Taser critics "pleased" ?? with new restrictions in Alberta

Critics pleased with new Alberta Taser rules - Alberta police face tougher guidelines on when devices can be used [LINK]

"pleased"?

Perhaps "pleased" is not exactly the right word. The new restrictions, which will almost certainly reduce the propaganda-fueled trigger-happy taser spree and associated death rate, and reduce the frequency of violations of the Criminal Code of Canada s. 269.1 on Torture, is obviously a step in the right direction. But the word "pleased" implies a level of satisfaction that hasn't quite been achieved.

If the usage rate is cut by just half, then the problem is not fully solved. My gut tells me that we need to be looking for a 95% reduction to achieve a moral and ethical breakeven point. With the approach of partial changes being used, it's going to take another two cycles similar to what with just been through.

Also, now that we've legally come to terms with the fact that tasers can "cause death", it's time to follow up with explicit apologies and significant compensation for the families of the victims (all victims, no matter what flawed findings were made at the time), severe sanctions against those that abdicated their regulatory responsibilities and against those despicable stun gun salesmen that played the system like a trumpet, and those officials, both high and low, that displayed a level of innocent naivety that would embarrass a lamb, and plain stupidity that is on a level with the intellectual performance of tree stumps.

What I'm saying is that a lot of people and organizations were plainly WRONG, dead wrong. It would be pleasing if they would come out and explicitly admit that they were wrong.

It's obvious that there's quite a bit that still needs to be accomplished.