Why I hate TASER guns; UCLA Police use TASER on student.

Have a look at this. UCLA Police tasers a student who is unwilling to "stand up" AFTER he's being tasered.

It's clear that the police is on the wrong track. Although this student was obviously not cooperating, the police could've simply handcuffed him, and have two officers carry him out. Here's how I think the police should handle non-cooperating students.

- talk. Police should be able to reason with a student. Ask what the problem is and try to convince the student it's a lot less hassle (for both parties) to cooperate.
- handcuff him and carry him out.

The police might have talked to the student before, but this video doesn't show this; All we see is yelling officers threatening to TASER the student.

The handcuffing seems not an option to these policemen. What's wrong with the UCLA police?

Tasers are dangerous weapons; "Amnesty International have documented over 150 deaths following the use of tasers."

Personally I believe these weapons should be outlawed; again and again videos like these show up where it is clear the weapon is NOT "used instead of a leathel weapon" (which is often the argument for using TASERS) but out of convenience; the police considers the (threat of the) use of the TASER "easier" than reasoning or simple handcuffing/dragging.

Afer viewing this video we can all remove this UCLA University from our shortlist.

Here's what Wikipedia writes about the incident:

On November 15th, 2006, Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a student of the university, was tased for refusing to leave the Powell Library^[37]. The media^[38] reported that the officers of the University of California Police Department (UCPD) inflicted "multiple taser shots to a 23-year-old student in the Powell Library computer lab". Several students recorded the incident on their phones, which shows Tabatabainejad screaming while being tased multiple times. After being tased, the police asked him to stand up, but Tabatabainejad either could not or would not. The police then continued to tase him several more times. Tabatabainejad claims that he was leaving the library when the police confronted him, and would not let him leave, which is supported by several eye witness accounts. Library policy forbids those who do not possess a valid UCLA ID from entering and using its facilities. Those who are asked to produce an ID must do so or must leave. The police reported that the Mr. Tabatabainejad did not produce a UCLA ID despite repeated requests. In the videos, several bystanders can be heard asking for the police officers' badge numbers as well as condemning what they thought was excessive force. Another police officer can be heard threatening to tase another student, who was protesting the incident, if he did not back away. The video can be seen here. The university is currently investigating the incident.

Iraq war a big mistake, Blair ally says; Guardian Unlimited

Tony Blair has come under fire from one of his closest government allies over the Iraq war and his wider foreign policy, it was reported today.

Margaret Hodge apparently told a branch meeting of the Fabian Society that the war had been the prime minister's "big mistake in foreign affairs".

According to the Islington Tribune newspaper, the trade and industry minister said she had doubted his approach to foreign affairs since 1998. The paper said she was particularly critical of Mr Blair's "moral imperialism" - importing British attitudes and ideas to other countries.

WHOLE STORY

Fossil of the day: Rona Ambrose!

CANADA.COM:

Ambrose earns “fossil of the day” award

NAIROBI, KENYA -- Environmental groups, federal opposition parties, and an official Quebec government delegation have cooked up a rude welcome for Environment Minister Rona Ambrose at the United Nations climate change conference.

Ambrose, who is scheduled to arrive late on Monday night, earned a “fossil of the day” award for comments made last week about Canada’s position on the international Kyoto agreement on climate change.

The awards are handed out on a daily basis by international environmental groups to countries that they believe are heading in the wrong direction.

“Tied for first place, Canada and Australia are both found guilty for making ridiculous claims to the press of their countries and for misleading the public,” Greenpeace Canada spokesperson Steven Guilbeault said on Monday. “Even more humourous is that Rona Ambrose, the Environment Minister was quoted in Canadian press saying that Canada is meeting all of its responsibilities under the Kyoto protocol, except for the bit about emissions targets.”

WHOLE STORY

War on terror is lost ; blog for REAL solutions

I'm not surprised that the MI5 chief comes out with these views. I'm sure this has been common knowledge for many at the top for the last year or so; they were just hoping that things would somehow turn around. Not so.

