Electric shock treatment for disobedience?

The article in link fills me with foreboding. It states 10 000 police officers, potentially up to 30 000, are to be armed with Taser stun guns throughout England and Wales....

'to fire Tasers at violent suspects'.

Not violent people then? Suspicion of violence is enough to be given a 50 000 volt electric shock?

'to resolve potentially violent situations effectively and rapidly.'

What would constitute 'potential violence'? Swearing? Hand gestures? A look?

How about public disobedience say at a demonstration against the destruction of civil liberties and the enforcement of a police state? What if someone were to look a bit too into it? Would they get a shot?

The move was welcomed by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), which said trials showed in the majority of cases Tasers helped police resolve incidents without resorting to a weapon.

Definition of weapon: A means used to defend against or defeat another.

Logic can be a weapon too and it is logical to assume that this GUN is a weapon and will POTENTIALLY be used to prevent public discord....to keep us under control.

Why would they need to introduce a weapon now? Is there more violence or is it just that our papers have been filled with stories of ever increasing violence in order to make us feel TERRIFIED in our own homes and desperate for something to happen to solve the problem and make us feel safe again? Major crime has gone up under Labour but is that not what they wanted? Is that not what they needed in order to get public support for their authoritarian policies.... and weapons? Problem - fear - solution. It's a bit like being punched on the nose before getting a tissue, consolation and self defence tips from your attacker....only if you understand what's going on though.

Do you think they will only use it on people who really are dangerous, nasty and potentially violent thugs who really need a good kick up the ass to stop them in their tracks? I'm sure Jean Charles De Menzes never expected to be shot dead for absolutely no good reason whatsoever.

Ok, no-one's going to die, other than maybe those with a weak heart, but this weapon is going to be used in ways you would never have thought possible in our free, liberal West.

Jacqui Smith, the UK Home Secretary and woman behind this policy...

As the UK Home Secretary, she has been noted for advocating strongly authoritarian policies. Examples are a law to detain crime suspects for several months without charging them for any crime, a central database that logs all mobile phone and email/internet traffic in the UK, and restrictions to the freedom of photography. She justified these policies as necessary "anti-terror" laws. Police can "restrict or monitor photography in certain circumstances". She is presently in the process of pushing through legislation for ID Cards, having announced that they are to become compulsory for foreign students and airport staff. Despite evidence to the contrary, she has lied about the cost of the cards and claims that the majority of the population are in favour of being monitored by the government.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Charles_de_Menezes

http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=7727

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacqui_Smith

Link