Granted, it's coming from an obviously opinionated source, but the video is as tangible as evidence gets. I just hope a stop can be put to these kinds of outrages as some semblance of sanity returns to this country...
-MMoM Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
I'm deeply and truly disturbed by this. The United States of America has turned into the very thing it's been invading other countries to stop. An evil, power hungry police state. The terrorists aren't in the middle east. They're in your government, and your police stations. A while ago I made a prediction that a terrorist nuclear device will be set off in the continental United States within the next ten years. I'm now slashing that to five years. The US government is digging it's own countries grave. And it won't be long until it puts a gun to it's own head as well.
I'm afraid of what the future will hold for the world. You should be too.
Posted by Mikey T (Member # 144) on :
I'm so glad I decided not to apply to UCLA...
I saw the article on Defamer and was shocked... I wonder how UCLA will respond to this.
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
Dig through the comments. UCLA says an investigation is underway, but they won't say by whom.
--Jonah
Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
As someone not-American, the phrase "UCLA police" already sounds really weird and kind of scary. Universities have (corrupt, power-hungry, crazy) police departments?
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
This is utterly, utterly digusting. Scary too.
What I didn't like is that so many people just stood there for so long!! At least a few were pleading with them to stop - but this happened in a place of higher learning! The meat-head "police" were probably annoyed they didn't have the grades to go there. DISGUSTING!
Why isn't this on mainstream media?? When did it happen?
Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
quote:Originally posted by Harry: As someone not-American, the phrase "UCLA police" already sounds really weird and kind of scary. Universities have (corrupt, power-hungry, crazy) police departments?
I'm suprised to hear your universities don't have police departments. Universities are large and have their own rules and needs that a city's regular police department just can't provide (especially on game day!). Of course, I'd say most of their purpose is to make the students feel safe enough to be able to walk home from the library at 3am. (Parking enforcement, at least where I went, was a separate sub-department.)
I'm curious as to what led up to when the video started. I remember having to show my ID when entering the library at Georgia Tech because it is *not* a public library, and the resources there are only for students and researchers.
Posted by Chris (Member # 71) on :
There is a campus police force at my university, but I hardly ever see them. We have a total of 4 libraries on campus and I have never had to show my ID to gain entrance at all. ID is only ever used to check out books or equipment (the libraries have laptops and a wireless network set up). This really scares me as my university has a large contingnent of international students with the majority of them being Middle Eastern or Chinese. Makes me glad that I'm in Canada...
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
So, how much longer before the UN imposes sanctions and we get invaded ourselves?
Hopefully shortly after Bush II calls off the '08 elections.
Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
I say once again: George W. Bush = Nehemiah Scudder.
At least we'll get the Covenant out of all of this.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
I must say, a 'university police' does sound disturbing. Are these public bodies or employed directly by the university?
I know a lot of American universities are larger that British ones and also seem to be more concentrated/have less to do w/the town they're located in but even so a specialised police force seems excessive. I know my university proctors and constables technically have the same powers as a Constable w/in 5 miles of Great St. Mary's church but that seems to be more of a traditional thing than anything else.
Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
Employed by the uni, but working in cooperation with the local civs.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
So do they have the same powers as a regular copper or just citizen's arrest powers but a nice, shiny uniform like PCSOs?
Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
I think it differs from uni to uni. Here is info on the cops for my local uni.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
They showed it on the news last night.
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
For those who are interested, asked about it, or otherwise didnt get bombarded by it through their local media...
Apparantly, he was already working in the computer lab (and thus had shown his ID when he came in, to get a computer), these two campus cops randomly asked him for his ID. He refused, feeling singled out as the sole Iranian in the room at the moment. He asked the cops to randomly ID some of the white people in the room, to assuage his fears of being profiled. They refused, and repeated their demand to see his ID. He closed down the paper he was working on and opted instead to leave the library. One of the cops took his arm. He told the cop to not touch him. When the cop maintained his grip, he went limp, presuming that if he didn't fight them, they wouldn't escalate the situation further.
--Jonah
Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
Bush's very own useful idiots.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
quote:Originally posted by AndrewR: They showed it on the news last night.
Yes...it was truly buzzworthy. Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
The CNN web-piece said that the guy managed to garner support from the crowd in the room before the police stunned him. The article seemed to angle it that the police stunned him because he got support from the bystanders.
And the school chancellor only commented "the security of this school is of the utmost importance". Carte blanche, madames et messieurs.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Finally got to watch this at work (stupid home dial-up). It made me sick.
The cops looked like campus security to me, not police officers. The uniforms they had on didn't look like police unis. Were they police, I don't think they would've futzed around with threatening to taze the student who started getting in their face. I think they would have just arrested him. Though they seemed to be getting pretty nervous towards the end, like they were about to get mobbed. And from the look of things, they WERE about to get mobbed.
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
University police = campus security.
--Jonah
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Right, but I'm saying, they don't look like actual police officers who would be empowered with alot more authority than private security. The other students around continuously ask for the officers' badge numbers and tell them they're acting beyond their authority. It doesn't sound like the students think they're anything more than security guards. Police also don't generally tell people under arrest to get up. They tell them to stay down.
My point is, if they're private security, and not police officers, they tortured this kid based on nothing more than a perceived breaking of university policy. And to make matters worse, it looked like the student was already cuffed. How could they possibly justify tazing someone who is already in custody? If he's on the ground and restrained, he's obviously not a threat.
I could be wrong about how much authority security guards have, but I can't imagine they would have full police powers without having to undergo training and without being held just as responsible as a police officer would be.
Posted by bX (Member # 419) on :
At my college (much, much smaller than UCLA) there was a bonafide police department. It was small, but it was clear these were full fledged police officers and not just renta-thugs with tazers. This was in idyllic and peaceful California and so maybe is relevant.
But these UCLA guys escalating the situation to the use of force is just ridiculous. Their actions are appalling and offensive. I'm glad YouTube gives us a medium (unthrottled by those in power) by which to see this and to feel this way.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Serves him right for choosing to be Iranian. I mean, what was he thinking?
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)