NEWS: Rhode Island Legislator Tries to Ban Stun Guns

A State Representative from Rhode Island, Edith Ajello, is proposing a ban on stun guns. She believes that they are too dangerous, and should only be in the hands of police officers. Stun guns have replaced firearms for many in the search for affordable self defence, they are preferred by women especially. Recently many police departments around the country have issued Tasers to their officers in an effort to reduce the number of shooting deaths - especially 'suicide by cop', which is a disturbingly common trend across the country.



So is this a well intentioned bill to save lives, or a calculated effort to further disarm an already controlled population? I think the potential for abuse of stun guns is high, especially for use in robberies. However, I also think the potential for abuse of bricks is high, especially for use in robberies. The age old issue of gun control once again rears its ugly head.

There will probably not be much resistance to this measure, which is unfortunate I think, because it builds upon an already dangerous precedent. As our civil liberties become more and more corroded, we become that much more susceptible to the influence of those armed parties who reside in our society - cops and crooks.

It's my understanding that police wearing vests would be all but impervious to stun guns, and so that's likely not the issue. I'm sure the key issue is the potential to use these devices in aggrivated assault and robbery. Now, I may be way off base here, but if you were being robbed, would you rather be stunned and lose your wallet, or be shot/clubbed/stabbed and lose some blood, maybe your life?

[edit on 3-4-2005 by WyrdeOne]

[edit on 3-4-2005 by WyrdeOne]

More information...

www.ritrust.com...
This web site is for the RI Trust, a Risk Management entity heavily involved with policy makers, they are against stun guns because they're afraid of lawsuits stemming from their use.

www.taser.org...
Oddly enough, Taser already lists RI as a restricted use area. ?? I wonder what the debate is about then? Perhaps there are laws on the books restricting their use in a crime, and perhaps concealed carry, and this woman wants to take them away period.

www.actionstunguns.com...
The price on Taser refill cartridges is..stunning. 30 dollars a shot! No wonder the Taser lobby was so interested in getting them approved for municipal law enforcement use. Those contracts are a gold mine! A liscense to print money! I think they should switch to stun batons, which are resuable, and have a much slimmer chance of failure.