Although I am not categorically against the use of Tasers, it is becoming more and more obvious that their use must be reexamined. The Taser has become a "quick fix" and a form of aggression towards the suspect by the police wielding them. The Taser should be used in place of a gun. In other words, if conditions arise where the officer would normally draw his weapon to fire than a Taser should be employed. It should be used as a replacement for the lethal weapon, and not as a weapon of convenience to make the officer's life easier.
The use of TASERS was approved for testing in Finland from October 26, 2004 through May 31, 2005* (SOURCE), and the weapon was adopted in Finland as standard police gear shortly after the trial ended (SOURCE: In Finnish). According to TASER x26 supplier, TASER International, Inc., Finland was included among other countries that attended the 2006 European Tactical Conference. The focus of the conference "was to train the officers in the use of the TASER x26". I sincerely hope that the Finnish police force will be more discriminating in their use of the non-lethal TASER than their American counterparts. If not, we'll be seeing our own "home town" stories of people abused and killed by cops with non-lethal TASERS to add to the already abundant archive available Online (see TASER vidcaps here).
Personally, I believe the Finnish police force will use more restraint. Why? The Finnish police force is not manned by men and women who have spent several tours in active duty in live war theaters; in short, they have not learned to kill. The American police force is manned primarily by veterans who have served in the Gulf War of the early Nineties and those returning from the current Iraq invasion theater. These people are quite familiar with killing and see the citizens of America as "The Enemy" as much as they view the Iraqis their enemies. And what more can be expected when the Police Terrorist Manual concludes a person who refers to the American Constitution of the United States as a terrorist? Far too often, the American men and women in blue have forgotten their oath to "Protect and Serve". This is by no means an indictment against all American police officers, and we encourage those officers who still care about America to be alert and aware of the Wolves in the Fold.
A quick Google search will bring up numerous videos of people being Tasered brutally by your friendly, neighborhood men in blue. A recent Amnesty International website reports that more than 220 people have been killed by non-lethal TASER welding police officers (SOURCE) in the United States since 2001.
Note: See also POLICE STATE WATCH in the left column for more.
The Exiled American
Ray Zweidinger-Pohjola
Showing posts with label Finland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Finland. Show all posts
Saturday, September 22, 2007
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