What does this movie make you want to say about free speech in the USA?

It says that free speech means respectfully asking your question and getting out of the way so others may participate as well. Perhaps if he wants to launch into a tirade he should write a letter.

Here's my take.

First, let me make clear that these cops were IDIOTS. Any bar bouncer in America can tell you how to handle this situation. You walk the person outside before you 'handle' the situation.

HOWEVER....the guy was obviously putting on a show for the crowd, and he showed an unwillingness to leave. When he finally said,'Fine. I'll leave,' he was still backing away from the door, not heading towards it. And...I've been tasered. It doesn't hurt THAT bad. He was hamming it up a little bit.

This really isn't an issue of free speech. The student HAS freedom of speech. This doesn't gaurantee a chance to ask unlimited questions in a public forum. There is nothing in the Constitution that says you have the right to monopolize the microphone. This student is more than welcome to free speech, but he is basically MAKING the audience listen to an inane question about a 'secret society'.

The cops were probably instructed to be on thier toes for demonstrators and radicals, as they often are at functions like this. I don't approve of the way they handled the situation, but I think this guy was a little out of line, too.

I'm a pretty liberal person. I just don't think that free speech extends to this situation. If anything, it's a matter of excessive force. It's a fine line to walk, and if the student sues and wins...more power to him. But, if he doesn't...I won't lose any sleep. I think we have MUCH bigger issues that endanger our liberties (i.e., the Patriot Act...).

first thing is i don't know why the americans have so many names for different politicall beleives like liberals,democrats,neo cons,conservatives and that sort of thing. In the end they are just voting for Red or Blue so why not have more parties for the various polical beleifs instead of just A and B not everyones opinions can be divided along those lines.

Sorry im just commenting on the party sytstem...

but back to the video i think he shouldnt have been yelling off like that because like someoen else on here said free speech should be about calmly telling your opinion and then waiting for a response keeping it all civil but then again protesting is a form of free speech and very neccesary.

The police did GO OVER THE TOP. He was sayign he would stop and just walk out and instead of respecting his dignity they elecutrucuate him for protesting.

Thats wrong if Kerry was half the good guy he claims to be he should of came down there and stoped the whole thing.

I'm not picking on anyone i dont really care awhole lot about american politics.

I think the kid was allowed free speech but he wanted more attention than that. How else better than force a confrontation with the police and resist arrest? I saw on tv where some of the kids watching knew he went too far for no reason. That being the case, I don't think it is an example of freedom of speech being violated. This kid would probably do better in entertainment than making a political point.

It's an isolated incident of excessive use of police force. Which apparently he tried to bring onto himself for the purpose of proving a point regarding societies such as Skull and Bones. Now if John Kerry was not objecting to his questions, I don't see why any action was taken. However, John Kerry did not object when he was being tasered either.

I do think excessive force was used despite the fact that he was causing a disturbance. However, it has no reflection on free speech. Free speech relates to what you can freely say on your own and on public lands. You can do anything you want anywhere that you have the right to be. However, if you're on someone else's privately owned property, or in the case of the University of Florida, a land-grant university controlled by someone else, then you are limited to the policies by which that controller or owner sets for the provision of being on the property. So it's not an issue of free speech at all. Though it is certainly a matter for discussion of prudent disturbance control.

I'll say it again, freedom of speech has responsibilities. This reminds me of once when the Pres. was giving a speech and someone stood up and started ranting against him and was arrested. Did the police overreact? Hard to say. Was the kid being a jerk? Not my call. We didn't hear what the ground rules were for the Q and A. I personally think this kid was trying to start a rucus with the intent of being arrested and screaming "violation of the 1st amendment". That's just my opinion though.

The biggest problem with this case is that there were 4 or 5 cops holding down 1 guy (successfully) and they still felt the need to use a taser.... that's abuse.

If the campus is really concerned about security - they need to get rid of whoever the "loose cannon" is that decided to use the taser.... it was a historically bad move and lent credence to whatever point the little nut was trying to make.

It's a sad over reaction by rent-a-cops who can't or aren't able to be anything else. I don't think it was politically motivated, yet I find it difficult to imagine why it would happen under the circumstances that it did. I think Kerry should have been more insistent that he was OK with the question and he was willing to answer (you could hear him in the back ground).

1) the accusations against Keerry we've seen on te internet by neocons are proven slander by the tape--Kerry can be heard saying "that's alright, let me answer the question."

2) The student was not tasered on the podium, he was escorted off by the police

3) the student then became violent

4) only AFTER the student became violent was he tasered.

There is some question as to whether the police may have overreacted by tasering this jerk. But that is a question of police conduct, not a free speech issue.

I believe in free speech. He asked his questions. He should have stepped aside. He wasn't tasered for his speech, he was tasered for his behavior. As they escorted him out of the auditorium he should have walked out still voicing his thoughts WITHOUT fighting against the officers. I have watched this twice. I think they were justified in tasering him, but only because he started to fight law enforcement. If an officer feels they are being attacked they are to use reasonable means to bring it under control. I felt it was reasonable, he was getting out of control.