Do American Police derive some pleasure in torturing their own citizens?

Question

On the National News in my country we were witness to yet another example of overuse of power by the US police force.

Our family were horrified to see a man held down by about 4 cops and given electric shocks.
His crime: the audacity to speak his mind at a university political lecture.
Is America the land of the free or the oppressed.
The police seem to be so brave with weapons in their hands

Answer 1

Hi, good question.



Tasers in America are not used just for an 'alternative to a gun, they are used to pacify someone when they are 'resisiting arrest - basically a form of punishment.



They can also be used if an officer feels 'threatened'.



This is known in the design industry as 'product slip' - because the original design brief was to be in a lethal situation (to the cop). This is also known as fooling the American public who believe the taser would only be used in a life/death situation.



7 people sitting on a man (un armed) and unable to move is not a lethal situation, yet cops still use tasers. Incredible.



The problem is (as you correctly stated) the man you refer to at John Kerry's speech speaking, well he is being held down, he is thus incapable of 'resisting arrest' he is also not able to threaten anyone.



Like you, I find the fact someone is tortured when they resist arrest quite wrong, but Americans do not. There are no mass protests in the streets - Americans are used to violence.



When 30+ students are murdered at Virginia Tech, was anything done about restricting guns? No. There is no empathy left.



If citizens face this overwhelming force by their police on a daily basis, they they grow tired and apathetic to evoke change - exactly the position the Government want.



See the video of the student (Famous UCLA incident) being tasered for not getting out of his chair at a college library. People yell at them to stop, they are threated too.

Why? The answer is plain simple. Power. If it was legal, the cops would shoot them all dead. Electrocution is one step away from death, and they electrocute all they wish. No body cares, nothing is done.



Or read the news today, a woman tasered to death in the USA (10 taser shots) - she was in a wheelchair.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/wkmg/20070919/lo_wkmg/14147512



Or the 11 year old tasered in a school (yesterday).

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/10424467/detail.html



See the video of a black man (surprise surprise) again tasered to death. His crime? Nothing. He did nothing, the police grabbed him, tied him to a chair and murdered him - because? Because he was terrified they were going to murder him. Since when was being scared of being killed, a green light for Police to go kill people? America did nothing about that also.



Tasers have killed 200+ people in the USA so far, and soon they are coming to Britain because they are 'safe'.



America is sadly a fascist state, and executes more people a year than Russia.



Russia is meant to be their enemy. ''Communists''. When Bush preaches freedom and executes more people in his own country, in self proclaimed 'best nation on earth' then something is wrong.



Don't blame Americans, they are brainwashed by corporate media news networks like 'Fox News' which is run by Bush's brother.



Americans are nice people, but sadly unable to control their neo con Government who seeks total world domination - starting that domination over their own citizens.



Have a look at the video clips I've listed.........and don't forget that 1 in 5 Americans are on mind altering medication (Including cops)...



No surprise that a 'taser' becomes the equivalent of being told off then, is it.....



Peace.

Answer 2

Police abuse is a serious problem in this country. Most people think that its not a problem until they themselves are victims.

I believe both the conservatives and liberals contribute to the problem. The conservatives whose base lies with the more affluent believe the poor are all a bunch of criminals and therefore are gung ho to believe the cops under any circumstances.

The liberals on the other hand, like the movie makers in Hollywood, think its cool to romanticize rogue cops like Dirty Harry and once again portray the people who cops shoot and beat up as deserving scumbags.

Jerks who like to abuse people gravitate to police acadamies like pedifiles gravitate toward elementary school playgrounds. Police jobs are magnets for people who like the power of the gun and badge. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

People can sue doctors who commit malpractice, but its near impossible to have recourse against bad cops.

