What you said about Tasering

Recently I gave out another homework assignment. I asked people what they thought about tasering, because there have been some outstanding incidents of tasering in the news lately.

I put the problem this way-
Assume that you have just grabbed an old lady's purse and are running down the mall toward the exit doors. How would you like the cops to deal with you:
1. Shoot you in the back with a '.38 Police Special'
2. Taser you
3. Some other way (explain)

Here were the answers:

BILL - The optimum choice is to have the police "run" me down, then after a slight struggle, be beaten extensively, but not causing permanent damage. All of this would be caught on many video phones and released to the press. After this obvious example of police brutatilty is exposed, I would sue the police department for violating my civil rights plus anything else that can be concocted, then settle out of court for about $5M. I would give $3.48 to charity, just so I could say I was doing this for the good of others, and then disappear with whatever the lawyers did not get.

PAM - Tasering makes sense to me. My brother is a policeman and has been tasered in his training. It hurts alot but it does no lasting damage and really works. It is much less lethal than a gun and people on the streets are scared of it, which is a good thing. I think they prevent a lot of violence. And regarding your scene at the mall, if I were the bad guy stealing an old lady's purse, my opinion shouldn't count that much.

DASHMANN - I hardly think purse snatching is in the same category as exercising free speech, being frustratingly confused in an airport, or failure to remove one’s hat in a Saginaw courtroom.
Purse snatching is a vicious fear inducing personal assault and tasering may be too good for that individual.

PAT W- Other: You should run after me and if you can't catch me, call me on the cell phone that['s in the old lady's purse and talk me into surrendering. Or, watch for me to return and grab me then. (In other words, a civilized way.)

ANONYMOUS - I think they should have to run me down and tackle me because what I've seen of fatass mall cops, they could never catch me.

FELIX - I guess they'd just as well shoot me in the back. Well, I'd prefer the head so as that I won't have much of a chance to lay paralyzed for years. If it gets to the point that A. I'm in a mall. B. I'm stealing purses...I might just as well be shot. Now, bear in mind, I'm very much a 'take responsibility for your actions' guy. Some guy gets shot for stealing someone's iPod, I have trouble feeling sorry for him. If it ain't yours, don't take it. Simple enough. But, in the whole realm of proving guilt and intent and controlling a situation, the taser is a very 'iffy' tool, to me. The body uses self-produced electricity to do lots of things...like thinking and working muscles. It is impossible...IMPOSSIBLE...to know and say how each and every body will react to having externally-produced electricity entered into the mix.

GENDER - First, a comment about the man who was tasered at the John Kerry forum. He may have been the first person ever electrified at a John Kerry speech. The worst thing they could do to me for stealing the old lady's purse is to sentence me to 1 - 2 years sitting on a bench at the mall. That would be torture. Seriously, if I am resisting arrest I would rather be tasered than shot.

DIG S - "Don't taze me bro!" I have this T-shirt.
[Note: I looked this up online and you can buy one here: CLICK ]

SANDY - Go back to the Old West...lasso me and hog tie me and throw me in the local jail. My sentence would be 6 months working on a farm or ranch doing manual labor

SPARTY - I'd prefer they attempt to taser me because my understanding of the device is that it is used in relatively close quarters with "unruly" people, e.g. the guy at the Saginaw city council meeting who wouldn't cooperate with attempts to control him. I'm not sure taser guns are effective in stopping a fleeing person - .38's, on the other hand, are. However, what do I know?? I'll check with my son-in-law who has been trained to use tasers.