[Vision2020] Kerry speech/student tasered

[Sunil Ramalingam]

Ted,

I thought I named Palast's book in my original post, but when I checked it, 
I simply said it was a book I'd referred to before.

But there's no question about whether this was political speech, and 
protected by the Constitution.  It absolutely was.  And there's no question 
that it was squashed by state action.  Pat Kraut's comments notwithstanding, 
there is no 'Impertinance Exception' or 'Inappropriate Manner Exception' 
that allows this action.

As Kai pointed out, our politicians represent us.  There is no excuse for 
squelching free speech just because one doesn't like the way it's being 
exercised.  Yesterday I read an article quoting a British journalist saying 
that if you could get arrested for raising your voice in a political 
discussion, the whole House of Commons would be tasered.

Sunil


>From: "Ted Moffett" <starbliss at gmail.com>
>To: Janesta <janesta at gmail.com>
>CC: vision2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Kerry speech/student tasered
>Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:20:50 -0700
>
>All-
>
>I have not read one comment in this threat regarding what the tasered
>student was asking John Kerry.  Maybe I missed it.
>
>What I heard in the media, which I have not verified, is that the student
>was holding a book by Greg Palast (in the video you can see the student is
>holding up a book during the incident), dealing with the election in 2004,
>which Palast (and others who have studied the facts carefully) asserts was
>stolen from Kerry via voting fraud and abuse of various kinds.  The student
>is questioning Kerry about why he did not do more to address the fact his
>election to the White House was stolen (my wording, not what the student 
>may
>have possibly said).
>
>If this is indeed what the student was asking John Kerry, the question is
>important.
>
>The student may have been being disruptive in pushing his question
>"inappropriately" during this appearance by Kerry. But unless there is a
>threat of violence, or vandalism, etc. I don't understand why law
>enforcement needed to arrest someone using violence for asking questions
>during a public event.  But I'm not certain of the total context in which
>law enforcement felt they needed to take these actions.  I suspect the fact
>a US Senator was in the room resulted in a high level of police security 
>for
>the event, and they did not want to take any chances of someone "out of
>control" doing harm to Kerry.
>
>Everyone knows how managed public appearances have become for
>politicians. Nothing "off script" is allowed, if possible.  Some 
>politicians
>screen everyone at their public appearances before they are allowed in.  
>The
>audience is thus pre-selected to avoid protest.  George W. Bush is well
>known for "public" appearances of this sort
>
>Ted Moffett
>
>
>On 9/21/07, Janesta <janesta at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > I don't care if the guy did this 1000 times before. Violence should 
>NEVER
> > be used to silence the opinion of another.
> >
> > Janesta
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 9/20/07, Andreas Schou <ophite at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > On 9/20/07, Pat Kraut < pkraut at moscow.com> wrote:
> > > > On this kids web site he has other occasions when he has 'diturbed 
>the
> > >
> > > > peace' and asked for all he got. His mic had been turned off by
> > > someone who
> > > > thought he had gone on long enough so it wasn't just the cops who
> > > thought he
> > > > had pushed his limits. Its just one more example of the current
> > > generation
> > > > pushing the boundries and grownups being unable or unwilling to draw 
>a
> > > line
> > > > in manners and behavior.
> > >
> > > Pat --
> > >
> > > In what universe is being rude punishable through coercive use of
> > > state violence?
> > >
> > > -- ACS
> > >
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