The Roar Of The Greasepaint...

Oh what lovely political theater.

Crowded rooms, critical votes and to top it off, a hallway scuffle which resulted in the detention of a state Senator.

Since no correspondent from the Drift was present, let's go to the screed masters in the local press to see if we can dope out what happened.

First the AJC:

Tensions flared when coalition members, led by state Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta), were barred from the small Grady board room before the meeting and were offered instead seats in the lobby with audio from the meeting. But Fort refused to give ground and was handcuffed by security for a short time. There was a scuffle between security guards and several public observers before the meeting was moved to a larger auditorium across the street.

And from Atlanta Progressive News:

Atlanta Police officers physically wrangled with State Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta), former Atlanta City Councilman Derrick Boazman, and two other activists, during a confrontation with protesters shortly before the 10-member Fulton-Dekalb Hospital Authority unanimously approved a resolution to privatize Grady Hospital.

They report, you can decide. But to provide a little context, APN is the outlet who described the ridiculous incident involving Andrew Meyer as "police at the University of Florida tackled, then Tasered -- or shocked with high-voltage electricity -- a journalism student last week, renewing a vigorous debate in the United States and abroad on police abuses of power and the struggle to preserve free speech." (emphasis added)

After the opening round of Commedia dell'arte, the Grady board got down to the serious meat of the performance. The members unanimously voted to move to a 501(3)c non-profit structure, but with a few conditions.

The new board would be appointed by the current board and would contain at least four current members. The new board would then appoint the subsequent board thus providing a transition phase. However, by leaving in place artifacts from the previous administration, the board has already received criticism of not really changing anything.

The board also demanded written guarantees of funding from both the business community and the state government. Naturally, the politicians, who fear promises in writing like moles fear daylight, cried blackmail.

So where does this leave us?

Despite the hue and cry, Grady continues to lurch incrementally towards both restructuring and state funding. Whether publicly stated or not, most agree both will happen. It's just a matter of everyone having their say in the final act.

In the flashbangs, smudge pots and fog machines, many may have missed the most critical soliloquy in yesterday's performance. Like a barker announcing to the audience the next act will start in 15, Pete Correll illuminated the real deal.

...the Grady board has taken a "courageous first step," he anticipates further negotiations between Grady and some of the parties".

In other words, we ain't done yet.

The Face Of Non-Violence

I ruffled the feathers of a few friends with my defense of University of Florida security in their dealings with one young Andrew Meyer.

Events in the world now allow me to explain what may have seemed like an overly passionate response.

It all started with a comment by a single person about how horribly this "non-violent" protestor was treated. At that point, the die was cast. Anger replaced reason.

When I think of non-violent protests, I think of the horror of endless lines of Indians marching forward into a line of British soldiers, fully aware the only result would be the end of a rifle butt. I also think of John Lewis, long ago on that bridge in Alabama, with a baton smashed into is forehead. I now also will think of calm, shorn, holy women marching out of their refuges of peace towards certain death.

In the last week, Buddhist nuns, who in Burma are called Keepers of Virtue, amongst other honored titles, shyly left their shelters and joined with Buddhist monks to protest Senior General Than Schwe’s policies that have purposely bankrupted Burma so he could float in diamonds and rubies while the people drowned in poverty...My correspondent relays that there is nary a nun to be seen anywhere. The fears are high that something very bad has taken place and is being hidden by Than Schwe.

To walk towards death. Surely it requires a reserve of will which few ever tap.

To in any way, in any manner, compare these actions to the antics of an attention seeking jackass who was able to sleep in his own bed less than 24 hours later is an insult so great, it simply will not abide.

Will not abide.

There are still some things that matter in this world.

What Happened Before The Tape?

Maybe this will be the last time I write about this idiocy, but probably not.

One question about the Andrew Meyer incident is why were police already near him at the beginning of the videos?

The police report may provide the answer. From the officer's point of view, jackass had already disrupted the forum once and despite their attempt to remove him, pleas from Senator Kerry swayed them to let him return to the mic. And that's where all the videos begin. With Meyer ranting once again and the officers standing nearby.

