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[IP] more on Police test hi-tech zapper that could end car chases





Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: July 12, 2004 8:36:43 PM EDT
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Cc: lauren@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Police test hi-tech zapper that could end car chases

From: EEkid@xxxxxxx
Date: July 12, 2004 7:07:58 PM EDT
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] Police test hi-tech zapper that could end car chases
...
He explained that the high energy
microwave pulse can and does cause injury to human eye tissue, and the
nervous system.  Despite this well known fact, he said they were
determined to make this product available to law enforcement.  In his
exact words "the thing really messes up anyone it's pointed at"

Dave, one can just imagine the "interesting" times ahead when the fun-loving
general public gets hold of such devices.  A gadget that "really messes
people up" from a significant distance? Oh sure, we'll be told that they will only be sold to legit law enforcement entities. But we all know there will be abuses by some of those entities, not to mention accidents. And how long will it be before these units turn up on the black market, or people start building their own. One can just imagine a couple of sickos working
their way down the street zapping people left and right with impunity,
laughing all the way home.

All this to stop vehicles in chases, eh?  Sure enough, those chases are
horribly dangerous.  But many of them are also unnecessary in the first
place, putting innocent people's lives at risk to catch a couple of kids who
stole a car, for example.

Perhaps companies who might want to market such devices should be required
to test them first on their own executives.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@xxxxxxxx or lauren@xxxxxxxxxx or lauren@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, Fact Squad - http://www.factsquad.org
Co-Founder, URIICA - Union for Representative International Internet
                     Cooperation and Analysis - http://www.uriica.org
Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy


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