Can you tell me WTF is happening to USA!?!

[Mayo]

I just read the article where little girl of 11 was tased by "school resource officer", actually a Sheriff deputy!!!

Officials: Deputy Shocks Girl, 11, With Taser At Elementary School - Orlando News Story - WKMG Orlando

WTF is Sheriff deputy have to do with the elementary school??? If child is problematic it should go to school psychologist and not be tased by a police officer!

This FASCHISTIODIC methods enrage me so much! I is not up to a police officer to straighten up a kid but up to a parent and educational system that should take care of kids, even those most problematic(and have 150 pounds of weight)! BTW the TV editors are actually approving this method!!!

[WanderingOak]

Just out of curiosity, how do you think the school should have handled the situation? The girl was bullying her peers and refused to respect her teachers. When told to go to the principals office, instead she spat in her teacher's face. I would say that she would probably do the same when asked to see the school psychiatrist.

Now, admittedly when I was in grade school (when the world was young, and Jimmy Carter roamed the White House), the idea of a uniformed 'school resource officer' would have been considered ludicrous. Then again, there were not any fights in the halls back then, and nobody would even consider attacking a teacher. Now, this girl, from what I understand, was almost able to physically overpower an armed police officer. How do you think the officer should have reacted? The girl was out of control and disrupting class, so perhaps she did need to have a bit of a 'time out' in a Juvenile Detention Center. I am not sure how this could be considered Fascist by any means.

[Erin Pavlina]

Didn't the article also say she pushed a schoolmate into oncoming traffic?

It's not like the girl was stealing pencils or drawing on her desk, she was committing violent crimes. it's sad that she's only 11, and she obviously needs some help managing her emotions. The method with which she was brought down is unfortunate, but no one forced her to assault anyone.

[Jennihul]

Well, that's why police officers are trained in the acadamy to subdue violent criminals. It's their job. Even big giant violent criminals. What isn't their job is to choose methods that are inappropriate, incredibly dangerous, yet easier and less risky to their person, as their first choice.

Tough crap, copper, if you are scared of handcuffing an 11 yr old girl, you should have been an accountant.

Tasers should be banned. They kill people.



Jennifer

[Mayo]

Personally i had restrained >200 pound grown up and i have no training in martial arts or restraining techniques + i'm weighting little over 110 pounds. Restraining a bratty kid must not be a problem for trained officer, you can alway use plastic strap handcuffs!
More important is that kid could be killed, remember that overweight kids almost always have some health problem esp. with heart. What enrages me is that this technique will in time be used against little kids of 5-7 (baby-tasers), there was also a tasering of pregnant woman some time ago... and i also watched the killing of that Polish man in Canada(man was tasered and clubbed in the spine region to death by police).

Nuff from me, i am stopping(30 day trial ) to read grouse world affair news + watch mastered TV news.

[WanderingOak]

Originally Posted by Jennihul

Well, that's why police officers are trained in the acadamy to subdue violent criminals. It's their job. Even big giant violent criminals. What isn't their job is to choose methods that are inappropriate, incredibly dangerous, yet easier and less risky to their person, as their first choice.

Tough crap, copper, if you are scared of handcuffing an 11 yr old girl, you should have been an accountant.

Tasers should be banned. They kill people.
Jennifer

Would you rather the cop hit the girl over the head with a baton, or perhaps apply a choke-hold? Even though the girl was only 11, she was the same size as many adults, just without the self-restraint. In fact, I believe the cop was a woman, so she may have even been smaller than the girl.

[Old Soul]

Actually problematic children are not just a problem for the USA, we have the same problems here in Canada, probably other countries as well

The child in this case deperately needs intervention, If I were the parents of the child who was pushed onto oncoming traffic you can bet your boots I would be doing a follow up with that..... with the police as well as the school who houses this child for 8 hours a day

This child I'm sure would probably spit in the School physcologists face, if she has the brass to do this to other adults she would do it to anyone....... she needs help there is no doubt about that

Restraints were needed in this case........ to protect others from her , should they be safe restraints yes!...

