people are probably sick of hearing about this UCLA taser thing. I heard about it in passing and wondered about it, but i don't think you really understand what it it's like to be tasered until you feel it yourself or at least see a video.
i won't go into all the details here, but i guess this guy didn't have his library card when approached in a random search and was asked to leave by university police. he was the only one asked and felt like he was being racially profiled, so he went limp. at this point he was tasered up to five times and repeatedly asked to stand up, even though loss of muscle control is one of the symptoms of recently being tasered. i watched the whole video, which was captured by someone's cellphone in the library, and it turned my stomach. sure, the guy yelled at the police, but some have reported that it was because they grabbed his arm and would not let go as he was trying to leave. sure people pooh-pooh this and say oh what are those liberals squawking about now or he mouthed off to police he had it coming, but bottom line, NOBODY deserves to be treated that way, let alone in an institution they've earned and bought the privilege to attend.
the guy is Iranian-American. and as someone who's been racially profiled myself, i know that it happens and it happens every day. terrorists have ruined our lives in so many ways we don't take enough time to think about. the whole thing would have been avoided if the cops took 10 seconds to card some of the white people. even if it were just to pretend they weren't singling this guy out.
there has got to be a better way. this is pretty damn clear if you read the comments posted about the video.
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I had a cop point a gun at me when I was TWELVE, and have been put in the back of a couple of cop cars for (what we like to call) "driving while black." I think it's an experience that's hard for people to understand, unless they've experienced it to some degree.
The thing I most struggle with is fighting the urge to be mad at law enforcement (in general). For me to be mad at all cops because some of them are bad is no different from all cops looking suspiciously at me because some black people are bad.
Anyway, I'm glad you posted this, and I'm glad someone got the incident on video. Obviously I don't know the guy, and for all I know, he was there that night in order to strangle an ex-girlfriend or something. Not likely, but who knows? Regardless, I'm glad it gets people talking (or at least thinking) about how SOME law enforcement officials treat people.
I'm not sick of hearing about the incident! I think it's horrible, and why did they have to taser him that many times? Jerks! I'm glad things like this are exposed.
i saw it. it's awful...
This stuff makes me so sick. UGH! They went way too far.
reminds me of the last time i went to the library, the security guard was following me all over just because I had on a sholder bag that was bulgy.. It was so funny, its like he thought I was going to bomb the place down.. Just for that I acted more suspicious and kept putting my hands in...
In my country no one never thought of me as a terrorist.. And I never thought about terrorists and stuff.. But here its different, Sometimes I speak to people on the phone and when the come and they see me they are like Oh.. Um are you Jihan..
Our country do have a racial problem sometimes, because of politics... Its just sad what terrorists have done to my religion..
i just want to be clear: i have nothing against police officers who are doing their jobs. i know a few and they're decent human beings that risk their lives every single day to make sure the community is safe. which i appreciate.
and i'm ALL for doing random checks and inconveniencing people just to make sure that the country as a whole is safe. i would rather stand in line an extra hour for the peace of mind that comes with the authorities doing their jobs.
the issue i have is this: the stunts those clowns pulled on 9/11 and in london and madrid were pretty damn complicated. they're obviously not idiots and they have a) money, b) patience and c) a LOT of hatred. however, nearly everything people have done is reactionary. shoe bomber? okay check everyone's shoes. liquid bomb? ok, no liquids. they took flight schools? okay, serious background checks on those.
who's to say they're not cooking something else up ENTIRELY? like, hmmm, maybe using people of other races because the authorities have such a fine scope on anyone who looks remotely arab or muslim?
of course none of the common people have any idea how many disasters government intelligence has AVOIDED. i'm sure there have been plenty. but isn't it worth it-- for the sake of our country's future wellbeing-- to consider EVERYBODY a suspect? because the more arabs or muslims are targeted and terrorized is just fuel for the hatred these psychos already have. and that's a proven fact.
I should take this seriously. But last month, I saw a video of a women in Phoenix, drunk off her shoes, getting tased - and it hit me so funny. Every time I hear about tasers, that's all i think.
and now I've found my Christmas guilt.
5 times? Was that really necessary? That's just horrible, I'd watch the video if only the connection here wasn't so slow but I feel the righteous wrath already.
*shakes head* Horrible.
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