Looks like the idiots that be in Florida wish to charge taser victim Andrew Meyer, likely with felony resisting arrest.
From Meyer's website:
Charged, Seeking Witnesses
Note: This is not an official statement by Andrew Meyer or anyone directly representative of Andrew Meyer.
Andrew Meyer is no longer in jail, but was unjustly arrested for disturbing the peace and resisting arrest with violence. If you have any information regarding this incident, such as:
- You were present and witness to the event.
- You have any audio or video relating directly to the event or of the forum prior to the event
Please send an email including your contact information to FreeAndrewMeyer@gmail.com.
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Showing posts with label Andrew Meyer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andrew Meyer. Show all posts
Sep 23, 2007
Sep 21, 2007
Chris Matthews Led the Way in Condemning Taser Attack
Joe Conason at Salon heaps praise on Chris Matthews for his work in condemning the police attack against a U. Fla student asking questions of Sen. John Kerry.
Update: Author Greg Palast Offers Job to Tasered Journalism Student
Update II: Amnesty International, ACLU Condemn Use of Tasers at University of Florida. Those John Kerry haters; they must have some sort of an anti-Kerry agenda!
And Matthews deserves the praise. He was far and away the most incisive television commentator explaining that democracy must suffer, for the better, an occasional long-winded questioner.
Writes Conason:
Appalled by the Tasering of student Andrew Meyer during an appearance by Sen. John Kerry at the University of Florida, Matthews said on "Hardball" that he regards that incident as "an iconic moment" in the degradation of free speech during the Bush years.
As a guest on that segment, along with Medea Benjamin of Code Pink, who is regularly arrested for protesting at public events, I had to agree.
Good for Conason.
But he lets off John Kerry who ineffectually droned on and allowed this police attack to go unchallenged as it transpires before his eyes, and then had his office spend the next two days swiftboating the college student, Andrew Meyer, who we are to believe had it coming, or, gasp, had an "agenda."
Much of the liberal blogosphere (OpEdNews.con, Talking Points Memo) went along with Kerry's damage control efforts, though journals like Salon, Huffington Post and other sites blasted away.
Most disappointing was the commentary of the Kerryites at Daily Kos.
In sum, the juvenile diary commentators defended the tasering and Kerry's do-nothing approach to the incident by noting that Meyer had an "agenda," a "reputation," his questions and statement constituted a "disturbance," and asking questions of Kerry was just a "stunt."
The questions Meyer asked of Kerry pertained to contesting the 2004 presidential election, a book, Armed Madhouse by Greg Palast, black voter disenfranchisement in 2004, the relationship between Kerry and Bush as members of the Skull and Bones secret society at Yale, the Iraq/Iran war, and the proposed impeachment of Bush.
Chris Rowthorn at Smirking Chimp leaves us with this question:
As Naomi Wolf has rightfully pointed out, the tasering of Andrew Meyer will be remembered as a watershed moment in American history. That much is certain. The only thing that remains to be seen is how we, as Americans, react to it. Will we sit passively by while our Constitution and our Democracy are murdered right before our eyes? Will we demand that our supposed political leaders take meaningful and principled action? Will we allow our press to make excuses for the fascist takeover of our country?
The choice is clear: either we fight fascism right now with all our power, or we will be the next ones on the ground with a policeman's knee on our throats and 50,000 volts of electricity coursing through our bodies.
For those who have not seen it: Watch this video.
Update: Author Greg Palast Offers Job to Tasered Journalism Student
Update II: Amnesty International, ACLU Condemn Use of Tasers at University of Florida. Those John Kerry haters; they must have some sort of an anti-Kerry agenda!
And Matthews deserves the praise. He was far and away the most incisive television commentator explaining that democracy must suffer, for the better, an occasional long-winded questioner.
Writes Conason:
Appalled by the Tasering of student Andrew Meyer during an appearance by Sen. John Kerry at the University of Florida, Matthews said on "Hardball" that he regards that incident as "an iconic moment" in the degradation of free speech during the Bush years.
As a guest on that segment, along with Medea Benjamin of Code Pink, who is regularly arrested for protesting at public events, I had to agree.
