Tasers are bad?

I've been hearing alot about people protesting police use of tasers. I don't remember which organization it is, but it's somewhere out in california that wants the police out there to stop using tasers and go back to mace and bullets.

Does anyone else see a problem with this?

Tasers are a LESS THAN LETHAL ALTERNATIVE to putting a few rounds into mentally unstable johnnies head and making a large mess on the pavement that someone has to clean. It reduces the amount of lead being put into people. yet, there are people out there that want it taken away. Saying its a cruel measure, that it kills some people. Well...being shot kills ALOT of people. Yes, being tased will lead people to a law abiding life very quickly. It's....well....it's bad. Really bad, but it's alot better than being shot. and that's why tasers are used, to save lives that otherwise would have been ended in a police shooting.

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Permalink Reply by January.30.2008 on October 28, 2008 at 9:06pm

No worries, I wasn't trying to be an ass when I said that but I wanted to point out that cops don't have to get tased and not knowing what is is like and using it on someone is a big deal, I think. You may think twice knowing how powerful this "nonlethal" weapon is before using it.

It is hard to say what can be done. Becuase I truely believe it is the mentality and the environment of like minds that causes a lot of undesirable behavior.

I can tell you just one little story of why the politics and mentality can not be changed...If you go against what others would do or say you are an outcast, a black sheep. I don't mind being a black sheep what-so-ever, but you're in a whole different league here. I had a co-worker come up to me once and talk about another co-worker he did not like (one that I thought was one of the very few good cops out there). This kid was considered an outcast. He straight out said that if that kid was ever in trouble or needed help he would take his time getting to him. WTF? So now, I have to worry about going against what everyone else thought was the right way to handle things because there was a chance if I got into a sticky situtation I would not get help from the others that were supposed to have my back, because they didn't like my thinking or actions. Anything I could have done to change things for the better in that place would actually end up hurting me. I didn't want to be a part of something like this....

Definately messed up.

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Permalink Reply by Sirius on October 28, 2008 at 9:22pm

i've been in many a situation as such. maybe not the same thing of course, but many like situations. i try my best to defend the insultee without offending the insulter. but i understand that there is only so much you can do.

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Permalink Reply by Huwdlum on October 28, 2008 at 10:43pm

this is true

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Permalink Reply by Jessica Miranda on October 28, 2008 at 11:18pm

I will look it up to be sure - but as far as I remember ( and this didn't happen too long ago) you can see on the video where the taser is being shot right up against his body right at his heart over and over again - so obviously this cop was more than a little tripper happy - so let me look it up and see if I can't get the video to post it here - I'll see if I can't get the actual autopsy report findings/conclusion!!

thanks for that educational bit though!!

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Permalink Reply by Flobot Robot on June 4, 2009 at 4:46pm

I don't think tasers are bad. Not everyone but alot of people complain WAYY to much about that kind of stuff. If someone gets shot there's gonna be alot of people objecting it. If someone gets tased there's gonna be alot of people objecting that as well. If a someone gets sprayed with mase there's gonna be alot of people objecting. So either way you turn it, no matter what there's always gonna be alot of people objecting it. I figure if a criminal pulls a gun out on a police officer he/she deserves to be shot, not killed but shot. If an offender is resisting and being physical towards and officer he/she deserves to be tased or sprayed with mase. Thats my opinion though.

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Permalink Reply by Salient Skivvy on June 4, 2009 at 4:52pm

Fair enough that tasers are less lethal.. but man.. Im reading in the paper at least once a month of someone dying mins after being tasered.
It seems that all these cops are going taser happy and just zappin' anyone who seems to be a problem. That's not cool.

Last Chrismas, a polish immigrant who spoke no english got lost at the Vancouver airport. after hours of wandering around, he got frustrated, the RCMP *Canadian cops* came in a zapped him four times.... he died on the airport floor.
Another case, also in Vancouver; a fifteen year old girl was arrested, and in her cell, with her hands cuffed, she was zapped.
I fail to see the reasoning behind either times these officers used the taser.