The honest truth about tasers revealed in one image

Just in case you've been living under a rock and haven't figured it out for yourself, tasers are not used to "replace guns". They're not actually used to make the world a better place. Tasers are "less-lethal" (than guns), but because they're used to replace lower forms of force (such as, in this case, another minute or two of harmless running around) the "less-lethal" is a lie wrapped in a half-truth. Tasers are actually often used to inflict severe electro-torture to make people stop minor offenses that might justify nothing more than a ticket.

But we don't often see a defining picture quite as clear as this one:

Philadelphia... [Cue the Elton John song] ...Freedom? - A city police officer who used a Taser to subdue a teenager who ran onto the field during a Phillies game has the backing of his chief, but the department is reviewing whether officers should be involved in such on-field confrontations in the future. ... The teen leapt onto the field at the top of the eighth inning during Monday night's game against St. Louis. He ran around in circles in the outfield, waving a white towel, and dodged two security officers. The department is reviewing whether its officers should be on the field wrangling fans who aren't threatening anyone. "Should we be on the field at all? I think that's what's being looked at," Vanore said. "I'm not sure we should be chasing people around the field." ... [All over the news...]