Good for Conason.
But he lets off John Kerry who ineffectually droned on and allowed this police attack to go unchallenged as it transpires before his eyes, and then had his office spend the next two days swiftboating the college student, Andrew Meyer, who we are to believe had it coming, or, gasp, had an "agenda."
Much of the liberal blogosphere (OpEdNews.con, Talking Points Memo) went along with Kerry's damage control efforts, though journals like Salon, Huffington Post and other sites blasted away.
Most disappointing was the commentary of the Kerryites at Daily Kos.
In sum, the juvenile diary commentators defended the tasering and Kerry's do-nothing approach to the incident by noting that Meyer had an "agenda," a "reputation," his questions and statement constituted a "disturbance," and asking questions of Kerry was just a "stunt."
The questions Meyer asked of Kerry pertained to contesting the 2004 presidential election, a book, Armed Madhouse by Greg Palast, black voter disenfranchisement in 2004, the relationship between Kerry and Bush as members of the Skull and Bones secret society at Yale, the Iraq/Iran war, and the proposed impeachment of Bush.
Chris Rowthorn at Smirking Chimp leaves us with this question:
As Naomi Wolf has rightfully pointed out, the tasering of Andrew Meyer will be remembered as a watershed moment in American history. That much is certain. The only thing that remains to be seen is how we, as Americans, react to it. Will we sit passively by while our Constitution and our Democracy are murdered right before our eyes? Will we demand that our supposed political leaders take meaningful and principled action? Will we allow our press to make excuses for the fascist takeover of our country?
The choice is clear: either we fight fascism right now with all our power, or we will be the next ones on the ground with a policeman's knee on our throats and 50,000 volts of electricity coursing through our bodies.
For those who have not seen it: Watch this video.
Sep 20, 2007
One Man's Rights
It was revealing to read the commentary, but it wasn't commentary just trash talk, from the John Kerry people to a post at Daily Kos regarding Kerry's doing nothing to halt the police attack on college student Andrew Meyer at U. Fla earlier this week, and then personally attacking Meyer.
The Kerry people had no interest in arguing or defending Kerry with reason, they just were trying to shut down any critics who politically damage the name of the great and noble Senator.
But the political health of the Senator is not worth the rights of one man.
Senator Kerry did nothing to halt the police attack on a man who simply posed questions, if long-winded, of Kerry. Kerry revealed himself as the ineffectual man that the Republicans always claimed him to be.
But reading the Kerryites' defense, it is clear that they have much more in common with the Republicans and Karl Rove than they appear capable of realizing.
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The Kerry people had no interest in arguing or defending Kerry with reason, they just were trying to shut down any critics who politically damage the name of the great and noble Senator.
But the political health of the Senator is not worth the rights of one man.
Senator Kerry did nothing to halt the police attack on a man who simply posed questions, if long-winded, of Kerry. Kerry revealed himself as the ineffectual man that the Republicans always claimed him to be.
But reading the Kerryites' defense, it is clear that they have much more in common with the Republicans and Karl Rove than they appear capable of realizing.
###
Sep 19, 2007
OpEdNews Pulls Critical Piece on Tasering Attack
Rob Kall runs OpEdNews.com (http://www.opednews.com/) and does not care for criticism of his fellow liberals and progressives.
In reaction to my piece (posted and then taken down) criticizing the lack of response by Josh Marshall (Talking Points Memo) who pooh poohed the tasering of U. Fla. student Andrew Meyer for asking impolitic questions of Sen. John Kerry, Kall wrote me a nasty e-mail just now.
[Update: Josh Marshall allows that Meyer is a “… young journalist whose brief career has been devoted writing things to make people really angry … so we shouldn't be surprised that he provoked an extreme response. No way did he deserve to be Tasered, and in fact I'd like to see Tasers banned in most circumstances.”]
That’s some explanation by Marshall for his brief apologetics (and previous lack of challenge) for the police assault! [Meyer asked Sen. Kerry several excellent and pointed questions and went on for, gasp, over three minutes before his mic was shut off, and he was dragged away and tasered as Kerry let the assault go unchallenged.]
