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Stun
guns dangerous in civilian hands
Our
view
Tasers
and stun guns are available to the public,
but they should not be, as they are so much
more dangerous than when they were first
introduced to police. Now, even armor-piercing
bullets are released to the public, available
online.
Stun guns used to be a great way to stop
criminals without killing them. But, according
to a review by Amnesty International, 103
people have died in North America from stun
gun shocks.
The company Taser International is now under
federal investigation, and police departments
are forced to review their use of the product.
After Taser International’s stock
prices fell, the company launched a campaign
to sell Tasers to private individuals. The
company created a smaller but more powerful
gun to sell to civilians.
Selling guns to civilians is not a bad idea
in and of itself, but selling guns more
powerful than those law enforcement carry
is definitely a bad idea. Selling powerful
Tasers to civilians is also a bad idea.
A young woman alone in a house who keeps
a Taser in case of a break-in poses no threat
to anyone but the criminal. But putting
that same Taser in the hands of the criminal
poses a huge threat to everyone, even police.
A Taser in the wrong hands can become a
powerful weapon to be used against police
or anyone else, or even as a torture weapon.
The documented deaths related to Taser shock
have involved people on drugs, with heart
conditions and police using other types
of violence after the person was stunned.
It has not been proven that the stun gun
was the main force behind these deaths.
But even if it is not the reason for the
death, these stun guns played a part in
subduing the individual enough for police
to use other kinds of force.
Criminals could also use the guns to stun
a victim and then do anything they want.
The victim would be unable to stop them.
But according to Taser International, the
stun guns are safe and will help civilians
stop crime. The company claims Tasers are
safer because they are fired from a distance,
instead of being up close and personal and
stabbing at the person with the weapon.
The company will require civilians who purchase
the weapon to register it and be subject
to a background check. The company is also
installing tracking devices in each weapon.
A tag is released each time the gun is fired,
with tiny metal flakes that carry the owner’s
information.
Taking the tags out will also disable the
dart cartridge.
The information can easily be faked, with
fake birth certificates easy to buy on the
black market and identity theft still rampant.
The tracking devices and background checks
are easily avoidable if the individual has
the right contacts.
The company has taken these efforts to make
the guns a bit safer, but in the wrong hands,
even with the tracking devices, stun guns
can be extremely dangerous.
And the gun is not much larger than a cell
phone. People can carry it secretly and
the victim will never know until it hits
them.
In addition, the stun gun for civilians
produces an effect lasting 10 seconds. If
the trigger is pulled more, the stun can
last up to 30 seconds.
Police stun guns only last five seconds,
which Taser International feels is enough
time for police to control someone, while
civilians would need a longer time.
Opening these powerful stun guns to civilians
makes police have an even harder time of
containing possible criminals.
If a police officer and criminal each have
a Taser, the one in the hand of the criminal
will be more powerful, easier to conceal,
and will last longer than the police version.
California’s State Assemblyman Mark
Leno has introduced legislation for our
state to ban personal Tasers and set up
studies to see how dangerous the weapon
is.
Hopefully California won’t be the
only state to consider the possibilities
of allowing this weapon in civilian hands.
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