Many leaders of the Western world have been in denial; the so-called war on terror is a disaster. It's interesting to see that this "denial" has suddenly become so obvious, especially on this continent. The War in Iraq, the War in Afghanistan; both wars have become top issues again.

NOW is the time for a complete different approach to the "war on terror". This "war on terror" has become synonymous to a "state of denial"; a denial for real progress. The current world faces real problems, problems that cannot be fixed through "Shake and bake" and "shock and awe".

Keep blogging for REAL solutions; THEY ARE reading our blogs and quickly running out of munition.

MI5 chief says Iraq war is driving British Muslims into terrorism
By Kim Sengupta and Jason Bennetto
Published: 11 November 2006

British Muslims have been driven towards extremism and terrorist acts because of the UK's part in the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the head of MI5.

Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller's warning of the violent threat from more than 1,600 suspects in 200 groups lasting more than a generation, was backed yesterday by Tony Blair.

Dame Eliza stated, however, that the Government's policy had directly contributed to attacks in this country. She said: "My service needs to understand the motivations behind terrorism to succeed in countering it. The video wills of British suicide bombers make it clear they are motivated by perceived worldwide and long-standing injustices against Muslims; an extreme and minority interpretation of Islam promoted by some preachers and people of influence; and their interpretation as anti-Muslim of UK foreign policy, in particular in Iraq and Afghanistan. Killing oneself and others in response is an attractive option for some citizens of this country and others around the world."

According to senior intelligence sources, the upsurge in terrorist recruitment was caused not by the Afghan war but by the conflict in Iraq. "Iraq was seen as more unjustified, more an example of Western, British and American, perfidy," said one source.

Dame Eliza claimed her service was aware of about 30 plots to " kill people and to damage our economy".

Mr Blair said yesterday: "I have been saying for several years that this terror threat is very real. It has been building up over a long period of time.

"I think [Dame Eliza] is absolutely right that it will last a generation. It's a very long and deep struggle but we have to stand up and be counted for what we believe in and take the fight to those people who want to entice young people into something wicked and violent but utterly futile."

"This is a threat that has grown up over a generation. In the end, the values we have and hold dear in this country are the values that will defeat those values of hatred, division and sectarianism."

A Muslim Labour peer, Baroness Uddin, said she was concerned about Dame Eliza entering the "political arena". She said: "It seems that the Muslim community cannot remain out of the press for long before yet another indictment on the whole community.

"I hope that what she is saying is truly because she needs the assistance of the community in addressing this issue. I am not very happy with the fact someone in her position would up the ante in the terror threat although obviously there is a deep concern.

"Raising this kind of question in the public arena seemed incredibly political.

"I hope that it is not political and I hope that it is not trying to make the assertion that there are cells all over the place, almost giving the impression that ordinary communities are hiding these kinds of cells."

David Davis, the shadow Home Secretary, said: "This is why the Government should be taking practical and effective measures to help us in the fight against terrorism, such as a single, dedicated border police, appointing a single minister to co-ordinate our security efforts, and allowing the use of intercept evidence in terror trials.

Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, said: "These revelations underline the gravity of the threat we all face. The effect of our foreign and domestic policies ... now requires constant vigilance".

British Muslims have been driven towards extremism and terrorist acts because of the UK's part in the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the head of MI5.

Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller's warning of the violent threat from more than 1,600 suspects in 200 groups lasting more than a generation, was backed yesterday by Tony Blair.

Dame Eliza stated, however, that the Government's policy had directly contributed to attacks in this country. She said: "My service needs to understand the motivations behind terrorism to succeed in countering it. The video wills of British suicide bombers make it clear they are motivated by perceived worldwide and long-standing injustices against Muslims; an extreme and minority interpretation of Islam promoted by some preachers and people of influence; and their interpretation as anti-Muslim of UK foreign policy, in particular in Iraq and Afghanistan. Killing oneself and others in response is an attractive option for some citizens of this country and others around the world."