Vancouver-style Tasing

Brought to you by the Globe and Mail, here's the story about Robert Dziekanski and his untimely end at Vancouver International Airport. Clearly, the man was scared out of his wits. Again, with almost every other taser incident that we've looked at here, the officers seemingly overlook Mr. Dziekanski's cooperation and give him a tasin'. In an interview, the photographer, Mr. Paul Pritchard relates how the cops immediately went to the taser option, as soon as the four of them arrived on the scene. The police discharged two air cartridges into the suspect, which are audible in the video. However, the cause of death comes into question later in the video, when one of the officers is seen striking where I think Mr. Dziekanski's head is. Notice how the body language of the officers changes drastically after that, and the witness on the video mentions "Code Red." I can only imagine what the Coroner's report will say.

"A Papercut"

Consider this as indicative of the overall situation of the military, the war in Iraq, and the unfortunate enlisted volunteers.

Clearly, the military is almost desperate for people if they are speaking of individual soldiers and their skill sets as "investments." Not to say that every single soldier isn't expensive, but they are having problems recruiting and retaining people and those who have already suffered are suffering more "papercuts."

Around 700 people have gone through just Walter Reed to be treated for serious injuries involving the loss of a limb, not to mention thousands of others who have suffered severe burns and traumatic head injuries. The War in Iraq, due to the nature of the weapons involved has become one of the most brutal bloodbaths in history, and with each side continuously re-inventing the bomb, the death toll stands to climb higher. But, as some may say, the insurgents are fighting a guerrilla war, trying to best us through ten thousand papercuts.

Despite the fact that many of these injuries have cost these men and women their lives livelihoods, they are not especially cared for in the manner that most Americans would expect. The individual Army of One is not particularly significant in and of him or herself, indeed to the impersonal military bureaucracy that is the Department of Defense, their losses are only so many papercuts.