I’ll try to make this brief for a change. There are limits to the right of free speech. You are not permitted to shout “fire” in a theater. Mr. Meyer (look at bob’s link, it shows more of Mr. Meyer’s bad conduct) was not interested in what the event was intended to be, a Kerry speech followed by a Q&A. Mr. Meyer asks at least 8 different questions, all in an accusatory tone, and does not give Mr. Kerry an opportunity to exercise HIS right to free speech and respond. In fact, at one point Mr. Meyer says “I’m going to inform these people, THEN you can answer.” If that is what Mr. Meyer wishes to do, he should schedule his own debate event rather than disrupting this one. If I had been an audience member, I would have been offended by Mr. Meyer, even though I am no fan of Kerry, as bob well knows.
Before anyone laid a hand on him, Mr. Meyer repeatedly refuses to leave the mike, refuses to calm down, and refuses to give Mr. Kerry a chance to answer. The police then try to lead him to the side of the audience, he refuses to go. Then, even though he is surrounded by multiple officers, and is lawfully instructed to leave (they still haven’t tried to arrest him) he refuses.
Mr. Meyer then rushes toward the stage and Mr. Kerry. Quite honestly, Mr. Kerry here is significantly endangered by the lack of training of these police for this type of situation. They UNDERREACTED, placing Mr. Kerry in danger. If Mr. Kerry had had a Secret Service escort, Mr. Meyer would never have had an opportunity to rush toward the stage. Regardless, when he did so, the Secret Service would have swamped him while Mr. Kerry was rushed from the building. If he reached inside his clothing, got closer to Mr. Kerry, or otherwise behaved even more suspiciously, they would have been justified in shooting him dead.
You see, the sole duty of Mr. Kerry’s security should have been to protect the principal, Mr. Kerry. You in hindsight see a rude student who, it turns out, was embarrassing for Mr. Kerry but not a serious threat. The security cannot assume that. Mr. Meyer could have been a terrorist (they aren’t all surly Middle Eastern types). He could have been insane (he doesn’t look that different than Hinckley did). He could have had some secret stalker love crush on Mr. Kerry. Who knows? The point is, the security is supposed to assume the worst and react immediately. These police were not trained in such matters, so they gave Mr. Meyer way too many breaks.
They then again try to push him out of the auditorium, UNCUFFED. Huge mistake even for police. He could still be a threat to Mr. Kerry or the police. He could have accomplices. He could have a weapon stowed anywhere in the area. He should, at a minimum, been immediately cuffed and removed. Instead, they gave him plenty of opportunities to play around and resist arrest. Mr. Meyer was not only uncooperative, he repeatedly does everything he can to create a scene. Unfortunately, neither video can give a clear view of what exactly was happening when he was tasered, but it is clear he certainly wasn’t permitting his hands to be put into position to be cuffed, thus the tasering was, I believe, legally justified as a nonlethal submission effort. Actually, it was probably safer to taser him than the struggling that was going on, as it is very easy to accidentally suffocate someone, break a rib, rupture an organ, etc. in those conditions. As a former corrections officer, I’ve been there.
Regardless, they were, IMPROPERLY AND TOO GENEROUSLY, at one point just trying to rush him up the aisle and out. If he had simply left, he very well may not have been arrested at all. If he had simply asked a question and received an answer, none of this would have happened. If he had simply not insisted on making it the Andrew Meyer show, and calmly, reasonably exercised his right to free speech, and permitted others to do so as well, none of it would have happened. His “what did I do” mantra is both hypocritical and ingenuous. He knew exactly what he was doing, and provoked exactly the sort of conduct he intended. He got exactly the scene he wanted. He certainly could have asked a critical question or made a critical comment, but that wasn’t enough for him. Why should anyone have helped him break the law and disrupt a peaceful assembly. Not only was he guilty of disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, he violated the right to free speech and assembly of other persons present. There is no absolute right to free speech, you cannot express yourself to the detriment of the expression of others. There is no civil liberties violation here other than that justified by the danger and disruption posed by Mr. Meyer. If he had broken away from the police, moved toward the stage, and pulled a handgun out and shot Kerry, then everyone would wonder why the police didn’t do anything sooner.
And none of this is specific to Bush or Kerry. You may recall that during Clinton’s presidency, an elderly couple went up to Mr. Clinton at a fundraiser, and while Mr. Clinton was shaking hands with them, called him something to the effect of “a lying jerk” (I forget the precise details). They were immediately swamped by the Secret Service, arrested, and held without outside contact or being permitted the advice of legal counsel for 3 days. I don’t care who the President or the speaker is, unless the event was planned as an open debate, they are owed at least common courtesy, which Mr. Meyer clearly didn’t do. Further, he was an apparent security risk. In my opinion, these police should have resolved the matter by arresting and removing Mr. Meyer much sooner, without trying to “talk him down.” If Mr. Meyer wants to lecture or demonstrate, the place for that is outside the event. Hey, in the ‘80s I was called a racist by Rev. Jackson, forced out of a news conference and nearly arrested WHILE I WAS AN INVITED JOURNALIST because, after another reporter asked Gary Hart about the Donna Rice scandal, I asked first Sen. Paul Simon, then Rev. Jackson, if they had any similar problems with extramarital affairs. Since two Caucasians had been asked before Rev. Jackson, I still fail to see how it was a racist question. As we all know, turns out the good Rev. did have some problems in that regard.
And I failed to make it brief, but you did ask me the question.
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