What is torture? The most anti-American of words, torture is the infliction of great pain upon an individual in order for them to divulge information or comply with a command. It is something that should be abhorrant to everyone, yet it is done here everyday under the guise of law enforcement. Four people have died in the United States just this week after being tasered. Here in Illinois, an overweight, middle-aged man in jail custody who was suffering from a heart attack was tasered twice for not putting his shirt on fast enough. link
The U.N. has declared the use of the Taser "torture." It is about time. There has been far too much suffering and death as a result of this device.link
more on the other side
CBS/AP) - A United Nations committee said Friday that use of Taser weapons can be a form of torture, in violation of the U.N. Convention Against Torture.1125 04 1
Use of the electronic stun devices by police has been marked with a sudden rise in deaths - including four men in the United States and two in Canada within the last week.
Canadian authorities are taking a second look at them, and in the United States, there is a wave of demands to BAN them.
The U.N. Committee Against Torture referred Friday to the use of TaserX26 weapons which Portuguese police has acquired. An expert had testified to the committee that use of the weapons had "proven risks of harm or death."
The time has come to start calling our State Representatives and our Reps in Congress to explore the banning of tasers for law enforcement use. It is somewhat of a difficult call for some law and order types or for those who want a police union endorsement. It is better to err on the side of compassion in my opinion.