I Think I Would yell “Don’t Tase Me Bro” Too!
Some of you may have seen the YouTube video and if you saw the “remix”, you might have laughed, but it seems like we may have a problem on our hands. Some years ago tasers hit the market as the newest, non-lethal, weapon that would help police evade dangerous situations without killing the person being apprehended. Since this video became viral, many other videos and reports regarding tasers have been surfacing. It looks like tasers are a bit too popular and people are getting tased a lot more than one might expect and in some cases for VERY weak reasons. I have even seen several reports of people dying from the “non-lethal” jolt.
If you have not seen any of these reports, fire up Google and search “taser deaths” or anything like that, you will find plenty of current info to read.
I am not at all against “non-lethal” weapons, but based on the MASS of issues arising, I think the use and access of these devices should be revised. I think the basic problem with tasers, and similar NL devices, is that the perceived result from using the device is stamped as non-lethal, therefore the propensity to use this kind of device is much higher than what enforcement officers usually carry, a gun. I have seen police officers armed with bean bag guns and rubber bullet guns, usually reserved for crowd control, but tasers seem to be used for almost anything. The “Don’t Tase Me Bro” guy was definitely out of “order” and should have shut up and followed orders, but getting tased just because a citizen doesn’t follow orders from an officer may be a little harsh. I look at it this way, if the taser was not present in the situation, the guy would have been dragged out of the auditorium by a pile of officers and because if his own resistance, he may have suffered a few scratches and dents. I am pretty sure they would not have pulled out their guns and shot him for being unruly and resistant.
I guess my “1984” style fear is that in the future, law enforcement officers will have to ability to knock you out for any reason with a little “Men in Black” flashy thing and we, the general public, will have even less power than we do now.
I really value the safety that our law enforcement bodies provide for us as citizens, but I also know that ALL persons and organizations that hold a position of power must be careful with how they use their power. It is often used inappropriately and that’s the path I see the tasers going at he moment.
-Kamen