[Skybird]

On a nother note, it seems that the apparent believe that tasers are harmless (now that is very intensely debated, isn't it) leads to a lowering of the inhibition level (treshold?) to use this painful but "harmless" weapon more easily. I just searched
- youtube,
- google,
- CNN archive,
- NBC archic,
- the NYT and
- the WP for taser incidents -
and was stunned by the ammount of incidents were they got used negligent and in the most absurd and even dangerous contexts. A real "Verrohung der Sitten" (= "brutalization of customs and traditions"), imho.

Tasering an old women sitting in a wheel chair, to prevent her rolling away (she later died). Tasering a five year old child. Tasering a pregnant woman (in Scotland they have banned that use on pregnat women due to serious health risks of the baby). Tasering a diabetes patient who had a shock, in order to make him lay still so that he could be treated - the policeman said. Tasering a female student wh0o was in handcuffs and laid still on the ground, already had given up, a new patrol arrived, passed thoruzgh the collegaues, and fird a tazer, using it wor close to a minute watching her rolling and crying. And so many more examples of absurd, ridiculous abuse of tasers, and so damn oftehn agaisnt victims that were innocent, or were suspected of bagatelle issues. So many reports, videos on incidents that you will not believe it. On TV news this evening they referred to a new incident where a women was tasered two minutes by an obvious sadist officer and was lead around her car like a dog several time, she was totally horrified by the pain and cried for mercy which was denied (the man was suspended). and so many other incidents that show a really horrifying easiness by which tasers seem to get used by the police. Not as a weapon to disarm a danergiuzr person, but just to make their job easier. They even get used without reason in more and more cases it seems to me, just as part of the procedure, even if their is no hint that somethijng bad could happen. The ammount of abuses seems to be extremely high.

I admit that on the grounds of legal self-defense I would reserve the right to use force against such officers being so easy and excessive with tasers, if they would threaten me with them on such bagatelle incidents. Leaves a bad taste of wild, wild West in my mouth. Well, no intention to go there anyway...

It does not really improve america's already rough reputation in the world. One is also tempted to wonder oif maybe more hidden sadists are abusing the uniform than we, or better: you, may feel comfortable with. Sorry, but the question is justified in the face of so high numbers of incidents. Also one must examine in what ratio the widespread belief that tazers are always safe for health (50.000 to 190.000, even 300.000 V not having consequences...???) lowers inhibition tresholds to use them. My impression is: very massively, else the use of tasers by routine wouldn'T have become part of police culture so very quickly. Finally one must remark that critics claim tasers beeing responsible for the death of several dozen people per year.