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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I understand perfectly well that you're unhappy
with Theresa's boy</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>and I'm skeptical about your assertion. Would you
have extended your argument to the Yippies in Chicago in '68? Violence as speech
in a political setting. I do not believe that the constitution gives a person
unlimited license to act the fool as long as what they say (or do) can in some
vague way be construed as a political statement.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>g</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>----- Original Message ----- </FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>From: "Sunil Ramalingam" <</FONT><A
href="mailto:sunilramalingam@hotmail.com"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>sunilramalingam@hotmail.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial
size=2>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Cc: <</FONT><A
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>vision2020@moscow.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sent: Saturday, September 22, 2007 10:49
AM</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Kerry speech/student
tasered</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><BR><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT></DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>> Wrong. I absolutely would make the identical argument.
I'm talking about <BR>> the Constitution, not my own preferences. And
isince you missed it, most of <BR>> my condemnation here is for the person I
voted for in the last election, not <BR>> Bush.<BR>> <BR>>
Sunil<BR>> <BR>> <BR>>>From: "g. crabtree" <</FONT><A
href="mailto:jampot@roadrunner.com"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>jampot@roadrunner.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial
size=2>><BR>>>To: "Sunil Ramalingam" <</FONT><A
href="mailto:sunilramalingam@hotmail.com"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>sunilramalingam@hotmail.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial
size=2>><BR>>>CC: <</FONT><A
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>vision2020@moscow.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial
size=2>><BR>>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Kerry speech/student
tasered<BR>>>Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:51:43
-0700<BR>>><BR>>>I very much doubt that you would be making the same
argument if the guy was <BR>>>a raving Bush supporter who refused to stand
down after his time was up and <BR>>>only wanted to hold forth, not ask a
specific question.<BR>>><BR>>>g<BR>>>----- Original Message
----- From: "Sunil Ramalingam" <BR>>><</FONT><A
href="mailto:sunilramalingam@hotmail.com"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>sunilramalingam@hotmail.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial
size=2>><BR>>>Cc: <</FONT><A
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>vision2020@moscow.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial
size=2>><BR>>>Sent: Friday, September 21, 2007 6:25
PM<BR>>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Kerry speech/student
tasered<BR>>><BR>>><BR>>>>Paul,<BR>>>><BR>>>>The
possibility that the student was looking to 'shake things up' is,
if<BR>>>>true, irrelevant. He was at a political forum engaging
in political <BR>>>>speech.<BR>>>> That's protected by
the First Amendment. None of us have to like it;
<BR>>>>it's<BR>>>>protected speech. I wouldn't say there
was a 'conspiracy' to shut his <BR>>>>views<BR>>>>down, but
someone made the wrong decision to shut down what was clearly
a<BR>>>>dialog between him and Kerry.<BR>>>><BR>>>>I
won't defend the decision to taser him. I think it's abominable.
They<BR>>>>shouldn't have been touching him, let alone choosing between
options such <BR>>>>as<BR>>>>electrocuting him or dislocating
his shoulder or breaking his wrist. They<BR>>>>were state actors
shutting down free speech, and they shouldn't have been<BR>>>>doing
anything of the sort. They should have allowed him to exercise
his<BR>>>>rights.<BR>>>><BR>>>>It would be different
if he showed up and did this in your living room;
<BR>>>>but<BR>>>>this was a political event. There are
few places where political speech <BR>>>>is<BR>>>>more
appropriate than in this setting.<BR>>>><BR>>>>You're right
that Kerry didn't initiate anything. Instead of trying to
<BR>>>>stop<BR>>>>this, he did nothing but drone on. He
could have told the cops there was <BR>>>>no<BR>>>>need for
their action. He could have reminded them that this is
America,<BR>>>>and that citizens are allowed to question politicians,
and that <BR>>>>politicians<BR>>>>answer to the People.
