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The very definition of a facist state

November 17, 2006   

Seriously, America, you don’t see that this is everything that we don’t want to be, that this is everything we are supposed to stand against?

A_B has good commentary on his blog, as well as links to other places with good commentary.

The biggest issues for me are:

  • Do people honestly think it was ‘necessary force’ to use a taser repeatedly on a guy who was already handcuffed and only physically resisting to the degree that he was lying down on the ground and didn’t get up? Did he pose a physical threat to the three or four cops that were there? They couldn’t just take him to the station? It appears from the video and the shouting that they tasered him NOT because he was a physical threat but because he didn’t stand when they said stand. The implications of this being ok in a non-police state is tremendous.
  • What were they arresting him for initially? He was leaving, as requested, by the time the cops arrived. If what he was in violation of was not leaving, and then he was leaving, isn’t that ok? Why *did* they put their hands on him? Do people believe you should be allowed to be physically contacted by police when you are not being arrested?

Frankly, maybe I wouldn’t have screamed the stuff the guy did if I were him. But let’s say my name was Mostafa and I had the “wrong” skin color for the times. Given the types of laws that have been passed and the kinds of stories about detainment I’ve heard recently, and that they seemed to want to arrest me solely for having forgotten my student ID when I really do go to the school, I’d be terrified of what could happen if I was taken somewhere with no witnesses. So maybe I would try to get the attention of the people around me.

After the first tasering, it would just be abject terror that was operating at that point.

5 Comments
hapacheese
November 17, 2006 at 4:06 pm

If, as a citizen, you feel that a fellow citizen is in danger of being abused or killed by police for unjust reasons, what, if any, rights do you have? If you were to try to stop the police, I’m sure they would throw the book at you (obstruction of justice, assaulting a police officer, and all that jazz), but would you have any recourse?

Just watching the video, aside from feeling horrible for the guy being tazered, I also felt really bad for the onlookers. It looked like some of them were at least tempted to do something, but were utterly helpless.

Anonymous
November 17, 2006 at 4:27 pm

One of the best things that happened here was for a student to capture the event on video. You saw others attempting to get the badge numbers. Had his life been in real danger, though, I am sure most people would run for their lives. Maybe one would be heroic and try and stop it; but if that threat actually existed, I wouldn’t hold it against anyone to fear for their own safety and flee. I can’t see anyone sticking around and ignoring the situation, nor do I think someone would egg the cops on.

Dateline (or whoever) did a test as it pertained to domestic dispute in a public place. Many people who were parents stood up. Some just walked by. Some called the cops on their cell phones. Results actually did vary depending on race, but especially with the age of the one being yelled at. It would be interesting to see results of law enforcement disputes turning violent.

One thing to remember before crossing that line from spectator to participator: you can’t do anything if you’re unconcious or dead. Be sure your safety is secure before jumping to the rescue.

Seppo
November 17, 2006 at 5:52 pm

The Tipping Point had an interesting section on people’s propensity towards intervening in various situations. Their conclusion was basically that the more people saw what was happening, the more likely one was to think that it’s “someone else’s problem,” and that they don’t have to address it. It’s an interesting section of the book, and worth reading, IMO.

hapacheese
November 17, 2006 at 6:46 pm

Yeah… Mob Mentality. There’s a famous case that’s used as a case study of sorts in psychology classes. A young girl was being chased (naked, from what I remember) across a bridge by a large man. He caught her and beat her to death… all while a large crowd of people watched. Some even had cell phones. No one did a thing.

ei-nyung
November 17, 2006 at 10:34 pm

Seppo: Mob mentality studies have been around for decades before The Tipping Point. 😀 Intro to Psyche classes all teach it. I think I learned about it in psyche class way back in high school in 1991, sophomore year.

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