Getting a Taste for Tasers

So for my Year 12 VCE English issue SAC, I'm arguing that Victorian police should be issued with Tasers. Naturally, it would make sense to visit the site of the people who manufacture Tasers and see what they have to say about them. And let me tell you, it was an interesting site:

http://www.taser.com/

For quite apart from the models deployed to "law enforcement officers", Taser has recently branched out into the C2 models, for the everyday consumer. Not only that, they have a range of COLOURS from which people can choose their Taser. Because of course everyone wants to look stylish when they whip out their electroshock weaponery. Colours include Black Pearl and Electric Blue (quite an appropriate type of blue for a gun capable of producing 50, 000 volts).

This merely confirms my ongoing hypothesis that America has some seriously crazy stuff happening.

And then there is the Metallic Pink, which makes you wonder who exactly their target audience are...

Meryl: Oh my goodness Ange, have you seen Sarah's new C2 model Taser? Hot pink.

Ange: Oh GOD! I know! I'm just so jealous. I saw her the other day, and there she was, showing it off as she tasered Timothy in the driveway. And there I was, standing with my old series like a silly old nong, only able to subdue my 5 year old with 1.3 milliamps.

....because there actually have been several reported incidents of parents using it for discipline....

"YOU WILL CLEAN YOUR ROOM NOW!" screamed her mother, her face contorted with rage as she held down the trigger. "God, when I was your age, it was the wooden stick if I stepped out of line. Your generation just have no idea how lucky you are!" she remonstrated as her 12 year old daughter spasmed from the 1, 200 volts surging through her body.

And as if that wasn't disturbing enough, they have a merchandise and clothing range. So now everyone can accessorise with T shirts saying

"So....you weren't doing anything?.....let's go to the camera", a witty reference to the camera which is able to record incidents when the Taser was required to be used. I'm sure there are plenty of others such as "Can you read this? Then you're within my Taser range!" or "Did I give you a shock?"

Upshot being.....America is still a disturbing country.