[pp.int.general] PPI like an International Party (the first?)

[Ray Jenson]

Andrew Norton wrote:
> Even Stephen Colbert noticed it, when he talked about the 'don't taser me bro' kid, how the others sat and did nothing, and then went home and blogged about it.

Speaking of which, prime fodder for a press release. And I wouldn't say
they did nothing... those officers were armed with tasers and pepper
spray (unless I miss my guess about the contents of certain portions of
the officers' utility belts).

They charged him with inciting a riot, disturbing the peace, disorderly
conduct, and resisting arrest. The fact of the matter is, all of this is
in direct opposition to freedom of speech, and freedom of peaceable
assembly, both of which are guaranteed by our country's Constitution.
What he did was disrespectful and arrogant, to be sure, but he did not
really do anything wrong other than badgering Kerry to the point that
the police responded in order to keep the peace. Nobody was really
moving in the whole place against Kerry, and in spite of the belittling
speech that the kid used (whose name was Andrew, for what it's worth),
nothing he actually did was criminal. Shouting is not a criminal
offense, and he certainly wasn't shouting obscenities until the police
responded and he asked WTF he did wrong... other than that, there was
actually very little he did wrong.

> kids these days... 

The kids were actually trying to do something, and were on the point of
riot, had the officers not drawn their weapons (in this case, tasers),
there would have very likely been a riot, since they were shouting
questions about what he did wrong.

The video clearly shows that though he was disrespectful and rude, very
little of what he did actually was in violation of any law. He also
demanded to know what he had done wrong, and they didn't explain it to
him until after they had tasered him. He was entirely in the right,
which is why I think they'll bring a successful case against him of
proving he was guilty.

Sorry, but stuff like that really makes me angry. And when I'm pissed
off, I'm expressive.