Spring Break
Taser incident ignites debate
Erik Myers and Jessi Stafford
Issue date: 9/21/07 Section: News
Monday's incident on the University of Florida's campus in which a student was Tasered while speaking out during an assembly has sparked debate across the country over free speech and the use of a Taser by law enforcement officials.
While many students at CSU questioned the intentions of student Andrew Meyer, who was subdued by officers after drawing over his allotted question time at Sen. John Kerry's speech, many expressed concerns about police resorting to Tasering Meyer while he allegedly resisted arrest.
Local attorney and CSU technical journalism instructor, Lee Christian, said the first amendment, especially in regards to free speech on college campuses, is a complex issue. But, simply put, he said limitations of speech are mostly going to be of a time and place manner.
"Certainly, a student could raise their hand and say 'hey Christian, you suck'… the classroom is one of those public forums," he said.
Yet, if a student was obviously disrupting another student's learning then it could be justified to end the student's disruptive speech, Christian said, but there has to be a legitimate motive to do so.
"You need a good reason to curtail someone's speech," he said.
Aside from the few situations on campus where free speech is certainly limited, like classrooms late at night and residence halls, most of the CSU campus is open to free speech.
"It should be expected," Christian said.
And government is one of the most common topics students speak out against, which is not only legal, but also anticipated, Christian said.
"Getting in John Kerry's face is something that needs to be tolerated (on university campuses), if not overly tolerated," he said.
In regards to the UF case, assemblies are examples of times when free speech is more limited.
"If he was disrupting an assembly, he could be asked to leave," Christian said. "But the Taser thing is totally different, people die from Tasers."
While many students at CSU questioned the intentions of student Andrew Meyer, who was subdued by officers after drawing over his allotted question time at Sen. John Kerry's speech, many expressed concerns about police resorting to Tasering Meyer while he allegedly resisted arrest.
Local attorney and CSU technical journalism instructor, Lee Christian, said the first amendment, especially in regards to free speech on college campuses, is a complex issue. But, simply put, he said limitations of speech are mostly going to be of a time and place manner.
"Certainly, a student could raise their hand and say 'hey Christian, you suck'… the classroom is one of those public forums," he said.
Yet, if a student was obviously disrupting another student's learning then it could be justified to end the student's disruptive speech, Christian said, but there has to be a legitimate motive to do so.
"You need a good reason to curtail someone's speech," he said.
Aside from the few situations on campus where free speech is certainly limited, like classrooms late at night and residence halls, most of the CSU campus is open to free speech.
"It should be expected," Christian said.
And government is one of the most common topics students speak out against, which is not only legal, but also anticipated, Christian said.
"Getting in John Kerry's face is something that needs to be tolerated (on university campuses), if not overly tolerated," he said.
In regards to the UF case, assemblies are examples of times when free speech is more limited.
"If he was disrupting an assembly, he could be asked to leave," Christian said. "But the Taser thing is totally different, people die from Tasers."
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 41
SpellChecker
posted 9/21/07 @ 9:43 AM MST
Your headline for incident is misspelled as incendent.
You should be ashamed.
John
posted 9/21/07 @ 3:27 PM MST
What????? It's justified to taser someone because they're being disruptive? Are you serious? If 8 police officers can't "subdue" one person without using a taser they have some serious training issues there. (Continued…)
Jason
posted 9/22/07 @ 10:31 AM MST
He deserved everything he got.
He was coninually asked to leave. He refused and freaked out. He was asked to calm down. He refused. He was flailing around wildly and resisting the officers. (Continued…)
Bob
posted 9/22/07 @ 10:38 AM MST
They should have zapped him again when they got him off camera, and back in the police dept. Matter if fact I'll zap his ass if I had the chance. Freedom of speech is not for you to make an ass of your self in front of cameras so you can put in on youtube
John
posted 9/22/07 @ 11:10 AM MST
"Monday's incident on the University of Florida's campus in which a student was Tasered while speaking out during an assembly has sparked debate across the country over free speech and the use of a Taser by law enforcement officials. (Continued…)
Sheldon Harris
posted 9/22/07 @ 11:28 AM MST
College students keep pushing the parameters of free speech. One enrolled in college is not the final answer to the world problems. Before striking out on your own you should realize several things. (Continued…)
John
posted 9/22/07 @ 11:43 AM MST
Get the facts before you debate the issue. If you read student eyewitness accounts of what happened, you'll find that this jerk was being both *physically* disruptive as well as verbally. (Continued…)
grandmother barbara
posted 9/22/07 @ 12:05 PM MST
Freedom of speech does not mean that you can or should say anything that may come into your small mind. Life alone will give you a better idea about how to express your feelings without showing your lack of a vocabulary where you fall into the lowest class of humanity by using cuss words. (Continued…)
Bush Fan
posted 9/22/07 @ 12:05 PM MST
That little shit head got what he deserved. So screw him
NSC
posted 9/22/07 @ 12:36 PM MST
First of all I want to commend the Editors of the Collegian for being so smart by using the "F" word. We know it always adds SOOOOOO much to a debate to use curse words. (Continued…)
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