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Go Ahead, Cop, Taser Me And Make Me Famous

Here's some great analysis from Conn Carroll of The Blogometer in the wake of the tasering of a student showboat at an event with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.:

Those under the delusion that the tasering of that FL student is a "iconic turning point" "in the annals of a closing society" need to get a hold of themselves and study up on the incident. The kid involved has a long history of taping practical jokes and by eyewitness accounts only fought police when the cameras were on him. Taser Bro is not a free-speech martyr: he is just the latest example of traditional media rewarding abject narcissism at the cost of public political discourse.

Unfortunately Taser Bro is not an isolated incident, and unless the media wises up fast they should expect more and more campaigns to shut off candidates from the public in response. For example, in '06 blogger Mike Stark, who was tackled by ex-Sen. George Allen, R-Va., staffers, admitted that he attended Allen events for the sole purpose of hoping to cause embarrassing altercations. For every macaca video out there that sheds justifiable light on a candidate, there are going to be 10 provocateurs seeking to disrupt public events in the hopes of becoming the next YouTube hero. The next time someone disrupts an event, before anyone gives them a second of coverage, let's first ask if this is just another Taser Bro.

On the other hand, not everyone with a camera has to be a Taser Bro. You can be a "preditor" instead. What's that, you say? Republican new media consultant David All has the answer:

With the rise of available and accessible distribution mechanisms ... there’s no longer an excuse for a candidate not to appear early and often on our desktops talking about all of the issues we care about. School choice. Broadband accessibility. Stem cell research. All the “long tail” issues we care about. ...

Quite simply, a preditor is an operative who is not only the producer/creative mind behind an ad, but also the editor. We produce and edit online videos. Some of it may go viral. Most of it won’t. But who cares? The investment is worth it. ...

We’re armed with cameras, Macs, and a clever eye for creative messaging. And perhaps most importantly, we know how to use all the tools in our tool box, which means a quick turnaround when time matters.

Posted by Danny | 09:15 PM

Comments

A tazer should be used when a gun would normally. Would it have been justifiable to shoot him with a gun? Just because it could be a less lethal method? You don't have to shoot a bullet into the chest, Leg shot would work....
What i am trying to say, I think they were Dead wrong with the use of a tazer in this case and the other case with the drunk woman in handcuffs from this week. see a pattern? Police use of tazers seems to be skyrocketing. ( Sorry I was AFK buying stock in tazers). And what if he had a pacemaker or somehow died from this. Would you still think it was justified because he asked a good question?

I would like to think that even if you disagree you can at least stand with him in demanding an answer. Or was i wrong in thinking it was a Question and ANSWER session.

Ken Spruill | 09.21.07 11:45 PM

Clearly we need to develop new tactics for security people. Ones that result in the subject being taken down quietly and - more importantly - painfully.

When these people wake up in a hospital, without their video but with internal injuries, they'll think twice before doing it again.

Ripper | 09.21.07 11:57 PM

"We’re armed with cameras, Macs, and a clever eye for creative messaging. And perhaps most importantly, we know how to use all the tools in our tool box, which means a quick turnaround when time matters."

Well there's the problem right there. I don't know too many Republicans that use Macs, since most have real jobs that use real computers.

http://www.onestat.com/html/aboutus_pressbox24.html

Opus Rex | 09.22.07 04:14 PM

Why should a taser only be used in situations when a gun should be used, Ken? That's ridiculous. Tasers aren't deadly force. The whole purpose of being armed with tasers is to prevent harm. And shooting in the leg? People bleed out from leg wounds all the time. Do you have any idea what you're talking about? It doesn't seem so.

ern | 09.22.07 07:54 PM

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