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TwitterTaser Torture In America - A Call For Congressional Hearings
Sign the Petition : 160 Letters and Emails Sent So Far
Dear Senator Reid, Speaker Pelosi and Congressional Black Caucus: We call on our Congress to speak out and organize public hearings on the systemic human rights violations occurring with Federal funding against black, Latino, Native American and other Americans. While there continues to be considerable media and congressional attention to torture in Guantanamo, there is comparatively little attention to the mounting evidence of human rights violations in the streets of America by a number of police departments across America, including torture and killings of black children, women and men through-out the United States through the use and abuse of Tasers. We want Congress to stand up with us against the police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men by taser. We believe that few Americans support spending our tax dollars on torture, which violates our moral, religious and legal traditions. Most Americans expect an American policing policy that ensures the rights of all individuals regardless of race, greed, color, national origin, sex, disability or political or religious affiliation. We believe most Americans would favor Congressional hearings as to whether our own U.S. police, policing policies and actions violate Federal and International laws prohibiting human rights violators. Evidence of widespread police abuse of tasers is more than enough to warrant our concern and justify a congressional inquiry. We propose that Congress undertake serious oversight into the extent to which our taxes are funding human rights violations and torture by tasing, and provide an alternative roadmap to the restoration of our democratic values. We want Congress to make sure that police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men by taser stops. 1. We are calling on the U.S. Attorney General and the Justice Department to aggressively fulfill its most basic mandate of enforcing the law. Torture by tasing is a crime, and the Justice Department is the right place to initiate an independent top-to-bottom investigation of the torturing of black children men, women and children by local police jurisdictions throughout the United States. It's important that the general public understand the 'use of force continuum' used by law enforcement officials, and how it is abused by many in the law enforcement community. (See the use-of-force-continuum provided by the blog Electronic Village) Note: Although there is a Justice Department Review of TASER-related Deaths the on-the-spot pre-trial electrocutions continues. 2. Congress should investigate whether US police tasing policies violate Federal or international civil and human right laws, including the U.N. Convention against Torture, and international covenants against cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of citizens even in cases of so-called "state emergencies". 3. Congress should require the effective regulation of Taser use and require police/citizen review panels by Federal, state and local police and security agencies, including strict adherence to international human rights standards, or act to defund all such Federal, State and local police and security agencies who violate taser use regulations that would be established by Congress. No Federal stimulus dollars should be used to purchase tasers. We ask the Congress to hold congressional hearings to reach its own conclusions regarding the use and abuse of tasers, particularly as it relates to minority group members such as blacks, Native Americans and Latinos. As you know the UN's Committee against Torture has declared that Taser use can constitute a form of torture, while USA: Amnesty International has an on-going concern about the use of tasers on American citizens. With all the conversation about the Bush torture memos and torture in the United States, we the undersigned bring up the issue of torture of black Americans at the hands of police in the United States. We urge you to stand up against the police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men by taser. |  |
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Wed., Sep. 1, 2010 5:27 PM link Name not displayed | Peoria, IL
Absolutely digusting.
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Wed., Sep. 1, 2010 5:22 PM link Name not displayed | Washington, IL
Absolutely digusting.
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Mon., Aug. 30, 2010 1:38 PM link Name not displayed | Charlotte, NC
My son was tasered in the city he attends college. He was not armed, no drugs or anything but the wrong color(young black male). They had to justify why they tasered him so they charged him with resisting arrest. They tasered twice once before they handcuffed him once after his hands were in cuffs and to top it off they maced him. What kind of threat does one skiny black male pose againt three white police officers.
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Mon., Aug. 23, 2010 9:50 PM link Name not displayed | Palm Coast, FL
Sat., Aug. 21, 2010 11:03 PM link Paul T. IV W. | Chagrin Falls, OH
Sat., Aug. 7, 2010 2:32 PM link Name not displayed | Zebulon, NC
It's time for the law to obey the law!
