Friday, July 15, 2005
Stun gun manufacturers have ammunition to silence their critics
The world’s largest stun gun manufacturer has sustained intense criticism for months, yet an autopsy has shown that a 30-year-old man’s high-profile death after sustaining a stun gun shot was attributable to the cocaine in his system at the time. The autopsy's results equal more ammunition to silence the critics. As with any technology, stun guns deserve the utmost care in their use. But the criticism against stun gun manufacturers is shrill and out of proportion with stun gun technology’s risks.
On July 8, The Orlando Sentinel and others reported that the death of a 30-year-old man earlier this year in DeLand, Fla., stemmed from “acute cocaine intoxication.” Shortly before his death, the man had withstood a number of stun gun shocks, drawing widespread news coverage and criticism of stun gun manufacturers.
We’ve seen these kinds of findings before. In fact, the vast majority of deaths from stun gun shocks involve people who have large quantities of cocaine in their systems. To continue to portray stun guns as the culprits is to ignore the mounting evidence to the contrary. It is a disingenuous approach designed to attract media coverage. The strategy wouldn’t be so rampant if it didn’t work.
These are not 100 percent safe weapons. Few people have ever claimed so. But, for law enforcement and self-defense, stun guns represent a quantum leap past firearm technology’s capabilities. It’s an evolution in social consciousness. Opponents ought to consider this. Yet I see no evidence that they do.
Rolling out an affordable civilian model of its weapon, as reported in the July 3 Sun-Sentinel and elsewhere, Taser is also launching a campaign to educate the public [free registration required to access link] on stun gun technology, according to an article in the July 3 edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Taser is making a good move by going straight to the masses. This is necessary crisis communication. They’ll never be heard otherwise. Anti–stun gun messages flood the media. The masses need to know the truth. They also need stun guns for self-defense.
The Sun-Sentinel article points out that no regulations govern Taser’s civilian model.
It’s important, as with any weaponry, to keep tabs on stun guns. But let’s be reasonable and remember that stun gun technology means saved lives.
The world’s largest stun gun manufacturer has sustained intense criticism for months, yet an autopsy has shown that a 30-year-old man’s high-profile death after sustaining a stun gun shot was attributable to the cocaine in his system at the time. The autopsy's results equal more ammunition to silence the critics. As with any technology, stun guns deserve the utmost care in their use. But the criticism against stun gun manufacturers is shrill and out of proportion with stun gun technology’s risks.
On July 8, The Orlando Sentinel and others reported that the death of a 30-year-old man earlier this year in DeLand, Fla., stemmed from “acute cocaine intoxication.” Shortly before his death, the man had withstood a number of stun gun shocks, drawing widespread news coverage and criticism of stun gun manufacturers.
We’ve seen these kinds of findings before. In fact, the vast majority of deaths from stun gun shocks involve people who have large quantities of cocaine in their systems. To continue to portray stun guns as the culprits is to ignore the mounting evidence to the contrary. It is a disingenuous approach designed to attract media coverage. The strategy wouldn’t be so rampant if it didn’t work.
These are not 100 percent safe weapons. Few people have ever claimed so. But, for law enforcement and self-defense, stun guns represent a quantum leap past firearm technology’s capabilities. It’s an evolution in social consciousness. Opponents ought to consider this. Yet I see no evidence that they do.
Rolling out an affordable civilian model of its weapon, as reported in the July 3 Sun-Sentinel and elsewhere, Taser is also launching a campaign to educate the public [free registration required to access link] on stun gun technology, according to an article in the July 3 edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Taser is making a good move by going straight to the masses. This is necessary crisis communication. They’ll never be heard otherwise. Anti–stun gun messages flood the media. The masses need to know the truth. They also need stun guns for self-defense.
The Sun-Sentinel article points out that no regulations govern Taser’s civilian model.
It’s important, as with any weaponry, to keep tabs on stun guns. But let’s be reasonable and remember that stun gun technology means saved lives.
# posted by IDTheftSecurity.com @ 7:28 AM 
