During the September 19 edition of his CNN Headline News show, Glenn Beck asserted: “Now, I'd like to say that my sense of humor has evolved past the point where I don't enjoy watching someone get Tasered. I'd like to say that, but I can't. To me, Taser videos are a little like potato chips. I just can't watch just one.” Beck's comments came during a segment on the recent incident involving University of Florida student Andrew Meyer, who was shocked with a Taser after a confrontation with campus police that began while he was asking questions of Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) during a September 17 campus forum. Beck claimed that Meyer “was asking for it and deserved every single volt that he got,” and stated: “I say hit him with another 50,000 volts.” He later added: “I would have Tasered him just for being stupid enough to listen to John Kerry for two hours, just yammering on. In my opinion, I don't see Meyer as a victim of an overly aggressively law enforcement agency. It looks as though this guy wanted to get Tasered.” Beck went on to suggest that Meyer “put the idea” in the officer's “head” by “repeatedly screaming, 'Don't Tase me.' ” The segment was accompanied by on-screen text that read: “Shock and Awesome.”

Additionally, during the September 19 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly announced a new promotional giveaway mocking Meyer: “Well, thanks to Andrew, we now have a new promotion. Anyone buying anything on BillOReilly.com will receive a 'Don't Taze me, bro!' bumper sticker. And you know you want one. Everybody wants one.” The bumper sticker references Meyer's cry before being Tasered by campus police. As Media Matters for America documented, during the September 18 edition of the program, O'Reilly asserted that Meyer “wanted this to happen” and claimed: “I've been Tasered for a story, and all I can say is: He is the biggest wimp in the United States of America.” O'Reilly added: “And I don't say that with any kind of bravado, but the overreaction to being Tasered -- it's not -- it's an electrical shock is what it is.”

Citing an increase in the number of reported deaths associated with Tasers, the Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has launched several studies into the effects of the stun guns, and the Justice Department initiated a “multi-agency technical evaluation of taser technology," as Media Matters also documented.

From the September 19 edition of CNN Headline News' Glenn Beck:

BECK: And a college student gets Tasered for being extremely annoying.

MEYER [video clip]: Don't Tase me, bro. Don't Tase me! I didn't do anything wrong! Ow!

BECK: I say hit him with another 50,000 volts.

MEYER [video clip]: Ow!

[...]

BECK: Coming up, a college student is Tasered by campus police during a John Kerry event. Some say the action was overly aggressive. I say he was asking for it and deserved every single volt that he got. I'll explain.

[...]

BECK: Now, I'd like to say that my sense of humor has evolved past the point where I don't enjoy watching someone get Tasered. I'd like to say that, but I can't. To me, Taser videos are a little like potato chips. I just can't watch just one.

But the latest edition to the genre is a little more layered than the usual demonstration video that local newscasters love to make. Andrew Meyer is a pinhead from the University of Florida, who attended a speech by Senator John Kerry.

During the question and answer period, he went off on a long, convoluted rant about why Kerry conceded the 2004 election and then proceeded to accuse Kerry of not trying to impeach President Bush because they're both members of the Yale Skull and Bones secret society, you know? Ooh.

Campus security then tried to gently escort Meyer out of the building, but he seriously resisted. And they felt a Tasering might do him some good. So they did.

I would have Tasered him just for being stupid enough to listen to John Kerry for two hours, just yammering on. In my opinion, I don't see Meyer as a victim of an overly aggressively law enforcement agency. Looks as though this guy wanted to get Tasered.

And don't we live in a world of cell phone cameras and everything else, but there seemed to be more cameras on this guy than we use to tape this national show.

Bottom line: I think Meyer was grandstanding, looking for publicity. What better way in this YouTube culture than to star in your own video? Shocking, isn't it?

I've got to tell you something: I am so sick of hearing of student's rights. When are we going to start talking about the responsibility that these people have? And you know what, if he didn't want to get Tasered, I certainly would have put the idea in security's head by repeatedly screaming, “Don't Taser me, no.”

Andrew Meyer, you got your fifteen minutes of fame. Sit down and shut the pie hole.

From the September 19 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: Time now for “Pinheads and Patriots”. You have to stay with me on the patriot deal tonight.

Yesterday, we reported on college student Andrew Meyer getting Tasered for disrupting John Kerry's forum at the University of Florida.

MEYER [video clip]: Don't Tase me, bro. Don't Tase me! I didn't do anything! Ow! Ow! Ow!

O'REILLY: Well, thanks to Andrew, we now have a new promotion. Anyone buying anything on BillOReilly.com will receive a “Don't Taze me, bro!” bumper sticker. And you know you want one. Everybody wants one.

Since revenue from BillOReilly.com enables us to give hundreds of thousands of dollars to charity, everybody wins. So because of the charity angle, we have to make Andrew Meyer a patriot, at least for a day.

Don't Taze me, bro. We've got those bumper stickers going on.