I smell BBQ

So all of last week in physics, we had a couple members of the local police department come in and talk to us about their jobs and how they actually use physics during their jobs. We were able to use the same physics equations that they do in their jobs and solve a mock incident. (Who knew you could actually use physics in the real world?). During this time, the officers of course asked if anyone had questions. My personal favorite question happened to be, "Could you taser me?" or something to that extent. Not surprisingly, the officer declined. I sorta wish he would of used it and maybe that would have stopped the endless spewing of dumbness out of this particular kids mouth. Anywho.

But since that question came up, I've been thinking about Tasers. First off, I had forgotten that the local police department even had tasers. Then I began wondering about the use of tasers in police departments and even personal use. In the news, I always hear about the debate whether or not the use of a taser is safe and just how non lethal they really are. They are suppose to be an alternative to using deadly force and meant to subdue unruly suspects, but there have been a number of deaths around the country since the taser has come into use by police departments. Kind of an uneasy feeling there. (On a side note, the word taser comes from a ficitional weapon called the Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle. Yay for acronyms.)

One of the more well known incidents of questionable taser use comes from a John Kerry speech where a University of Florida student verbally went off on John Kerry and police took him away where they tasered him and created the now infamous viral video of the student yelling, "Don't tase me, bro!". Was this use of a taser proper? I'll leave that up to you. But being tasered is quite similar to sticking your finger into a light socket. I've heard peronsal accounts of just how much that hurts. Here's the video:

Then there is the thought that one day ordinary everyday people will be able to carry a taser around with them. It's like a gun...but much more discrete. Given our countrys problem with gun control as it is, i really hope that tasers never become publically available.