Anyway, OpEd’s Kall writes of my critical piece on Marshall that “you don't go calling allies (like Marshall) names” and “Do you think you can attack and call names to a fellow progressive who generally does great work and still be considered a trusted author? Hello?”
Actually, yes, disagreement is very good thing, Rob, and fellow progressives, even the mighty Senator Kerry and the great Josh Marshall, should be called to account their perceived political shortcomings or lack of action in the body politic.
For example, I recently finished a long exchange with Xoff at Uppity Wisconsin, and have more respect for Xoff now than I did before the exchange. Xoff took off on a respected member of the Democratic state assembly, the lone Latino whom I really respect. Though I profoundly disagree with Xoff on the issue, I also recognize that he is a brilliant, intellectually honest writer, and is well within his rights to take off on whomever he wishes.
This ethic eludes Kall. No, Kall is of the rightwing mindset that you never criticize people on your team—a lurid conception of the world of letters and political commentary.
Let’s face it, if the First Amendment were put to a vote, it would go down miserably.
I don't know Andrew Meyer's politics or his past writings; I'm not interested. I do beleive that in a democracy we ought to stick up for each other's rights, ask questions of our legislators and seek redress when so inclined.
Sounding like a scolding assistance principal, Kall writes, “Now, I have to apologize to Josh Marshall. I want to. And I'm demoting you to member-- for a week-- if you are cool and understand that you violated trust on this one.”
I told Kall to fuck off.
Here’s his e-mail:
Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:04:23 -0400
From: "Robert Kall"
To: "Michael Leon"
Subject: Re: AS by Michael Leon: Josh Marshall Fronts for Cops and John Kerry
How about "piss on your trusted author status?
Do you think you can attack and call names to a fellow progressive who generally does great work and still be considered a trusted author? Hello?
It's one thing to send off an email or respond in a forum to someone with a nasty remark. But don't you DARE do it under the masthead of OpEdNews. I've long advised friends and colleagues to sit on an email for 24 hours before posting it, if it has been written in anger.
Now, I have to apologize to Josh Marshall. I want to. And I'm demoting you to member-- for a week-- if you are cool and understand that you violated trust on this one. On your blog, you write whatever you want. But when you publish as a trusted author, you don't go calling allies names.
Piss on Josh Marshall? Come on. I sure hope you see that this was poor judgment. If you had objectively discussed your feelings about Marshall's approach to the story, I would have had no complaint. I don't like to do this, but feel it is part of the process I need to go through, including letting Josh Marshall know about it. I will not mention your name, if he missed it.
It looks like it hasn't shown up on google news and that you DO have it on your blog. I think you're making a mistake. Strong progressive media people are too few and far between. Josh Marshall does a great job overall. Yesterday I headlined an article that raised the questionable background of the tasered guy, in the article that included Harry Potter in the title. I think our story was more measured and covered the range of issues.
Look, I don't like doing this or sending this to you. But in three years or five, if you are still at this, you may find yourself facing Josh Marshall, or even wanting a job or something from him and he may remember you as the asshole (in his mind, at the least) who wrote ...
I think you ought to plug this into the hold for 24 hours queue, then dump it. I've deleted the article, maybe the third out of 40,000+ that we've published in the past 28 months.
Sincerely,
rob kall
###
In reaction to my piece (posted and then taken down) criticizing the lack of response by Josh Marshall (Talking Points Memo) who pooh poohed the tasering of U. Fla. student Andrew Meyer for asking impolitic questions of Sen. John Kerry, Kall wrote me a nasty e-mail just now.
[Update: Josh Marshall allows that Meyer is a “… young journalist whose brief career has been devoted writing things to make people really angry … so we shouldn't be surprised that he provoked an extreme response. No way did he deserve to be Tasered, and in fact I'd like to see Tasers banned in most circumstances.”]
That’s some explanation by Marshall for his brief apologetics (and previous lack of challenge) for the police assault! [Meyer asked Sen. Kerry several excellent and pointed questions and went on for, gasp, over three minutes before his mic was shut off, and he was dragged away and tasered as Kerry let the assault go unchallenged.]