[Jennihul]

Originally Posted by WanderingOak

Would you rather the cop hit the girl over the head with a baton, or perhaps apply a choke-hold? Even though the girl was only 11, she was the same size as many adults, just without the self-restraint. In fact, I believe the cop was a woman, so she may have even been smaller than the girl.

Then the world would have been completely overrun with violent criminals before the Taser was invented. Interestingly, I don't recall that being the case.

Jennifer

[WanderingOak]

Originally Posted by Jennihul

Then the world would have been completely overrun with violent criminals before the Taser was invented. Interestingly, I don't recall that being the case.

Jennifer

Actually, I think this might be the start of an alarming trend of oversized adolescents attempting to take over the world ...

[Jennihul]

There are way better ways, as we know, Oak.

Jennifer

[Lunatic]

I love how Mayo blamed everyone except the kid. That's the real problem in America. No one taking responsibility for themselves. It's the blame game. I really like the irony of her answering her own question without even knowing it.

Thank god for tasers. It's saved a lot of drunk, high, and out of control people from being shot. Not only that but it gives police officers a way to stop an out of control person without endangering themselves. Why should an officer of the law have to endanger his life to keep some out of control person from injuring others. Who knows, she could of had a gun, knife, etc. I say tase first, ask questions later.

If that would have been Mayo's kid that got pushed into oncoming traffic, he/she wouldn't be complaining about a taser. That I can PROMISE you!

[Erki]

Originally Posted by Lunatic

Thank god for tasers. It's saved a lot of drunk, high, and out of control people from being shot. Not only that but it gives police officers a way to stop an out of control person without endangering themselves. Why should an officer of the law have to endanger his life to keep some out of control person from injuring others. Who knows, she could of had a gun, knife, etc. I say tase first, ask questions later.

Tase first, ask questions later... oh yeah, ask those questions when the person tased is dead...(it has happened, more than just a couple of times).

"She might have had gun, knife, etc"... typical American paranoia. Sad, really. Sure, the situation could have been potentially dangerous, but then we would be in danger of getting shot every time we dare to step out onto the streets. Should we maybe all carry tasers around with us?

[Lunatic]

So if that was your kid pushed into on coming traffic, what, don't worry about it? Your still focusing on the cop and not on the person who caused the entire incident. Had there been no out of control kid (who is probably here illegally anyway, but that's a whole other issue) there would have been no incident. Wonder where the parents are? I don't see how you guys can reverse the heat on the cop, but the person who caused the problem...??? Oh that's okay, maybe she was "stressed".

[Lunatic]

By the way, "typical american paranoia"...??? Tell that to the parents from Columbine. Why don't you find those parents and tell them that it's no big deal.

Since 2001 just over 150 people have died from tasers nationwide.

Another Taser Death - In Clearwater - Tampa Bay Personal Injury Lawyer

Now compare that to officers killed in the line of duty feloniously since 2001 - more than double 338.

Table 1 - Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2006

Go tell those families that the taser shouldn't be used. Sometimes it's good to think of other people. Not the ones commiting the crime, but the innocent people who are just trying to provide for their families. Try to think about them for a second, and not some out of control brat kid, who is obviously not controlled by her parents at home.

Here's the schools policy on tasing students:
"The policy reads that, yes, you can Tase a student, if they are aggressive and also if they're fighting the officer."

Sounds pretty cut and dry, so at least the officer can't be charged with anything. I'm sure the parents will sue the school, become famous and try to get a settlement, so they don't have to work anymore.

[Erin Pavlina]

We're just striking at the branches here.

If we strike at the root, children would be raised with values like compassion, honesty, love, etc. They wouldn't dream of pushing a child into oncoming traffic, and no question of whether a taser or gun or nothing at all would need to be asked.

Arguing over types and strength of force is really a waste of breath. I vote for prevention instead of cure. You have to start sooner, yes. You have to train and educate people on how to raise compassionate kids, yes. But if we put more resources into that, if schools taught these values more aggressively, it would certainly help.

