UF student Meyer apologizes

[Scurrilous]

Source: Gainesville Sun

<snip>

"Andrew Meyer, the University of Florida student Tasered by police last month, will issue multiple letters of apology today and withdraw from school until January, according to his attorney.

Meyer's letters, which contain variations on the same mea culpa, are addressed to UF President Bernie Machen, the UF Police and "the UF community and the Gator Nation the world over."

Meyer was Tasered by UF Police Sept. 17 after he refused to be physically escorted from the University Auditorium during a town hall forum with U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. Police tried to remove Meyer after he used vulgar language in his questioning of Kerry.

"At the John Kerry forum, I stepped out of line," Meyer writes in one letter. "There were rules in place to ensure that the forum was run in an orderly fashion, and I did not follow them."





Read more: http://www.gainesvillesun.com/article/20071030/NEWS/710300319/1007/NEWS

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

1. How did this kid go from impassioned disruptor to bland drone?

:shrug: MKJ

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. Perhaps he is back on his meds

[mac56]

9. my thoughts exactly

:thumbsup:

[goddess40]

2. Still no reason ot taser him

Cops have gotten sick on power - Sadly, I no longer have much respect for them. Those that stand by and do nothing about their overzealous co-workers are is some ways worse than those that are too quick to mace and stun their victims.

[robcon]

3. Do you think the apologies are part of a plea bargain?

It seems they are too all-inclusive to be the true independent thoughts of Meyer.

[Scurrilous]

5. Yep..

...his attorney probably worked out a deal. Meyer apologizes and the charges are dropped. We'll find out later today possibly.

[Jim__]

8. Yep - no charges for UF student.

Link to DU thread

[karynnj]

11. They aren't all that all inclusive

Note he does not apologize to Senator Kerry, who treated him with far more civility than he deserved and let him ask a question. In fact, he STILL ignores that the best way for him to have gotten the answer he wanted would have been to have asked the Senator what his opinion was of the conclusions Palast reached, after the Senator told him he had read the book. As it was, he cut the Senator off when he attempted to answer the question by continuing his rant. Those were 2 opportunities, he kicked away that could have gotten him a discourse. Not to mention a politely worded question would have done that in the first place. If he really wanted answers, he wouldn't have been an antagonist from the beginning - calling the Senator's speech crap is not designed to start a discourse. (Also, it does not bode well for the type of journalist he will become as Kerry is one of the most knowledgeable people on foreign affairs.)

Out of everyone involved, the Senator was one most victimized by his idiocy. His staff clearly had to spend a few days dealing with it and it hurt his reputation of being a politic figure who has always been more ready to speak calmly and respectfully to people who have problems with him. Even in his apology he said he went to the speech by a prominent Senator to be heard - and blames his behavior as hurting the message he wanted to spread. What CHUTZPAH! In his apology to the students - note the last paragraph where he apologizes to the other students and "concerned Americans". The guy still sees himself as a messianic hero.

[n2doc]

6. Returning to be "as insignificant as he should be"

as we all should be. Let the grown ups take care of things, they always do the best job!

:sarcasm:

[fasttense]

7. Strange, very strange. n/t

[Sequoia]

10. A little brain scrubbing?

"Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life."

[AlCzervik]

12. i'm pretty sure Keith Olbermann will be interviewing him tonight on Countdown.