Tuesday 12 April 2011

Abuse of Power

Fuck tha police!
  A little while back (well, three years ago), a video was uploaded to youtube, in which a University of Florida student was tasered and arrested at a forum for simply asking a question. Original video here. This is far from the only video of its kind, and sure it may now be old news, but I still cannot watch this video without getting really frustrated! My frustration is not only with the policemen and women abusing their power in doing this, but also with the hundreds of people there, some shouting asking why nobody is doing anythign, and yet not intervening themselves.
   Now, I get that in large groups of people there is a dispersion of responsibility (or whatever the fancy psychology terminology is), but it just saddens me that had one person intervened and put themselves out there where being punished is possible, then it could have all gone differently. We are raised given mixed messages regarding whether or not we should intervene in such situations; as a child I could not tell you how many times I had the poem "First they came" read to me as a child (here), yet was also frequently told to stay out of things that didn't involve me! Told to look out for myself...
   Thankfully I've turned out to be somebody who I like to think would intervene should something be going against my beliefs, and I try to whenever possible. But anyway, below is the video that brought this topic to my mind... The cop in this is being a bit of a douche, but I think it's made better by the fact that he is on his own (pretty much), and that the kids are actually in the wrong... Still, he goes to unnecessary lengths, and as a result makes a bit of a fool of himself... 

30 comments:

  1. wow that video is crazy hes full of rage!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Don't you skate on my lawn man! He'll eat you skater punks! Nice one man ahahahahahaha He crashed his cart!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh Spoiler!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Haha I know the cart crash was great!

    ReplyDelete
  4. While things like this are hilarious, they are also a testament to our continually diminishing freedom.

    ReplyDelete
  5. ahahah that cart crash was funny

    ReplyDelete
  6. i'm against violence of any kind.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I absolutely agree. When I see videos of people who have the privilege of power only to abuse it I get pissed. What kind of shit is that? Your fancy uniform and shit not enough? Your tiny balls need to grow a little so you take it out on other people.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Assholes. They were clearly trespassing, and trying to take detained possessions back without permission is stupid. The police officer was in the right.
    Please check out my blog too!

    ReplyDelete
  9. and then crash! (: That was awesome

    ReplyDelete
  10. The problem with freedom of speech is that it varies person to person. Unfortunately for him, his speech was diagnosed as causing a disturbance and action was taken. Sad to see, but welcome to society.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I wish something like that would happen to me. I would've dropped his fat ass with a four count so quickly XD

    ReplyDelete
  12. That's one fat skateboard hating security guy.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I remember this one. I think we can all finally discuss it without yelling "DON'T TAZE ME BRO!" :P I guess nowadays you just don't act that way and expect to get away with it. Yeah, freedom of speech and whatnot, but he kind of asked for it. =/

    ReplyDelete
  14. Goddamn. Taking his skateboard away was a bit too far. Should have just told the punks to scram.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I completely disagree that the security guy was in the right at all here; he just ran up and pushed him off his skateboard... He should've just told them to leave...

    ReplyDelete
  16. The security guard in the video referenced previous times he warned and asked for the skaters to leave. I used to skate myself, but private property is private property... Someone asked us to leave, we did.

    On another note, this post hits home with the recent(ish) protests here in the UK over student fees. The police brutality videos that have emerged from it but not being given any press coverage is pretty interesting to think about.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Watching that video was a bit depressing. I mean...I'm sure the video didn't tell the whole story, but it seemed like both parties were in the wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  18. haha. this shit is great. I like how he shakes his hand and is like "were cool"

    ReplyDelete
  19. eek honestly, it is disgusting what cops can
    do just because they are in "power". It also saddens me that no one will do anything but just watch!! It sucks, as a girl I'm not sure if I'd be the first one to jump in but I'd certainly get pissed.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Power always attracts people who want it, but I believe there much more people who actually take those jobs for higher reasons. Or at least I want to believe >___>

    ReplyDelete
  21. Well that man is clearly insane.

    ReplyDelete
  22. stupid fat ass... i hate that kind

    ReplyDelete
  23. Have you heard of Salvatore Riveri? His video could be relevant to your discussion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPEeCYPGjm0

    ReplyDelete
  24. Real police or just insane campus police? loled so hard when he crashed :D

    ReplyDelete
  25. lol`d when he crashes into the bush

    ReplyDelete