Kansas Students Speak Out Against Tasers in Schools

[Judi Lynn]

Kansas Students Speak Out Against Tasers in Schools
by Kari Lydersen

Where grade-school hallways are patrolled by cops, some officers tote controversial electro-shock weapons that have left kids terrified and, in one town, saying enough is enough.

Apr. 6 – Even before a police officer shocked a 15-year-old special-education student with a Taser in the assistant principal’s office last month, youth at Witchita high schools were organizing against the controversial weapons.

The police officers who act as security guards in Wichita’s middle and high schools began carrying Tasers – gun-shaped electro-shock weapons – at the beginning of this school year.

Student activists from across the district say they are angry the weapons were introduced without their input and scared because of news reports about people dying after police shocked them with Tasers.

"We didn’t know about it until we started seeing them on officers’ hips," 18-year-old Wichita West High School student Louis Goseland told The NewStandard.
(snip/)

http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/3031

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Recent Wichita taser story:

Posted on Thu, Mar. 30, 2006
3 Taser incidents in schools
BY ICESS FERNANDEZ
The Wichita Eagle

Police tried to use a Taser on a Wichita student a month before stunning another student with a Taser two weeks ago at North High School, police records show.

A report released Wednesday shows that a school resource officer tried unsuccessfully to stun a 14-year-old girl with a Taser during an altercation Feb. 17 inside Coleman Middle School.

In a third incident, a school resource officer pulled his Taser during an altercation with an "emotionally upset" 15-year-old boy Feb. 7 inside East High School, the report said.

The students at Coleman and East were not harmed and were brought under control, the report said.

The report comes a day after superintendent Winston Brooks called the North High School Taser use "an isolated incident."
(snip/...)

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/local/14219816.htm

[TaleWgnDg]

1. All of a sudden, I wish I practiced in Kansas . . . damn

law, that is. Nope. Not licensed in Kansas! eh.

[saigon68]

9. Maybe a little 1983 action

To loosen up a few $$$$ from the officer

[Oversea Visitor]

2. What a bunch of crap

Taser in school
What the hell is a school?
A prison camp?
What the fuck is showing student they going to get treated like voilent criminal going to work well in an educational institution.

Man
And everyone jump on the school when their children get punish by caning.
Tasering anyone....... :(

[darkmaestro019]

3. Star Trek is to blame for this. (Not joking or being sarcastic : )

There, I said it. And I'm an adoring Trekker and Trek has given us a great deal of good, both as social commentary and purely for fun, but that and other such things where the "good guys" stun the bad guys--and they crumple bonelessly and painlessly to the floor and wake up surly and unharmed in the brig--makes the average person believe it's a humane and safe way to deal with various flavors of troublemaker.

Unfortunately, our phasers are not safe, even when set on stun, and it's not always a good guy (or a guy with perfect judgment) who decides to when fire them, and at whom. They are painful and dangerous, but the idea that it's "a harmless shock" allows a lot of mental leeway in using them as punishment or threat.


EDIT: My spelling neurons are failing more and more often lately...

[cornermouse]

4. This is insane.

I would never allow my kids to attend a school where they armed themselves with anything, let alone tasers. And shocking a special education student? Unnecessary and outrageous.

[LostinVA]

5. No no no -- wrong on so many levels

[ClintonTyree]

6. What the hell is wrong with the state of Kansas?

It sounds like the entire state is becoming an maximum security re-education camp! Some sort of psycho-christian, military boot camp for those who do not strictly adhere to the "morals" certain wackos have deemed desirable in their citizens.

It must be a tough time to live in Kansas if you have independent thought. I really feel sorry for the people of that state. They're becoming the laughing stock of our nation.

[baby_mouse]

7. "Toto tasered by Munchkin Lolliepop Guild Official.

Gale: 'We're not in Kansas anymore...'"

[BiggJawn]

8. Damn! The kids are questioning Authority...

Better line them up in the Gym and have the "Resource Officers" give 'em a "taste O' th' TASER" to show them what happens to uppity Sheep...


"Buy my Product?"

[lauren_victoria]

10. A few months ago my school had a bomb threat

we were all relocated to this big arena, and a kid maybe about 16/17 threw a paper airplane and the security guards chased after him. He ran (not sure why) and when they had a hold of him they tasered him. Most of the arena saw what happened. I was shocked, I didnt realize security guards were allowed to do that to a student. Running from them is a bad thing, but is it bad enough to taser him?

[Jose Diablo]

11. Hey, North High, thats where my old man went to HS, in the mid 30's

I remember there was this river right behind the school, actually it was artificial to provide relief when the Arkansas(?) river flooded. Anyway, the bridge, by the school, over the river had this really neat mosaic tile, sort of Native American looking designs with the tile.

My granddad lived on 15th street, just across, uh, Waco I think was the name of the street. You know that street was a red brick street. Imagine that, making a whole major street out of brick, must have taken a lot of work to surface a street with bricks.

Wichita is an interesting city. A lot of early western history there. Cattle round-ups, railroad, gun fights, woman sufferage and fighting for their rights it's all there, in it's past.