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Sat., Jul. 31, 2010 2:52 AM link Sonya S. | Lansdale, PA
The Taser gun is not a tool of Law Enforcement, but rather an ugly, dangerous weapon of torture that should be immediately banned. In many ways, tasers are worse than regular guns, as the victims of this kind of ugly torture are seriously maimed forever, if not physically, then psychologically for sure. It is a disgraceful failure and a blight on our national government that this instrument of torture, the taser gun, is permitted to be used by police and security officers with official legal government sanctions. Tasers are weapons of electrocution and excruciating pain that burn, maim, traumatize, terrify, scar, and often stop the heart. Law Enforcement is entrusted to protect and serve, not to be judge, jury, and executioners. No civilized government should tolerate this terrible weapon.
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Wed., Jul. 14, 2010 12:16 AM link Laurie U. | Oscoda, MI
All tazers must be taken away from all police and "authority figures" immediately. Their little experiment with "less than deadly force" had FAILED!!! Time to admit it and get rid of these God forsaken things.
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Tue., Jul. 13, 2010 10:22 PM link Mark K. | New York, NY
Week after week we are seeing these reports from all over the country. When Tasers were introduced, they were characterized to the public as an alternative to deadly force. That should mean that the only situation in which these weapons (please don't call them "tools") are permitted to be used would be a situation where, were it not for the presence of a Taser, the officer would be authorized to use a gun. Yet what we are seeing, time and time again, is people who pose little or no threat to officers being tased for infractions as minor as showing a little disrespect. Frankly, if police officers feel free to use a taser under such circumstances, they are undeserving of the public's respect, and even more undeserving of their jobs. This must stop.
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Mon., Jul. 12, 2010 9:00 PM link Deborah B. | Walbridge, OH
This is torture and too many have been maimed or killed by these devices! We are tired of officers in uniform torturing people and getting away with it! Stop it now!
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Mon., Jul. 12, 2010 3:48 PM link lisa t. | Atmore, AL
This is torture and it has to stop !!!!
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Mon., Jul. 12, 2010 1:50 PM link Bonnie W. | Portland, OR
Recently an 80+ year old woman was tazed by police in Portland, OR.....her behavior seemed erratic to them....she died from being tazed; no fault seen by the police. THIS IS SOOOOO WRONG!!!!! Thank you. In Peace
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Sat., Jul. 10, 2010 4:54 PM link Katherine K. | Beverly Hills, CA
I do not believe humans should tasser others; anyone who has taser equipment (individuals in America)should be regulated by the American government, just as other weapons (guns, etc.) registered.
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Fri., Jul. 9, 2010 10:10 PM link Morgan T. | Appleton, WI
The US ratified signing of the UN Convention Against Torture in 1994, an in 2007, the UN Committee Against Torture has said that tasers constitute torture devices. Yet to this day, police officers and federal agents go armed with tasers and use them against the American public. This constitutes a violation of the UN Convention Against Torture and should be dealt with as such. If the US does not comply with the Convention it ratified, then the international community may be forced to address the situation. Please show the world that the US is committed to ending torture by abiding with the decision of the UN Committee Against Torture.
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Wed., Jul. 7, 2010 3:57 PM link Marcus H. | Midlothian, TX
Hay World look at the mixed up US.
In the United States of America, we prohibit the paddling of our school kids.
It is OK to shoot wire connected darts tipped with, sharp pointed barbed spears, deep into their skin, somewhere on their bodies, and to use 50,000 volts of electricity to slowly taser torture victims and to cause them severe pain and the terror of death, paddling however can get a teacher in serious trouble. This ought to spook Dr. Spock out of his grave to shame us.
We should all be ashamed that we have allowed taser torture victims to suffer without raising hell with the people ultimately responsible and then kick them out of office. We already did that with GB but nothing has CHANGED.
Politicians and weapons manufacturers understand that the people will generally be willing to give up some freedoms and wealth in a time of crisis. Politicians are forced to keep a crisis burning somewhere, even at home, to justify both their extravagance in dollars and lives and their willingness to deny liberty in the homeland.
