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Tasers and reading


A few days ago the local ABC News had a story about how popular tasers have become. Part sales piece, part horror story was how I would define this report. They are are becoming widely popular in the marketplace, and although they are banned here in D.C. that will do little from stemming the tide of their being brought onto our streets. A U.N. report stated that using a taser on a human being results in intense pain that is in fact a form of torture. That's where the moral high ground of our great society is now; just about anyone can torture!

Now these marketplace tasers are being marketed to women to replace pepper spray, I guess. They come in all sorts of trendy colors including a leopard skin print. However, of the civilian sales only 60% of them are being purchased by women, so I am guessing a fairly good portion of the other 40% could be used to commit all sorts of crimes by men against women. This could of course be used to commit rape. Here in Virginia, there was also a recent story of three women using tasers to attack other women and rob them.

The love of violence in this society is indeed obscene. But our economy has plenty of room to keep giving people toys to keep living out their more sadistic tendencies.

In other less depressing news -- I am completely swamped with schoolwork this semester, which has led me to limit my active involvement in the peace and justice movement. Hopefully the movement will continue to grow, and more people will be willing to come forward to help organize. I simply can't at this point.

One class in particular has an extremely heavy assigned reading load. Trying to take notes as I read, but not always easy to do, neither is trying to stay awake with some of these dry-as-the-Sahara texts.

I love my work at All Souls Unitarian Church's archives. A very rich and fascinating history is to be found at this progressive church. As the semester goes on, I will simply get more involved in organizing their existing structure in regards to one of their most famous preachers.
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Comments

Anonymous said…
I forget where i saw this but the statistics on taser deaths are off the charts..cases that stand out are a guy who tasered an 18 month old baby , and no less then 4 cases where people in their 20s - mid 30s were dealt a death blow by police. One in particular , was disoriented after a car accident. These things must be outlawed ! - seriously , or licensed at minimum,with special training required..its barbaric. Sorry about not having links but a google search on taser deaths should do the trick.
1:44 AM
libhom said…
Tasers should be taken off of the market. Sooner or later, an overwhelmed mother will accidentally taser and injure one of her kids.
9:30 AM
Zakir Tyebjee said…
Awesome bllog you have here
6:57 PM
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