What a chance to show what free speech means! But<BR>>>>instead
he showed once again his innate ability to miss an
opportunity;<BR>>>>oddly enough, that was the thesis of one of the
student's
questions.<BR>>>><BR>>>>Sunil<BR>>>><BR>>>><BR>>>>>From:
Paul Rumelhart <</FONT><A href="mailto:godshatter@yahoo.com"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>godshatter@yahoo.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial
size=2>><BR>>>>>To: Ted Moffett <</FONT><A
href="mailto:starbliss@gmail.com"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>starbliss@gmail.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial
size=2>><BR>>>>>CC: Sunil Ramalingam <</FONT><A
href="mailto:sunilramalingam@hotmail.com"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>sunilramalingam@hotmail.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>>,
<BR>>>>>vision2020@moscow.com<BR>>>>>Subject: Re:
[Vision2020] Kerry speech/student tasered<BR>>>>>Date: Fri, 21 Sep
2007 17:34:15 -0700<BR>>>>><BR>>>>>I think there are a
couple of things going on here.<BR>>>>><BR>>>>>The first
was a decision by the police to remove him from the
microphone<BR>>>>>and from the vicinity. The second was to
taser him when they did. I'm<BR>>>>>unsure about the first
decision. I have little pity for him, because I<BR>>>>>think
he was looking for an avenue to "shake things up". That's just
my<BR>>>>>opinion. I also don't think he was removed from the
podium because of <BR>>>>>any<BR>>>>>specific thing he
said. I don't think he was removed because he
was<BR>>>>>upsetting Kerry, either. I think he was removed
because he was <BR>>>>>recognized<BR>>>>>as someone who
disrupts public events. I would rather that they let
him<BR>>>>>finish his question. However, I don't think he
wanted to be allowed to<BR>>>>>finish his question, I think he
wanted to make a scene. I don't see a<BR>>>>>conspiracy to
shut this man's views down. If he had asked them calmly
<BR>>>>>and<BR>>>>>politely, he would probably have been
fine.<BR>>>>><BR>>>>>The decision to taser him when they
did I can somewhat agree with. They<BR>>>>>were removing him
from the room, and he would not calm down and submit to<BR>>>>>that
action. When they had him on the ground, presumably trying to
get<BR>>>>>cuffs on him, he wouldn't stop shouting and wouldn't
cooperate. So they<BR>>>>>tasered him, after warning him they
were going to taser him several <BR>>>>>times,<BR>>>>>in
order to shake him up long enough to get control of him. I think
they<BR>>>>>chose to do that rather than to do something more
damaging, such as<BR>>>>>dislocating a shoulder or breaking a
wrist. I say that I can "somewhat"<BR>>>>>agree with the
decision because I'm not an expert in restraining
someone.<BR>>>>>Perhaps they had other less headline-making options
at their disposal.<BR>>>>><BR>>>>>This is all my opinion
from watching one of the videos on youtube that<BR>>>>>shows the
arrest, and from reading comments on various websites on
this<BR>>>>>guy's history.<BR>>>>><BR>>>>>I
also think this had nothing to do with Kerry. He was willing to
answer<BR>>>>>the questions, and he didn't initiate
anything.<BR>>>>><BR>>>>>Paul<BR>>>>><BR>>>>>Ted
Moffett wrote:<BR>>>>>>Sunil et.
al.<BR>>>>>> Sorry, I had not read the story at the
"Counterpunch" link you
<BR>>>>>>offered.<BR>>>>>>And given some of the
responses to this thread, I wonder how many others<BR>>>>>>read
the story. I found out what the student was questioning Kerry
<BR>>>>>>about<BR>>>>>>(the Palast book and the
"stolen" election of 2004, etc.) from
other<BR>>>>>>sources. The more I find out about what
happened in this incident, the<BR>>>>>>more disturbing the police
response appears. As the "Counterpunch"
<BR>>>>>>story<BR>>>>>>headline questions, "Why
did Senator John Kerry stand idly by?" I
<BR>>>>>>wonder<BR>>>>>>if Kerry has issued any
public responses to the coverage of this story
<BR>>>>>>in<BR>>>>>>the
media.<BR>>>>>> Meyer (the tasered student) asked very good
questions that need to be<BR>>>>>>asked over and
over...<BR>>>>>> The questions asked were, according to the
"Counterpunch" article:<BR>>>>>> At the conclusion of
Kerry's speech, Andrew Meyer, a 21-year old<BR>>>>>>journalism
student was selected by Senator Kerry to ask a question.
<BR>>>>>>Meyer<BR>>>>>>held up a copy of BBC
investigative reporter Greg Palast's book,
Armed<BR>>>>>>Madhouse, and asked if Kerry was aware that
Palast's investigations<BR>>>>>>determined that Kerry had
actually won the election. Why, Meyer asked,<BR>>>>>>had
Kerry conceded the election so quickly when there were so many
<BR>>>>>>obvious<BR>>>>>>examples of vote
fraud? Why, Meyer, went on to ask, was Kerry refusing
<BR>>>>>>to<BR>>>>>>consider Bush's impeachment
when Bush was about to initiate another act
<BR>>>>>>of<BR>>>>>>military aggression, this time
against
Iran?<BR>>>>>>------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>>>>>>Ted
Moffett<BR>>>>>><BR>>>><BR>>>><BR>>>>=======================================================<BR>>>>List
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size=2>>>>=======================================================<BR>>>><BR>>><BR>>><BR>>
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