the entire crowd will rush the police officers and overpower them, making a real step in the ever more beleaguered fight for freedom in this country... freedom of the kind never even considered and certainly not approved of by George "Fuck the Poor" Bush and his entire OCRAP crowd—they who solely support "freedom" with extra quotes, like the freedom to shop (citizens) or the freedom to spy, steal, and murder (OCRAP).
I'm going to go cry some now.
EDIT: This wants looked at in its entirety (from Ocala.com/Star-Banner). All emphases mine.
Friends say student arrest not a stunt
6:37 p.m.
Despite humorous videos, pictures and acts attributed to Andrew Meyer online, friends of the University of Florida student insist his arrest Monday at an appearance by Sen. John Kerry was not any sort of publicity stunt.
"I think he just got scared," said Jon Levy, who identified himself as a student and a friend of Meyer's. "He is a funny person, but he is a funny person who really wants political change.
"He went there to ask some tough questions," Levy said.
Another friend and UF student, Michael Goldman, said he didn't believe Meyer intended for anything unusual to happen.
However, one of the many videos circulating of the incident was shot with Meyer's own camera.
Clarissa Jessup, who was standing near Meyer just before UF Police Tasered him and took him into custody, said Meyer asked her to film him asking Kerry a question just before he approached the microphone.
That has given rise to rumors that Meyer, who aspires to work in the national media, was hoping to get arrested or videotaped as part of some sort of elaborate stunt. But Jessup, who says she never met Meyer prior to the forum, says she thinks he simply wanted a video of himself talking to Kerry.
"I don't even know this kid," said Jessup, rebuffing any notion that she'd collaborated with Meyer to film an incident he knew would escalate.
Additionally, some content on Meyer's Web site, TheAndrewMeyer.com, suggests that Meyer is a bit of a prankster.
For example, one post written by Meyer recounts a time that he wore a funny hat and a blue tank top to a nice restaurant. He said his friends should have been, "accustomed and expecting of my uncanny ways." The post also says: "There is no wiggle room in the world these days for the dancing jester. There are specific social mores that must be upheld no matter how silly the place, the rules must be followed."
A video titled "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" features a man dressed in drag who becomes an attractive blonde after a few drinks.
Friends said Meyer didn't create all of the movies on the site and weren't sure which ones he had.
One of the posts on his Web site is a described as a "disorganized diatribe."
It criticizes media content, especially about the Iraq War.
A major theme in the post is lack of media coverage of important issues like the War in Iraq and the media's focus on entertainment issues.
One excerpt from that article reads: "The news is designed to keep viewers watching and sedated and not thinking bad thoughts about America, because that would be bad for the economy. Stories about a severely unbalanced budget are out, train wrecks like Paris and Anna are in. A train wreck may be senseless and pointless, but Americans sure do love to watch."
Levy said that he feels most news media are missing the issue that Meyer's incident should have brought up. [ED: NO SHIT]
"The issue he was trying to get at was getting people to be more informed and willing to ask questions," Levy said, adding that he had talked to Meyer earlier Tuesday.
He mentioned what he called the irony that Meyer was asking a question when the scuffle with University Police began.
Meyer was a student writer at one time for the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale. A description on the Sun-Sentinel Web site written by Meyer says: "Andrew tries to write mostly whimsical nonsense columns about nothing in particular, yet occasionally finds himself angry enough to rain down fire and brimstone on an unsuspecting politician or celebrity."
He also expresses his disdain for referring to himself in the third person, yet in most of his posts and on his Facebook.com profile he refers to himself as The Andrew Meyer.
—Megan Rolland/The Gainesville Sun
So after a few minutes I thought I was done trembling with horror and, yes, anger... then I read the comments on that YouTube page, the majority of which supported the police's tasering Meyer in a really disgusting, frightening, this-is-America-how-dare-you-ask-a-question Hitler-youth kinda way.
I was going to say next time something like this happens, I can only hope that the entire crowd will rush the police officers and overpower them, making a real step in the ever more beleaguered fight for freedom in this country... freedom of the kind never even considered and certainly not approved of by George "Fuck the Poor" Bush and his entire OCRAP crowd—they who solely support "freedom" with extra quotes, like the freedom to shop (citizens) or the freedom to spy, steal, and murder (OCRAP).
I'm going to go cry some now.
EDIT: This wants looked at in its entirety (from Ocala.com/Star-Banner). All emphases mine.
Friends say student arrest not a stunt
6:37 p.m.
Despite humorous videos, pictures and acts attributed to Andrew Meyer online, friends of the University of Florida student insist his arrest Monday at an appearance by Sen. John Kerry was not any sort of publicity stunt.
"I think he just got scared," said Jon Levy, who identified himself as a student and a friend of Meyer's. "He is a funny person, but he is a funny person who really wants political change.
"He went there to ask some tough questions," Levy said.
Another friend and UF student, Michael Goldman, said he didn't believe Meyer intended for anything unusual to happen.
However, one of the many videos circulating of the incident was shot with Meyer's own camera.
Clarissa Jessup, who was standing near Meyer just before UF Police Tasered him and took him into custody, said Meyer asked her to film him asking Kerry a question just before he approached the microphone.
That has given rise to rumors that Meyer, who aspires to work in the national media, was hoping to get arrested or videotaped as part of some sort of elaborate stunt. But Jessup, who says she never met Meyer prior to the forum, says she thinks he simply wanted a video of himself talking to Kerry.
"I don't even know this kid," said Jessup, rebuffing any notion that she'd collaborated with Meyer to film an incident he knew would escalate.
Additionally, some content on Meyer's Web site, TheAndrewMeyer.com, suggests that Meyer is a bit of a prankster.
For example, one post written by Meyer recounts a time that he wore a funny hat and a blue tank top to a nice restaurant. He said his friends should have been, "accustomed and expecting of my uncanny ways." The post also says: "There is no wiggle room in the world these days for the dancing jester. There are specific social mores that must be upheld no matter how silly the place, the rules must be followed."
A video titled "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" features a man dressed in drag who becomes an attractive blonde after a few drinks.
Friends said Meyer didn't create all of the movies on the site and weren't sure which ones he had.
One of the posts on his Web site is a described as a "disorganized diatribe."
It criticizes media content, especially about the Iraq War.
A major theme in the post is lack of media coverage of important issues like the War in Iraq and the media's focus on entertainment issues.
One excerpt from that article reads: "The news is designed to keep viewers watching and sedated and not thinking bad thoughts about America, because that would be bad for the economy. Stories about a severely unbalanced budget are out, train wrecks like Paris and Anna are in. A train wreck may be senseless and pointless, but Americans sure do love to watch."
Levy said that he feels most news media are missing the issue that Meyer's incident should have brought up. [ED: NO SHIT]
"The issue he was trying to get at was getting people to be more informed and willing to ask questions," Levy said, adding that he had talked to Meyer earlier Tuesday.
He mentioned what he called the irony that Meyer was asking a question when the scuffle with University Police began.
Meyer was a student writer at one time for the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale. A description on the Sun-Sentinel Web site written by Meyer says: "Andrew tries to write mostly whimsical nonsense columns about nothing in particular, yet occasionally finds himself angry enough to rain down fire and brimstone on an unsuspecting politician or celebrity."
He also expresses his disdain for referring to himself in the third person, yet in most of his posts and on his Facebook.com profile he refers to himself as The Andrew Meyer.
—Megan Rolland/The Gainesville Sun