From Officer Wise's report.

I noticed the ACCENT supervisor talking to the individuals left in line on the opposite side of the auditorium where I was positioned. I noticed him talking to an individual in line (later identified as Andrew Meyer). This conversation caught my eye due to the student's some what aggressive posturing towards the ACCENT supervisor. At this point I noticed the ACCENT supervisor walking halfway up the aisle on the side of the auditorium and I was signaled by the ACCENT supervisor (sponsors of the event) in reference to the individual. I was stationed at the rear corner of the auditorium during the event. When I approached the area where the microphone was placed for questions for the Senator, a young man was causing a disturbance by shouting loudly at the Senator. The individual began to shout that the Senator needed to answer his question and stated he was going to jail. These statements were made before I reached the individual in question. The individual was later identified by his Florida driver license as Andrew William Meyer. I proceeded to Meyer's location and advised him that he needed to stop yelling and causing a disturbance or he would be escorted off the property. Meyer was stating he had sat in the auditorium for two hours and demanded that he ask his question to the Senator and everyone else in the auditorium that still had questions be allowed
to speak. The sponsors of the event had advised the individuals in the question line that the Senator would not be able to answer any more questions from the audience. Because of this, the question and answer session would be over before Meyer could ask his question. Meyer would not comply with my directions or the staff from ACCENT to leave because the session was over. I grabbed Meyer's arm in the transporter position and began to escort him up the aisle. Meyer was still shouting at the Senator to answer his questions as he was being escorted. Senator Kerry asked me to let Meyer ask his question. At this point he was brought back to the microphone and I stood beside him on the left side and Ofc. Mallo on his right side. Meyer handed a camera to a girl who was also in line to ask a question (this student was actually in front of Meyer's)

And from the point of view of Sgt King who entered from the rear of the auditorium:

When I arrived upstairs, I observed Meyer being very loud and yelling while Officers Mallo and Wise were attempting to walk him out. While they were walking him out Senator Kerry asked them to allow him to ask his question. The officers allowed him to go back to the microphone.

So much for Senator Kerry not attempting to intervene. So much for the "facist", "militaristic" or whatever perjorative you prefer police attempting to prevent an innocent young man's attempt to ask a Senator tough questions.

Taser Use Appropriate

This is the damnedest story I've ever seen. It just will not die. Three days after University of Florida student Andrew Meyer's impromptu episode of jackass, some continue to decry the "brutality" and the "torture".

Well, since we have all now moved onto the "let's roll out our experts" phase, here's mine.

Geoffrey Alpert, University of South Carolina professor of criminal justice currently conducting a study on the use of tasers for the U.S. Justice Department.

Under those facts, the use of a Taser is totally reasonable...It's technically justifiable, but I don't think it was necessary. They could have subdued him with the group of officers they had...The question is whether he posed a reasonable threat to the officers that had no other way to get him under control.

So we have a national opinion, how about the view of some local law enforcement? Orange County (that's Orlando for you non-Florida folk) Sheriff Capt. David Ogden, an expert in the use of force.

...the Gainesville incident appeared to be a "textbook," justified use. Tasers prevent further injury to officers and suspects. Use of force isn't pretty. Nobody doesn't say the Taser doesn't hurt. But the second it's done, it's done.

So, now do we continue to play the tit-for-tat game until the cows come home or shall we all move on to something a little more important than an at worst questionable use of force to get a single jackass under control?

The Left's New Meme

In case you thought modern mythological creations were only spawned by the right.

Today's news shows a recognizable shock moment in the annals of a closing society. A very ordinary-looking American student -- Andrew Meyer, 21, at the University of Florida - was tasered by police when he asked a question of Senator John Kerry about the impeachment of President George Bush.

Ummmmmmm, no he wasn't. He was tasered after repeatedly acting in an erratic manner and continuously lashing out out at security officers.

Lies. You can find them at every point on the spectrum.