Break the rules

I was vaguely aware of the Andrew Meyer incident, where a University of Florida student was tasered by police in mid-September after asking some loaded questions of Sen. John Kerry. However, I never really paid attention until today, when Meyer issued an apology that reads in part:

In society, as in life, there are consequences for not following the rules. In this instance, not following the rules has imposed consequences for many people other than myself, people who have seen their school, and perhaps their degree, tarnished in the eyes of others through no fault of their own.

Arthur Silber reacts as I hope I would have if I'd known more about this despicable incident before. That is to say, he loses it, and rightly so.

The law is not the only means by which the state controls us, and strips our national discussion of all meaning. There is another, less formal but no less constricting means, which is commonly identified by the phrase, "the rules." We must all follow "the rules." You cannot ever break "the rules." Be very, very clear on this point: the only way you can speak the truth on any subject of importance in this country today is BY BREAKING THE RULES.

UPDATE: A nice interview with Meyer over at MSNBC ...

Politicians are not used to being asked the hard questions. I think free speech has been willfully discarded to an extent by American journalists. They have stopped asking questions that matter. Maybe their refusal to be vocal is what makes my outburst look so surprising in contrast ...

I haven’t seen any mainstream news outlet once dissect the questions I asked the Senator. Everything is about me personally or the taser. This is the type of tabloid journalism prevalent in America today. When my story is over, they won’t start covering Blackwater or Ron Paul. It’ll be Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, business as usual.