Last month in Canada, a judge called for tighter control of Taser guns after controversy over a death of an airline passenger in 2007.

Last Saturday, one of the most influential Hispanic organizations in the United States, the League of United Latin American Organizations, called for the end of Taser guns in police departments across the country, claiming that the blacks and Hispanics are the most common groups Tasered.

And the BBC yesterday published a piece on how Taser incidents have been on the rise in the United Kingdom.

Police departments insist that the taser is a good tool that keeps the officer safe, keeps the citizens safe and saves lives.

Who do they think they are kidding?

Used properly, tasers are a life-saving device. The problem is, due to the training that US cops get to be as savage as possible, they're abusing the tool. Unfortunately, even the RCMP in Canada is falling for that mindset as well, but I would hardly call taser abuse a global epidemic. Provincial and Municipal Law Enforcement in Canada are using tasers correctly and responsibly. I'd say it's more likely just a case of the typical American "Violence First" mentality.