"Most Power Pages on The Planet"
May 20, 2009
Volume 2 - No. 13
Darwin Campbell, Executive Publisher
A Weekly Publication
Taser Torture and The Police
Movement Calls on Congress to Act to Stop Deadly Weapon
Darwin Campbell
LoneStarPowerPages
“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.”…Letter to Congress requesting intervention and inquiry into high number of Police Taser deaths in America.
FORT WORTH- A national movement is brewing calling on the United States Congress to hold hearings on police abuses and sudden deaths of hundreds of African-Americans and Hispanics and others involving the use of “non-lethal” tasers.
"We are requesting public support for our petition to Congress calling for public hearings on the systematic human rights violations occurring with federal funding for the use of Tasers against American Citizens,” said Rev. Kyev Tatum, leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Tarrant County Chapter. “The United Nation'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. Let's toss the tasers. There must be a better and safer way.”
The campaign to change the way police use tasers and handle citizens is being headed up by Writer-Activist Eddie Griffin and is being supported by the Afrosphere and the Afrosphere Action Coalition.
In a letter to Senator Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and members to the Congressional Black Caucus, citizens want Congress to speak out on the systematic human rights violations against Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and other American citizens.
Many of these law enforcement agencies receive millions in federal funding from taxpayer coffers.
“We want Congress to stand up with us against the police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men by taser,” he said. “We believe that few Americans support spending our tax dollars on torture, which violates our moral, religious and legal traditions.” Tasering is “an act by which severe pain and suffering” is “intentionally inflicted”, willfully and knowingly that these devices emit 50,000 volts, more than enough to electrocute anyone on the spot.
If shocked on an electrical outlet, you only get hit with 120 volts. When they executed men on death row, “Old Sparky” only generated 20,000 volts.
Police using tasers have been responsible for as more than 400 deaths nationwide since 2001 and that number continues to rise without much concern or alarm from local police departments where cops in most cases allegedly used too much force.
Taser International Inc. is the manufacturer of electronic control devices (ECD's) such as tasers.
In Fort Worth, there have been as many as five deaths at the hands of police and tasers. The latest death in Fort Worth being Michael Patrick Jacobs, Jr., who died after he received a taser shock by Fort Worth Police on April 18th. Also, another death by taser at the hands of police happened just last week in Houston and raises more ire and questions about the use of the so called “non-lethal” weapon.
According to reports, the police found Jamal Valentine rolling in a ditch. Instead of offering medical help, police tasered Valentine and he later died. He becomes the 19th victim killed by taser in the first 20 weeks of the year.
Tatum said the frustration over the lack of action on the subject has a growing number of communities and people across the Internet in a race to Capitol Hill seeking legislative action in response to the deafening silence by police departments and local governments and the unnecessary loss of life caused by Tasers.
In the open petition and letter to Congress, citizens have asked federal representatives to examine three main points and take action to stop the killing. According to the letter, citizens and activists 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 and feel more than enough evidence of widespread police abuse of tasers is available to warrant our concern and justify a congressional inquiry.
Supporters 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 democratic values.
Action points citizens and conscious activists want Congress to address include:
1. 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.
2. 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. 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 stop funding all such Federal, State and local police and security agencies who violate taser use regulations that would be established by Congress and pass a measure that disallows any Federal stimulus dollars from being used to purchase tasers.
“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,” the petition states. “We want Congress to make sure that police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men by taser stops.”
To get involved, send a letter or e-mail to your congressman or congresswoman demanding public hearings on Tasers or sign the on-line petition and forward it to Washington.
Hold police, local governments and representatives accountable by contacting Congress or sign the on-line petition at www.petition2congress.com/2/1822/taser-torture-in-america-call-congressional-hearings/
FORT WORTH- A national movement is brewing calling on the United States Congress to hold hearings on police abuses and sudden deaths of hundreds of African-Americans and Hispanics and others involving the use of “non-lethal” tasers.
"We are requesting public support for our petition to Congress calling for public hearings on the systematic human rights violations occurring with federal funding for the use of Tasers against American Citizens,” said Rev. Kyev Tatum, leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Tarrant County Chapter. “The United Nation'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. Let's toss the tasers. There must be a better and safer way.”
The campaign to change the way police use tasers and handle citizens is being headed up by Writer-Activist Eddie Griffin and is being supported by the Afrosphere and the Afrosphere Action Coalition.
In a letter to Senator Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and members to the Congressional Black Caucus, citizens want Congress to speak out on the systematic human rights violations against Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and other American citizens.
Many of these law enforcement agencies receive millions in federal funding from taxpayer coffers.
“We want Congress to stand up with us against the police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men by taser,” he said. “We believe that few Americans support spending our tax dollars on torture, which violates our moral, religious and legal traditions.” Tasering is “an act by which severe pain and suffering” is “intentionally inflicted”, willfully and knowingly that these devices emit 50,000 volts, more than enough to electrocute anyone on the spot.
If shocked on an electrical outlet, you only get hit with 120 volts. When they executed men on death row, “Old Sparky” only generated 20,000 volts.
Police using tasers have been responsible for as more than 400 deaths nationwide since 2001 and that number continues to rise without much concern or alarm from local police departments where cops in most cases allegedly used too much force.
Taser International Inc. is the manufacturer of electronic control devices (ECD's) such as tasers.
In Fort Worth, there have been as many as five deaths at the hands of police and tasers. The latest death in Fort Worth being Michael Patrick Jacobs, Jr., who died after he received a taser shock by Fort Worth Police on April 18th. Also, another death by taser at the hands of police happened just last week in Houston and raises more ire and questions about the use of the so called “non-lethal” weapon.
According to reports, the police found Jamal Valentine rolling in a ditch. Instead of offering medical help, police tasered Valentine and he later died. He becomes the 19th victim killed by taser in the first 20 weeks of the year.
Tatum said the frustration over the lack of action on the subject has a growing number of communities and people across the Internet in a race to Capitol Hill seeking legislative action in response to the deafening silence by police departments and local governments and the unnecessary loss of life caused by Tasers.
In the open petition and letter to Congress, citizens have asked federal representatives to examine three main points and take action to stop the killing. According to the letter, citizens and activists 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 and feel more than enough evidence of widespread police abuse of tasers is available to warrant our concern and justify a congressional inquiry.
Supporters 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 democratic values.
Action points citizens and conscious activists want Congress to address include:
1. 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.
2. 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. 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 stop funding all such Federal, State and local police and security agencies who violate taser use regulations that would be established by Congress and pass a measure that disallows any Federal stimulus dollars from being used to purchase tasers.
“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,” the petition states. “We want Congress to make sure that police pre-trial electrocution of black children, women and men by taser stops.”
To get involved, send a letter or e-mail to your congressman or congresswoman demanding public hearings on Tasers or sign the on-line petition and forward it to Washington.
Hold police, local governments and representatives accountable by contacting Congress or sign the on-line petition at www.petition2congress.com/2/1822/taser-torture-in-america-call-congressional-hearings/