TO THE EDITOR
TOOL FOR TORTURE
A FINAL EXAM
I have watched a number of the online
videos of Taser guns being used on people, and
there are some obvious problems. It is claimed
by those who have tested the devices that they
are “safe.” It is also claimed that their use is for
subduing suspects who are resisting arrest.
This all sounds good, for it is probably better
than the old means of subduing a suspect
through use of fists, boots and clubs.
However, videos of them being used re-
veals that they are not being used only as in-
tended but are being used indiscriminately.
One video shows a man getting zapped sim-
ply because he was shooting a video of an al-
leged illegal search. The female officer walks
over to the guy with her Taser gun, he says
something about not being involved and not
to Taser him, she zaps him and he lets out a
scream due to several seconds of 50,000
volts.
In one video, a man was mouthing off to
the cops when they zapped him. I could not
see whether or not he was struggling with
them physically. After being zapped, he lets
out a scream and falls to the floor. After they
handcuff him, you can then hear some officer
repeatedly screaming at him to get up and
zapping him a few more times. He just lies
there until two guys drag his limp body from
the room.
There is also the video of the very large
cop trying to arrest a drunken woman perhaps
half his size. When she won’t get out of the
car, he zaps her. After she falls out of the car
and tries to get up, he orders her to get down.
She is totally disoriented and tries to crawl on
the ground, so he zaps her a few more times.
When she is finally in his patrol car, she is
struggling and kicking, so he zaps her again.
What is very obvious here is that cops are
not using the Taser guns only to subdue sus-
pects, but to punish people for not obeying
orders or for doing something that irritates
the cops.
With their already well-established repu-
tation of abuse and lack of control by our
mayor and police chief, the Eugene Police
Department certainly should not be allowed
to start using Taser guns.
Wayne Pierce
Eugene
Bill McKibben’s summary of the
Kyoto/climate change situation (cover story,
12/6) was right on, and I particularly liked his
last paragraph, where he asserted, “It’s a test,
a kind of final exam for our political, eco-
nomic and spiritual systems. And it’s a fair
test, nothing vague or fuzzy about it.
Chemistry and physics don’t bargain. They
don’t compromise. They don’t meet us
halfway. We’ll do it or we won’t. And 10
years from now, we’ll know which path we
chose.”
In addition to chemistry and physics,
there is a portion of this “test” he failed to
mention. Population pressure doesn’t bargain
either. Governments must agree to TALK
about overpopulation. EVERY nation, (in-
cluding especially the U. S.) which is where
control and sovereignty resides on this issue,
needs to immediately establish a national
population policy designed to stabilize popu-
lation at a level/range deemed sustainable for
the long-term future. If we fail to include this
in our schemes to address climate change,
population-pressure demands will override
whatever gains we might achieve.
Without this inclusion, 10-20-30-50 years
from now, we will still be wondering, “What
went wrong, and why can’t we solve this
problem?”
M. Boyd Wilcox
Corvallis
in Eugene and Springf
s
n
o
i
t
a
c
ield
8 Lo
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NO INSULTS INTENDED
In my recent letter I noticed that your edit-
ing staff changed the phrase “white-bred” to
“white-bread.” Your correction was not what
was intended and I do not make mistakes
when writing out a colloquialism.
Also, I wish to apologize to the staff of the
Bier Stein for any perceived hostility. I will
continue to buy lunch and beer from your fine
establishment. No insults were intended.
Justin Bengtson
Eugene
mv
DB
2825 Willamette • 342-5191
CIVILIZATION AT RISK
Based on the overwhelming amount of
climate and biologic science it is becoming
apparent that our biosphere and those organ-
isms that are essential for its continued func-
DECEMBER 13, 2007 5