When you put other people in harm's way and someone harms you to get you to stop, you're reaping what you sow. I hope the 11 year old girl is able to come to a place of peace.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

Arguing over types and strength of force is really a waste of breath. I vote for prevention instead of cure.

If there are already people infected you need cure as well as prevention. It's not an either/or case. The branches need trimming too.

Originally Posted by Lunatic

I love how Mayo blamed everyone except the kid. That's the real problem in America. No one taking responsibility for themselves.

Again, it's not an either/or case. Just because the kid is to blame for her actions doesn't mean that the police officer didn't also step over the line.

The article says that the officer tried to restrain the kid, taking injuries in the course of it, before falling back on the taser. OTOH, tasers aren't designed to be used on kids. I would imagine the chances of lethality go way up if used on on 11 year old, even a big one.

I wasn't there and I just don't know whether the officer acted irresponsibly or not. However, it's ludicrous to say that the question shouldn't be asked because the kid acted irresponsibly too.

[Dharma]

When I'm acting out, being very unconscious, and locked in a state of reaction, I have to resort to shocking myself to make me pay attention to myself, now.

How do I do this in my own life?

[Mayo]

Originally Posted by Lunatic

I love how Mayo blamed everyone except the kid. That's the real problem in America. No one taking responsibility for themselves. It's the blame game. I really like the irony of her answering her own question without even knowing it.

Thank god for tasers. It's saved a lot of drunk, high, and out of control people from being shot. Not only that but it gives police officers a way to stop an out of control person without endangering themselves. Why should an officer of the law have to endanger his life to keep some out of control person from injuring others. Who knows, she could of had a gun, knife, etc. I say tase first, ask questions later.

If that would have been Mayo's kid that got pushed into oncoming traffic, he/she wouldn't be complaining about a taser. That I can PROMISE you!

I've been hit with a flying rock form one such problematic kid way back in 4th elementary grade, would i like to had seen him tasered? No! Would i like to see problem kid get some expert help like that classmate did? Yes.

With taser you don't have to have a brain... Just TASE! Tasers are made for dangerous situations where you don't want to kill but you are in harms way. Personally i see tasers as something that is not safe for general public use, but would i use it against some 6'2" 250lb ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥? Yes! Would i use it against problematic overweight kids? No.

Again, with this kind of kid handling you will only produce even more problematic grown up people. Something is missing in American society and that's mind and heart.

If your educators like to punish in such way then why don't you start using the old British way of educational stringency?

[Erki]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

You have to train and educate people on how to raise compassionate kids, yes. But if we put more resources into that, if schools taught these values more aggressively, it would certainly help.

Interesting choice of words, may I add.

[Lunatic]

Mayo, I see it's obvious you're not going to answer the question. I mean comparing getting hit by a rock to spitting in someone's face, punching a teacher in the nose, and pushing another student into on coming traffic is absurd. Also I love how you know what situations tasers are made for.
What is your expert background on tasers?

Anyway, untill you start to realize that you're blaming the wrong people. Your attitude is the same problem that you were complaining about in your original post. That's "wtf is happening in america", a ton of irresponsible people, who are afraid to take responsibility for problems, or situations they have caused.

"but would i use it against some 6'2" 250lb ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥?"

That comment might be the dumbest yet. I'm assuming that your smaller than "6'2" 250lb ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥?", otherwise you wouldn't feel threatend by them. We don't know the size of the officer, according to an earlier post the girl was 5' 5" 155lb girl. Maybe the officer was the same size, and NO ONE here, not even you, (the classic heat reversal, blame game, monday morning quarterbacking) can argue that the girl was being an "♥♥♥♥♥♥♥?", right?

[Old Soul]

But if we put more resources into that, if schools taught these values more aggressively, it would certainly help

I agree with that, Our children spend a huge majority of their time in the school system, yes they are learning science, history, math, english etc.... I think it would be great to have a class on social skills to be able to work more effectively with each other, this only makes for better adults.........these skills are so "underated" yet sooo essential for everyday life.........

some will say this is not the schools job, but the parents, and of course it is the parents job to equip our children with good tools to deal with social issues in life..... but remember the school system has our children for a huge part of their impressionable years.. they are raised in a system with hundreds of children.... and the educators I think would agree if they are honest that they to are in a sense parenting hundreds of kids a day.........