Anyway, OpEd’s Kall writes of my critical piece on Marshall that “you don't go calling allies (like Marshall) names” and “Do you think you can attack and call names to a fellow progressive who generally does great work and still be considered a trusted author? Hello?”
Actually, yes, disagreement is very good thing, Rob, and fellow progressives, even the mighty Senator Kerry and the great Josh Marshall, should be called to account their perceived political shortcomings or lack of action in the body politic.
For example, I recently finished a long exchange with Xoff at Uppity Wisconsin, and have more respect for Xoff now than I did before the exchange. Xoff took off on a respected member of the Democratic state assembly, the lone Latino whom I really respect. Though I profoundly disagree with Xoff on the issue, I also recognize that he is a brilliant, intellectually honest writer, and is well within his rights to take off on whomever he wishes.
This ethic eludes Kall. No, Kall is of the rightwing mindset that you never criticize people on your team—a lurid conception of the world of letters and political commentary.
Let’s face it, if the First Amendment were put to a vote, it would go down miserably.
I don't know Andrew Meyer's politics or his past writings; I'm not interested. I do beleive that in a democracy we ought to stick up for each other's rights, ask questions of our legislators and seek redress when so inclined.
Sounding like a scolding assistance principal, Kall writes, “Now, I have to apologize to Josh Marshall. I want to. And I'm demoting you to member-- for a week-- if you are cool and understand that you violated trust on this one.”
I told Kall to fuck off.
Here’s his e-mail:
Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:04:23 -0400
From: "Robert Kall"
To: "Michael Leon"
Subject: Re: AS by Michael Leon: Josh Marshall Fronts for Cops and John Kerry
How about "piss on your trusted author status?
Do you think you can attack and call names to a fellow progressive who generally does great work and still be considered a trusted author? Hello?
It's one thing to send off an email or respond in a forum to someone with a nasty remark. But don't you DARE do it under the masthead of OpEdNews. I've long advised friends and colleagues to sit on an email for 24 hours before posting it, if it has been written in anger.
Now, I have to apologize to Josh Marshall. I want to. And I'm demoting you to member-- for a week-- if you are cool and understand that you violated trust on this one. On your blog, you write whatever you want. But when you publish as a trusted author, you don't go calling allies names.
Piss on Josh Marshall? Come on. I sure hope you see that this was poor judgment. If you had objectively discussed your feelings about Marshall's approach to the story, I would have had no complaint. I don't like to do this, but feel it is part of the process I need to go through, including letting Josh Marshall know about it. I will not mention your name, if he missed it.
It looks like it hasn't shown up on google news and that you DO have it on your blog. I think you're making a mistake. Strong progressive media people are too few and far between. Josh Marshall does a great job overall. Yesterday I headlined an article that raised the questionable background of the tasered guy, in the article that included Harry Potter in the title. I think our story was more measured and covered the range of issues.
Look, I don't like doing this or sending this to you. But in three years or five, if you are still at this, you may find yourself facing Josh Marshall, or even wanting a job or something from him and he may remember you as the asshole (in his mind, at the least) who wrote ...
I think you ought to plug this into the hold for 24 hours queue, then dump it. I've deleted the article, maybe the third out of 40,000+ that we've published in the past 28 months.
Sincerely,
rob kall
Here's that awful piece about Josh Marshall:
-Body of Article Copy-
Piss on Josh Marshall .
A college kid get tasered, his civil rights go down the drain as John Kerry stands by, and Marshall writes:
Will Bunch has some very interesting background on that guy who got tased down at the Kerry event.
Turns out that Andrew Meyer, a journalism major, is a social critic who writes a lot of critical pieces, and actually makes some jokes as a 21-old-year college student.
Wow, Marshall, that is really interesting!
How about the fact that a man cannot ask impolitic (to John Kerry) questions at a Q & A, at college no less.
Marshall has showed signs before of social climbing before; snuggling up to DoJ officials, for example, as an apparent means of demonstrating that Marhsall is in the know.
It's pathetic that Marshall shows no empathy for this outrage, or indignation for this assault both on an individual and democracy.
Chris Matthews had the best stuff on this disgusting action.
Marshall has nothing, but smirking and like Kerry: Aristocratic bearing. ###
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