Livin' the dream "Don't tase me, Bro!"

Author: Dean Atyia

Since the 2006 incident in which UCLA police tasered a student in the computer lab for lack of identification and uproarious behavior, more and more students have felt unwarranted electricity shocking their bodies or the sharp pain of pepper spray invading their pores. It's one thing to hear about these instances at political speeches and large universities, but what if they occur at home on the Middlebury campus? I'm no expert on the use of non-lethal force in law enforcement, but reason alone suggests that Jenna Levine '07.5 did not deserve a face-full of pepper spray for her actions outside of the VACA party on Oct. 26.

When John Kerry spoke at the University of Florida, a student named Andrew Meyer questioned him about his affiliation with the Skull and Bones, a secret society at Yale University with rumored political membership. Because the student raised his voice and demanded an answer, two law enforcement officials escorted him to the back of the auditorium while a third leveled the sights of his taser. Meyer pleaded, "What did I do?" Before long, he was held on the ground by no less than seven officers. These odds may make for a good fight for Jet Li, but for Meyer, I'm pretty sure the threat had been diffused. Rather than handcuff and remove him, an officer chose to shock Meyer once or twice for good measure.

Was the student a significant threat to Senator Kerry? Possibly. Does that justify forceful restraint? Of course. Was it necessary to shock the poor kid? Absolutely not. It is unjustified, it is inhumane, it is everything that "V for Vendetta" preached against. Recently, students have seen more and more instances of police brutality - yes, I said it - brutality on their doorstep.

First of all, a message to Jenna - don't ever hit someone with a gun! Ever! And if you didn't hit the cop, don't give them peace signs because apparently they don't like that either. Secondly, even if Ms. Levine did berate the police officer verbally and physically, did he require pepper spray to restrain her? No - absolutely not. Any police officer that feels threatened by an unarmed girl who weighs circa 120 pounds in a Halloween costume should seriously rethink his job. I know it was Halloween and all the costumes and lights were a little scary, but seriously!

I'm not insinuating that Jenna was right. She wasn't. From the report, she assaulted a police officer. Whether it can actually be called assault is another argument altogether, but she definitely was aggressive in some form or another. Should we blame the individual officer? I don't think that's the right move, either. He is surely allowed to use pepper spray when he feels threatened, which makes perfect sense. I am, however, asking why moral and rational judgment don't apply individually to each circumstance. If the academy trains its officers to use a gun and kick down doors, shouldn't it also train them to use some appropriate judgment?

The seven officers at the University of Florida surely could have gotten handcuffs on Andrew Meyers without the use of a stun gun. There were three law enforcement officials outside of VACA, not including Public Safety officers, against two girls. I'm no mathematician, but there were definitely more badges than inebriated young women. There is no rational argument that can be made which would justify the use of any lethal or non-lethal weaponry. Yes, the police were put in a precarious situation in that two drunken young women were getting a little grabby, but if we were pepper-sprayed for being a little grabby then I would surely be blind. It's simple. Jenna and Emily were aggressive, but the police were downright violent.

The VACA incident was nothing like the Kent State massacre and to compare them is inappropriate to those who died on May 4, 1970. The real question, however, is how dissimilar this instance is from the one 37 years ago in a small town in Ohio? No one died outside of VACA, and I'm pretty sure Jenna and Emily weren't soberly protesting the Vietnam War. The two girls fought the law head on and the law won. On the other hand, lines were crossed. I don't care what the police handbook says. Think about what your mother said -"You should never pepper-spray a girl!"

Dean Atyia '08.5 is from Memphis, Tenn.