Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Don't taser me bro'



It's too funny how this phrase is just taking off. In addition to the t-shirts (which just make me laugh everytime I see it) Web addresses have been taken using the phrase. Someone has created a Don't Tase Me, Bro!" (UF Student Tasered Remix) mashup and t-shirt designs are all over the place. On YouTube, footage of the incident has been viewed more than a million times. There are lots of responses to the tasering event. This is one of the more articulate ones, so I'll let you take a look. But these people are just appalled that this guy got tasered!


Look, as someone who is pretty much appalled on a regular basis, I don't get that. This guy was struggling with police. YOU DON'T DO THAT. When police warn you that they are going to taser you if you don't settle down...THEY MEAN IT. This is quite simple. Behave. That's it. If you don't want cops on your butt...behave.


Personally, I think the guy planned for exactly this to happen. So, he gets what he wants. But please don't be appalled.


Let me add a personal story here. A few years ago my teenage son was driving though a neighborhood at night. He had a stupid friend with him (and I'm being generous with that description) The friend threw a penny out the window at some guy standing in his yard. Well, the penny hit the guy's car. Naturally the guy got mad. Well, he took off after my son and my son tried to lose him. At one point they stopped at a light and the guy got out and pounded on my son's car window. My son later told me he was scared to death and didn't even look at the guy, but the stupid friend tells the guy to go ..something and they take off when the light turns green. The angry guy gets the license plate and calls the cops. I suppose he realized that he would sound silly complaining that these kids threw a penny at his car, so he told them that the boys tried to run over him. That's a felony for those of you wondering.
The cops stop my son in our neighborhood. My son just couldn't believe the guy said that and started to get angry. But I had always told him two things about cops. One is they always know when you are lying. They hear liars and con artists every day and they know. Just don't try. Second, don't get angry. That's a one way ticket to jail right there.
He explained what happened. (They had even handcuffed him and put him in the car) But from what I understand, they had called the man who had complained to see if he wanted to press charges and I suppose he got a conscience and said no. Or the cops believed my son. I'm not sure. They let my son go.
I am not a yeller. I don't yell. But I sat both those boys down and I came down on them like a wall of fire. Fury like a tornado swirled around me. I think I was channeling Beelzebub, roaring and ranting in their faces. His stupid friend never made an appearance at our house again.
I somehow got the name and phone number of the guy and made my son call and apologize to him.
This is what my son learned from this incident. First, don't have stupid friends. Second, if you have made someone mad, deal with it and apologize, don't run. Third, don't ever lose your temper or struggle with cops. One wrong move and they would have arrested him with or without the guys' complaint.
Teenagers today seem oblivious to the consequences of their actions criminally speaking. I think it's almost time to have something included in drivers ed or something about just how easy it is to get your butt arrested.