Opinion | Letters To The Editor - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Taser incident not a free-speech issue

By ERIN DECKER | Sep. 19, 2007

I was present for Meyer's incident and have to say that the police were 100 percent right in their actions. He was acting extremely aggressive and being very loud and disruptive, growing angry right from the beginning. He seemed to be almost provoking the officers as well. This was not in any way an issue of free speech. Mr. Meyer was not Tasered because of anything that he said. He was Tasered because he was violently resisting arrest. Contrary to rumors, he was not handcuffed while being Tasered. He was Tasered so he could be handcuffed. He was also given repeated warnings that if he did not calm down and comply with the officers, he would be Tasered.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

UPD acted to protect speech attendees

By LESLIE LEAR | Sep. 19, 2007

Kudos to Kyle Cox on his commentary regarding UF student Andrew Meyer. Thank you for covering many points the media failed to address during their biased audio clips. Anyone who has viewed the full-length videos of the incident would have to admit there were multiple non-forceful steps taken prior to Tasering Meyer. These steps, although unsuccessful, included asking him to step away from the microphone, turning the microphone off, attempting to peacefully escort him out, attempting to secure and handcuff him and warning him prior to Tasering. The video also showed at the time of the Tasering, Meyer's left arm not secured behind his back, but rather stretched out where he was using it to brace himself in a clear attempt to resist arrest.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

More people Tasered than Meyer

By JEANNETTE ANDRE | Sep. 19, 2007

In light of the police report being released, I hope that people will realize that the Meyer Tasering incident was not about First Amendment rights. To say that a person who was able to ask a question even though the allotted question-and-answer time was over, who saw it fit that his questions were more important than the people ahead of him and was able to yell questions at Kerry for a good bit of time before he said "blowjob" was somehow robbed of his First Amendment rights is ridiculous. The police did not remove him for being too controversial or for asking the "tough questions" but for being a belligerent, petulant kid who had complete disregard for the established etiquette of a forum. He was disruptive, and it became clear after watching the video that he didn't really want answers from Kerry, just to stump him. Tasering him was not warranted, but removing him was. If people really want to be outraged about Tasering, they should read about the pregnant woman who was Tasered in her belly in Gainesville recently.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Defacing memorial crossed line

By JOEL LEWIS | Sep. 19, 2007

To the individuals who defaced the memorial to Lt. Corey Dahlem on the 34th Street Wall: Regardless about what you may believe about UPD's actions, you have crossed the line. By tagging the now infamous "Don't Tase me, bro!" over a memorial to a dedicated and upstanding officer, you covered up the most visible mark of an officer who exemplified how to protect and serve.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Meyer should have obeyed police orders

By Casey Peterson | Sep. 19, 2007

I just hate that Meyer's arrest is another reason for all of the Alligator-reading, Krishna-Lunch eating and uniformly biased college-aged hippies to whine even more than they do already.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

UPD chief should resign after incident

By STEPHEN DEAR | Sep. 19, 2007

Such brutality as conducted by the campus police at the Kerry event shows that campus Police Chief Linda Stump is either culpable for their behavior because she ordered the excessive force or gave permission for it, or she is out of control of her officers.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Taser incident sends message to Iraq

By MARILYN STANLEY | Sep. 19, 2007

I am sickened by the story and video of the student tortured by the Taser for free speech.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Police prevented possible harm

By RAFAEL YANIZ | Sep. 19, 2007

In regards to the Tasering incident on campus during the Kerry forum, the UPD officers acted appropriately in the handling of Meyer. Students and faculty quick to cry out that this was an injustice need to objectively look at this situation and realize Meyer caused the incident, not the police.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Immature student deserved Tasering

By TODD BURUS | Sep. 19, 2007

It never ceases to amaze me how liberals are able to cast any situation in a light that is beneficial to them; the most recent case in point being the infamous "Don't Tase me, bro" incident Monday on our campus. In the amount of time it takes to upload a shaky video on YouTube, the liberal talking points were already spelled out: Fascist police use force to squash free speech.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Meyer treated unfairly, despite officers' rights

By ERIC TRABIN | Sep. 19, 2007

I am very concerned by the apparent degradation of free expression, political debate and academic discourse at UF. I have been following from afar the discussions going on about the Accent Speakers Bureau. It's been troubling to learn that there are some who wish to censor and create vast oversight over the selection of speakers. I have always been proud to be a part of the world's largest student-run speakers bureau. Accent has more than 40 years of history and tradition in bringing insightful, challenging and sometimes even controversial laureates to speak to our students and community.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Meyer's 'biggest fan'

By JIM ELLIS | Sep. 19, 2007

Meyer is no victim. I first came in contact with Meyer in fall 2004. Disgruntled that he was passed over and I was chosen as the Alligator's humor columnist that semester, he set about ranting about me on his personal Web site. He spent that semester dissecting my weekly columns and writing about what a horrible writer I was. He was my "biggest fan."

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Meyer's questions not irrelevant

Sep. 18, 2007

Kyle Cox seems to believe he, above respected political scientists, historians and sociologists has full and perfect knowledge of those things that are acceptable to protest and those that are not.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

UPD should take its violence to Iraq

By JOSHUA GODWIN | Sep. 18, 2007

"To Surge and Project electrified probes into your body," should be the new motto for our University Shock Troopers (formerly the UPD).

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Meyer is new free-speech martyr

By Michael Bosworth | Sep. 18, 2007

When I first saw the Andrew Meyer video, I was stunned that a conservative activist could act so foolish and immature. When it was revealed that he is actually a Kerry supporter, the whole ordeal made much more sense.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Microphone shouldn't have been cut off

By ADAM WYNN | Sep. 18, 2007

The broadcast media's spin on this situation is akin to that of a reality television show. Every video I've seen, including on CNN and MSNBC, has shown only the most controversial parts of what happened.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Meyer should have controlled himself

By RYAN DOERFLEIN | Sep. 18, 2007

Reading all the comments people have made, whether online or in the paper, I think that people are somewhat misguided in their anger. What happened to Meyer was wrong, but what didn't happen was even worse.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

UPD not a 'progressive' agency

By ANDY DePEW | Sep. 18, 2007

I just watched the video of Meyer being arrested on CNN, and I was horrified.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Meyer no match for UPD officers

By JOE KASKIE | Sep. 18, 2007

UPD was most definitely justified in using a Taser on Meyer. If it hadn't, he might have overpowered those police officers. Who knows what could have happened then - he might have asked Kerry another question.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Tasers painful, but not vicious weapons

By MATTHEW YOUNG | Sep. 18, 2007

A Taser is hardly "vicious weaponryC as Kyle Cox's Tuesday column stated. The whole point of a nonlethal, safe weapon is to avoid bringing out the actual "vicious weaponry.C

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Student's protest showed immaturity

By ROBERT KEYSERLING | Sep. 18, 2007

The UF student's arrest brought back memories of my years at Florida and students' protests for civil rights. It seems this student was more interested in his 15 minutes of fame than in his message.