Just one example: If my child was being bullied 5 days a week, I can asure you that both my child as well as myself, and the child who is bullying as well as his parents would benefit so greatly by a class in social behavior.....this would be a win /win for everyone consernced......... there are lots of scenerios for examples, not just extremes in behavioral problems......... balance in competitivness how to compete fairly, how to be a team player..... all these skills will be used in adult life
..

I think the school system needs to change with the times... i don't believe todays youth are the same as they were 25 yrs ago..... the issues they face today are not the same as 25 yrs ago......... time to make change for the sake of a happier more functioning world

that is my rant...:-) thankyou for listening

[Evre]

Tasing children is wrong.

[Eric Revelin]

Reviving a month old thread isn't the best way to introduce myself to a forum. Even so, I saw this topic and I felt compelled to write the following message. Unless I failed to read every post thoroughly, my perspective is a unique one so I will share it.



The preventative measures and the cure are one in the same. If values are taught and applied then there will be fewer insane people in our world. With slight modification, or should I say extension of the teaching methods, they can be used to rehabilitate those who are already lost to their negative impulses. Ergo, while it's correct this is not an either/or situation, an effort directed toward one aspect of it will benefit people in both camps if done correctly.

But who will concoct and execute such a plan? Surely it can't be left up to congress and the schools. The school plays a role, of course, but it's relatively minor compared to what the child learns via family and friends and friends of the family.

I agree with the posters who say we're playing the blame game. This is undeniable in a country where someone can sue a company because he spilled hot coffee on his own lap. No matter what needs to change on a large scale sitting around and debating over it won't get a damn thing done. Each individual needs to step up to the plate and take responsibility for themselves and for their children's well being. School is not meant to be the sole source of one's education and the television is not a good babysitter. We need to quit spending so much time trying to get fancier cars and re-appropriate our attention on the things that matter.

Of course this is easier said than done for those who work 12 hours a day simply to make ends meet. Too many households are in that position and we're all suffering for it, the children most of all. Yet even then the parents can try to educate their children in values during the little time they get to spend at home. Quality time is an excellent thing and surely more of it is even better, but sometimes it only takes a moment to make a lasting impression on someone. A parent that truly cares can alter the course of her child's life with a few soft words whispered during a fleeting instant.

Yet many adults are too maladjusted to manage such a thing, or so it seems upon a surface inspection. That only persists because they remain unconscious without making any effort whatsoever to awaken. Granted it can be very difficult to strive toward enlightenment when you have baser concerns constantly weighing on your mind, but anyone who is devoted to it can make progress. There's no need to expect radical shifts overnight. Alas, true mental and spiritual development lacks appeal in microwave culture... But there's still a yearning within us, I think. When people stop drowning out the inner voice that steers them toward a saner, more fulfilling existence, it's possible many of our current problems will cease to be.

In terms of the violence that was used in this specific case... I don't know whether it was right or wrong. Tasers can kill people. They shouldn't be used without good reason. None of us were there. We don't have video footage of how the child was acting and we don't know exactly how hard she was to subdue. We don't have to face her now as we sit safe behind our keyboards, outraged at this article. We don't know the physical and psychological makeup of the police officer. All we know is that this child was dangerous and the police officer had a responsibility to keep herself and the people in the school safe. Was the 11-year old an immediate threat to anyone at that point? Again, without being there nobody can say.

The taser may have been unnecessary, but some children are truly frightening to confront. Pure anger coupled with a total lack of restraint can make the smallest person a threat. If the girl wasn't that much of a problem, if it was fear that caused the cop to use the taser, then, while her actions are understandable, I don't approve of what she did. I hope I'd have better sense, but in all honesty I don't know if I would. Emotional temperance is easy to talk about but difficult in practice. It doesn't excuse the actions taken if they were indeed unjust, but nothing is gained by condemnation.

I'm thankful that everyone is still alive and I hope the girl finds a way to heal the wounds that drove her to act out.