The old bullets vs. butter debate goes on in the name of national security while freedom melts away before our very eyes.
I am no Patrick Henry and I'm not as good as Marshall Dillon with a six gun but I will always choose liberty over security and take my chances with the grim reaper.
Liberty means not being oppressed by any Government Force even those in the guise of security. Government must never inhibit and must always defend liberty above all else, sometimes even at the expense of security---a TexasTake on the subject-- Marcus Hardin --www.taser-torture-victims.com
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Wed., Jun. 30, 2010 4:02 AM link Michael H. | Oak Grove, KY
I was Tazed By Police Officer In a Hospitol Emergency Room , I need some very needed assitance in this matter ...It happened @ approx. 350am on June 28 2010...Please Ty
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Mon., Jun. 28, 2010 5:24 PM link Nicole C. | Baltimore, MD
Thu., Jun. 24, 2010 5:59 PM link rick s. | Washington, DC
Tue., Jun. 22, 2010 3:49 PM link Carl J. | Baltimore, MD
I'm a 43-year old tasing victim and Disabled American Navy Veteran. I was resolving a family dispute between by ex-wife and stepdaughter, when the Baltimore City Police Department punched in my mouth; tased in the back with no warning; falsely arrested; falsley charged; and treated inhumanely while incarcerated for 20 hours. I was not told I was under arrest; I was not given a warning; I was trying to explain what was happening, but apparently didn't move fast enough when he told me to sit down before punching me in my mouth in the fraction of a second; I didn't resist arrest; I didn't present an immediate threat or harm to the officers nor anyone else; I wasn't under the influence of any alcohol or drugs; and they never asked anyone what happened (ignored all attempts to explain what happened and who did what) before commencing to kick my butt and tasing me in the spine. I'm sure the officer probably got upset with me because I successfully blocked several punched he threw trying to strick me repeatedly in my face. Baltimore City Police premiditated their actions, and tricked me into coming out of my home (4th Ammendment - "Reasonableness" Standard) knowing they were going to do what they did to me. I was not read my rights before nor anytime after they arrested me and took me straight to jail. The same officer the attacked me, while taking me to and from the booking cell, excessively grabbed, pushed, and pulled on my person. Baltimore City Police refused me immediated medical treatment while I complained about and experienced physical distress from the electrocution and related physical injuries until I was rejected my medical staff at Central Booking 4 hours later and taken to John Hopkins Hospital. The hospital released me and sent me back to jail. I was charged and released 20 hours later, only to have to walk 5 miles home while in distress. Returned to the hospital after release for continued distress. Now suffering from compounded and worsening disability problems, and emotional and physical distress because of what they did. Additionally, I was embarrassed and humilated in front on my family, passer-byers, and neighbors. In conclusion, I'm a homeowner who just happens to live in a crime and open drug infested community; I'm a law abiding citizen who pays their salaries and expects protection; and prior to this day, I had never been arrested for anything nor do I have a criminal record. So, my point is, their beating up; tasing; falsely arresting; falsely charging; and falsifying reports on normal citizens. We need police department brutality and tasing transperency, which Baltimore Police doesn't have, and we need the strongest federal, state, and local accountability for police officers who use their badges to continously and excessively use force to violate all people's Constitutional and Civil Rights - Landmark Federal Cases: Bryan v. MacPherson, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, no. 08-55622, 2009; Graham v. C
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Sun., Jun. 20, 2010 6:06 PM link marcus h. | Midlothian, TX
This is a study to determine the Physiological, Psychological, Social and Economic after effects of being Electrocuted.
It has been reported that over 100,000 people have been Electrocuted and Tortured With 50,000 Volts delivered 1/2 inch below the skin in various places on their bodies. To develop a correlation between where a Victim is hit and the length of time they were Tortured and how it affected their lives will help in having Anti-Electrical-Torture laws passed and enforced. www.taser-torture-victims.com email study@taser-torture-victims.com
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