At 01:20 PM 1/8/05 -0800, John Young wrote:

However, Taser claims the civilian version is effective only to 15 feet while the LE version will explose a heart at 20 feet. And, Taser says "accidental deaths caused by the shock would have happened to those sick persons anyway."

Well, yes, homicidal cops say the perps were begging for it, learning such talk from the president and up to the one who has fun with joy toy tsunamis.

John: A taser is > 50 KV and microamps. Not fun but it doesn't cause fibrillation. (Incoherent cardiac muscle contraction -> no pulse.) I now work for a company that makes defibrillators. It takes a few 10s of Joules through the heart to fibrillate, typically 100-200 J for an adult, during a certain critical window during the sinus rhythm. Our gizmos discharge ~200 uF at up to 2 KV to defibrillate a fibrillating heart, which will also fibrillate if administered to a healthy heart at the wrong time, as I said. That's up to 40 amps. (Through the pads a chest is 20-200 ohms, typically 50.) Without a defibrillator the person is dead, CPR or not. That's the science. As far as pigs wanting slaves/peasants/citizens to be unarmed, well, agree. As far as choke holds on negroes, excessive force on cocaine-stimulated citizens, etc goes, I have nothing to bear on this. As far as banning lethal and nonlethal weapons for use by all but state minions, we agree. When tasers, mace, body armor, .50 cal or lesser rifles are outlawed, well, you know the rest. (Of course mace is best applied with q-tips to the eyes of sitting protesters. And the mercenaries in Iraq do fine with pillowcases and 12V batteries.) Though heavens fall, let justice be done.