I believe police departments need to do a better job of screening applicants to reduce the number of people they hire who have big macho egos and take joy in abusing their power. this can be done partly by psychological screening and more thorough background tests

I believe the Federal government should have a force of decoy citizenry with nearby backup to track rogue cops and protect this force if the local cop goes "crazy" Its somewhat analogous to the cops planting a decoy hooker to catch customers and have cops nearby to protect the decoy.

The Federal force should have a substantial percentage of minorities and drive the kind of vehicles generally operated by the less advantaged They would be undercover Federal cops to detect and reprimand local bad cops

Answer 3

he was allowed to speak his mind but unfortunately, his question asking time was up and he still continued to talk.therefore, the police got the 'rebel' out of the way.I think the american public or sick people in general derives more pleasure from watching the video footage on youtube than the police does.they were only doing their job to secure the premises from psychos, who purposely went on a mission to gain media attention.he is the new paris hilton lol

Answer 4

That was hard to watch. Fortunately, this type incident is very rare.

When you consider contact with the public without incident, cops have an overwhelmingly good track record.

How are the cops where you live?

Answer 5

Did they only show you the guy just getting tazed or the whole video. If you would have watched the whole thing you would have seen that guy acting like a jackass.



What country are you from?

Answer 6

another shameful incident, just for asking questions!



since when has freedom of speech died in the US?



so what about this one, then?



UNITED STATES

Granny arrested over lawn

A 70-year-old woman in Orem, Utah, arrested in a dispute over her brown, unwatered lawn, pleaded not guilty. "I ask the citizens of Orem: How many of you would like to have your great-grandmother taken from her home with bruises and blood and placed in handcuffs for failing to water her lawn?" attorney Gloria Allred said. "Let's bring sanity back to law enforcement," she said. Betty Perry is charged with resisting arrest and failing to maintain her landscaping, both misdemeanors. She was arrested on July 6 after failing to give her name to a police officer who visited her home. During a struggle, Perry fell and injured her nose. She spent more than an hour in a holding cell before police released her. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2007/09/20/2003379671



Did she get what she deserved, too?

some of the answers on here are ridiculous!

Answer 7

What is silly is how you don't seem to understand the concept of taxation and the ability to do so. This also implies you don't understand military might does not mean a mindset of world domination. Broke as a joke?

Answer 8

I think some do!! Theirs good and bad in every country if you give them a gun or any kind of weapon your going to have a ego tripping police officer that thinks he's a tough guy!!

Answer 9

i think it's not a pleasure but orders from above difficult to trace.The police know well the consequences of torture ( some even submitted to it)fell free not to believe.

Answer 10

Your right, America is oppressive, I think Zimbabwe treats their citizens in true sense of freedom, by electing to make all the decisions for them. If you think the police is oppressive, you really should become the beacon of rage to the abused. I think you should dip your self in Vaseline and walk around the general population of Attica stark naked for a week.

Answer 11

Hmmm I think you will find the same in most countries. Its only America where they show it on TV.



SH!T HAPPENS!

Answer 12

When you act like a jackass, you will be treated like one. A normal, responsible human being that plays nice with others has nothing to fear from the police. That guy was asking for it.

Answer 13

tasers were never meant to be used for non-compliance.The police should not be using them for this reason. They were only meant to be used against violent offenders resisting arrest.

Answer 14

the problem is with the american media

Answer 15

You are absolutely correct. Stay away from the USA. Please don't ever, ever come here. Even on vacation. Stay where you are. And please tell everyone you know not to ever visit this totalitarian country.

Answer 16

Land of the free or oppressed? Good question.



I think you are way passed free or oppressed, now you qualify as land of the sick.

Answer 17

yes to some extent

Answer 18

your media obviously didnt give you the whole story.

Answer 19

it was one thing and those cops are suspended get your facts straight



isolated incident not an general practice

Answer 20

they said leave he said no listen or pay the price

Answer 21

Your media is tainted and you apparently did not get the full story about the kid. He deserved what he got for being stupid.

Answer 22

Welcome to the real world baby.



And it happens in the UK to.



I know.