Aleyna Martinez
Our law currently states that it is illegal for an individual to inflict an electrical shock into another person. However, recently police throughout NZ have been given taser guns which do exactly that. It is obvious in this instance, that the law doesn’t apply to those whose job it is to uphold it.
The idea of police involvement goes in hand in hand with criminal behaviour. Law-abiding citizens, don’t actually think much about the police, in essence we don’t really know them. With all the talk of police brutality, the thought of giving a cop of that nature the power to electrocute a person frightens me.
“When fired the Taser propels two barbed darts with trailing wires that attach to the skin or clothing. Upon impact a 50,000-volt electric shock is discharged into the victim for a period of five seconds. Whilst the barbs remain attached this discharge can be repeated multiple times by pulling the trigger again (and again). The immediate effects are debilitating. The current causes involuntary muscle contraction and extreme pain. The victim completely loses control over their body and falls to the floor until the current stops. The whole experience is both painful and degrading”. Nick Lewer and Neil Davison Electrical stun weapons: alternative to lethal force or a compliance tool?
Reminds me of deer hunting. Or shooting drugs into an animal via a gun for sport. I agree that a man who is known to be dangerous and/or armed and disregarding the police would instill a bit (or a lot) of fear. Does that constitute plugging him in and electrocuting him in as if he was an animal charging at you at the zoo?
Recorded fatalities for Taser deaths in the US at the moment are 200.
The argument is, would you rather a gun? I would rather none.
National Distribution Union secretary, Laila Harre says, “The police don’t want to use tasers as a “more lethal” option than pepper spray and batons in situations that wouldn’t otherwise call for lethal force. What we are seeing is an arming of police by deception.”
In the United States you can buy taser guns on the internet. Any person can have them for personal use. Look at America and their gun laws, their citizen’s accessibility and the way they ship guns in and out. Why do we want to follow a country that has the highest amount of the population jailed per capita in the world?
At a meeting held in Pataka, in Porirua, concerns about the Taser were raised as use of it on people with high blood pressure could result in fatality. Porirua has large Pacific Island and Māori communities, where high blood pressure is common.
If the trial in New Zealand is successful, there will be more tasers for cops to use. Henceforth the police get another step closer to being allowed to carry guns.
The trial areas will be Porirua, Manukau district, North Shore/Waitakere Rodney, Auckland cities and Wellington. These areas have high poverty statistics. The reason for the high crime rates shouldn’t be a reason for Police to use tasers. People need to take responsibiilty for their actions, but resources could be used to get to the root of the problem, instead of scaring people into submission, which is what it has done so far.
LEARN MORE
- How do tasers work, how many people use them, are they dangerous? Find out more at this Q & A site.
- New Zealand’s campaign against police using tasers. Find out more information
- Sign the petition against police using taser guns. Petition.
- Learn more about tasers and other electric shock weapons. More info.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into effect, devastating small producers and workers with policies that allow cheaper, heavily subsidised US and Canadian goods to flood into the Mexican market. 
On the same day, 3000 members of the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) seized six towns and hundreds of ranches in the Southern state of Chiapas, Mexico as an action of resistance against the imposition of neoliberal policies that favour already powerful multinational corporations. For two weeks, the state of Chiapas resounded with the chant “’¡Ya Basta! Enough is enough!” as the people called for an end to five centuries of indigenous repression and exploitation and of the encroaching globalisation of corporate hegemony and cultural homogenisation. The Mexican army responded with bombs and bullets, killing at least 145 indigenous people. Mexican civil society responded with massive demonstrations across the country calling for an end to the military repression, and a ceasefire was called on the 12th of January.
Indeed, the leaders of the movement famously mask their faces with balaclavas or bandanas to symbolise their anonymity and equality with the suffering indigenous, peasants and workers. The movement has organised countless consultations and meetings at community, national and international levels, but always prioritising the voice of the people. As a result, they have established strong, autonomous communities with health clinics, schools and cooperatives producing various goods as deemed suitable for the communities by the communities. A dynamic form of government, (el Buen Gobierno, the good government) modelled on traditional indigenous frameworks, has been established, where leaders are seen as servants of the people and extensive community involvement occurs.
Globalisation’, free trade’, neo-liberalism’ (call it what you will - the economic policies supported by global institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank ) have been protested about and opposed by tens of millions of people around the globe. Why are so many people so angry? In the Western World, before 9/11, coverage of violent anti-globalisation protests’ often splattered the news in the mainstream media. 9/11, according to the mainstreammedia signalled the death of the movement. However, such feelings have not died and, in fact, in many developing nations they have become more intense.
Before escaping to New Zealand, AMINA LAFARAIE, and her family were forced to hide from the Taleban in the city of Kabul in Afghanistan. This is her story of her experience. 
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