Saturday, November 18, 2006

Show us your papers, or else . . . this.

Imagine you are a student. It's time for midterms; you're up late in the library computer lab working on a paper. Suddenly, the school safety officers start performing "random" ID checks in the library because it's after hours. This is all well and good (it's standard policy) but you're suspicious that they seem to be "randomly" selecting you, an Iranian-American. You're pretty irate about this, and, wouldn't you know it: your wallet's back in your dorm room. They start telling you to leave. You refuse; you're working on a paper, they're singling you out, and anyway, you do have a right, as a student, to use the lab. Eventually the ineffectual safety officers call the campus police to eject you, but by that time you're already heading for the door in a huff.

But as you're on your way to the door, one of the campus cops grabs you! "Get off me!" you shout. And then you are swarmed by more cops, all grabbing you. You go limp. You were on your way out; if they want to throw you out, they can damn well carry you.

Then the cops shock you with a taser. They do it again and again, screaming at you to get up as you lie on the floor, muscles locked in spasm, and shocking you once more when you do not (because you cannot) rise. Bystanders (your fellow students) scream for mercy, then become upset on your behalf. Several demand the officers' badge numbers and, in response, one cop brandishes a taser at them and offers to shock them as well.

Eventually the officers get you in handcuffs and begin dragging you out the door. As they carry your limp, pain-wracked body, one of them shocks you again. For the road.

But don't rely on my account. Watch the video.
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