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From: cramer@kontron.UUCP (Clayton Cramer)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.flame,net.legal
Subject: Re: A new self-defense idea!
Message-ID: <129@kontron.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 25-Apr-85 21:45:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: kontron.129
Posted: Thu Apr 25 21:45:30 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 28-Apr-85 09:09:45 EDT
References: <355@idis.UUCP> <1602@ut-ngp.UUCP> <468@cybvax0.UUCP> <1107@amdcad.UUCP>
Organization: Kontron Electronics, Irvine, CA
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Xref: watmath net.politics:8723 net.flame:9577 net.legal:1622

> > > I personally like the 'taser' devices that have come out not-all-that-
> > > recently.  A *very* bright light attached to a little device that
> > > shoots little wires into the assaliant and runs something like 40,000
> > > volts through him.  
> > 
> > This has the advantage that it's not as versatile a weapon as a gun, so
> > it won't be taken up much for commiting street crime.  Disadvantages
> > include the possibility that it could be lethal, depending upon the
> > condition of the zapee (though I haven't herad of anyone dying from
> > these yet.)  
> 
> According to the San Jose Mercury, a man died last week after the
> policemen who were arresting him used a taser to subdue him. He
> apparently did not die immediately, so it is not certain that the
> taser was to blame. An autopsy was to be performed. If they print
> the results, I'll post them.
> 
> Mike @ AMDCAD

You'll notice, if you look at the top of this rapidly growing pile of
mutterings, that the original issue was: is the Taser a good alternative
to firearms for self-defense.  Let me tell you a little story.

Some years ago (I think it was 1980), my wife and I became concerned
about the high crime problem in our city (Santa Monica, CA).  We took
a class in tear gas use, got a permit, and bought ourselves tear gas.
Thank goodness we never had to use it.

The tear gas instructor made a point of mentioning how ineffective
tear gas was, but we weren't really listening, because we really liked
the idea of non-lethal weapon that would protect us in the event we
were attacked.

Tear gas, like many other substances, behaves quite differently on
differently people.  People are who very drunk or very stoned are 
frequently unaffected by the stuff.  Unfortunately, these are the people
you most have to worry about attacking you.  (Do drugs lower inhibitions,
so the doped become criminals, or are criminals attracted to intoxicating
substances?  Chicken or egg problem.)

As a consequence, we ended up buying a Colt .45 Government Model semiauto
pistol because while less powerful weapons have been known (repeatedly)
to fail to stop a determined or drugged attacker, it is quite rare for
.45 ACP to fail to ***immediately*** incapacitate someone.  Note that the
goal then, as now, is not to *kill* the attacker, but to render them
unable to continue to endanger our lives.  My considerable research on
the subject has failed to come up with an acceptable alternative --- and
that includes the Taser.