Originally published December 24 2007
A Taser for Christmas? Marketing Assault With a Deadly Weapon
by Jenn Geiss
(NaturalNews) "It is light, it's small, it comes in colors…" beams Lynne Rigberg, the host of a Taser party in Scottsdale, Arizona. Show your loved one's how much you care this holiday season with this 50,000-volt gift of false safety. Taser International is marketing these weapons for everyone after only a brief demonstration of its use. You too can render the slightest harasser immobile - "You cut me in line at the supermarket, now you're going down!"
Tasers deliver a 50,000-volt shock designed to override the subject's central nervous system, causing uncontrollable contraction of the muscle tissue and instant collapse. Taser International has stressed that Tasers are not designed to stop a target through infliction of pain but work by causing instant immobilization through muscle contraction. However, even officers subjected to a fraction of the normal Taser discharge during training have reported feelings of acute pain.
There are two types of Taser guns, "touch" stun guns for close range and dart projectile mode that has two fish-hook like darts designed to penetrate up to two inches of the target's clothing or skin. Many 'victims' of Tasers have reported burn marks from the guns. Pointing out an obvious question, what is the sanitation of these hooks? They can penetrate two inches of skin, does the amount of voltage prevent disease transfer?
Considering our bodies are 70% water and transfer electricity through all parts of the nervous system, one might believe that 50,000 volts may have long-term effects, especially brain damage, at the slightest exposure. While a Taser gun would be less damaging to an assailant than a bullet-driven gun, both are supposed to be used with extreme caution and as a "last resort".
However, even law enforcement officers are not using Tasers as a last resort. On October 14th 2007, Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski, 40, was traveling to join his mother, who lives in British Columbia, when he ended up spending approximately 10 hours in the airport's arrivals area, The Canadian Press said. Needing an interpreter, 4 Canadian Mounties approached the man, at which time he raised his hands and calmed down. With the absence of any threatening gestures, Mr. Dziekanski was Tasered by one of the mounties within moments. Falling to the floor, screaming, Mr. Dziekanski was tasered once again. Unarmed, confused and frightened were his final moments alive in the Vancouver International Airport.
Touting Tasers as a deterrent and not a weapon, people can and will feel compelled to use tasers whenever they want. With no legal limitations on when a person can and cannot use these deadly weapons, we have opened the floodgates for people to Taser each other at whim.
Sources:
"Excessive and Lethal Force?" Amnesty International, (http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engamr511392004)
CNN.com / world, (http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/11/15/taser.death/index.html#cnnSTCText)
About the author
Jenn Geiss is a Graduate of SUNY Binghamton with a B.A.’s in Political Science and Politics, Philosophy and Law. Author of Today’s Rant at http://torant.blogspot.com.
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