Technology is a wonderful thing, especially when it advances. If we go back to early man, he did things with his hands but eventually came to realize the limits of what his hands could do. But through daily living he came to discover implements could overcome the limits. He might have discovered pounding with a stick was more effective at breaking something open. He may have then discovered a rock was more effective. Tie the rock to the stick, and now with that additional leverage you’ve got an even more effective tool. And so on.

We don’t write on animal skins, or cave walls, or clay tablets. No, we’ve gone through the printing press, typewriters, and now we have iPad’s from which to publish our blogs on the Internet. Advances in technology generally bring about better things and a higher quality of life.

So when it comes to life, we’ve also managed to come up with better ways to protect ours. Again, the stick and the rock. Eventually you might find that a sling helps you better throw the rock. Metals and metalwork were discovered and through bronze and iron and eventually steel we came up with better means to hunt and protect ourselves and our state. Of course, gunpowder changed the entire landscape.

And as any technology evolves, eventually that which was replaced does fade away. Oh sure, it’s still around usually for historical or educational reasons, but practically speaking we don’t send clay tablets by pony express any more. Heck, even the US Postal Service is fading away. We no longer arm our armies with bows and swords because more effective tools have been developed. Technology progresses.

We carry firearms because, so far, nothing better has come along to replace them. We have yet to invent a better tool for the job. All we’ve been doing for the past few hundred years with firearms is refining and improving, but the general concepts remain the same. Still, folks try to find more effective tools.

Such as a taser.

The reality is, a taser isn’t that effective of a tool. Case in point:

A crazed knifeman was shot up to four times by armed police officers after Taser stun guns failed to incapacitate him.

The man, aged in his 20s, was fighting for his life in hospital last night after receiving  multiple gunshot wounds.

He was injured as he brandished a large knife or sword at a group of officers.

[…]

Local officers were the first to arrive at the scene but they  were forced to retreat and  call in armed colleagues when the man threatened them with a weapon.

Police followed the man and another confrontation took place in a neighbouring street, during which a 50,000-volt stun gun was discharged and shots fired.

First they tried nothing — because they had nothing — so all they could do was retreat. They were fortunate to be able to call in reinforcements… with guns. They didn’t call in for police with knives, no, they wanted a better tool. They wanted a better means to end the situation as quickly as possible with as minimal harm and impact to the neighborhood and citizens as possible. A gun.

But they tried a taser, and it didn’t work. So they had to go to something stronger, something more effective.

A taser has a place, but not for private citizens. It’s effective in police work when you have many armed friends right behind you. Tasers are good towards working to gain compliance, so that the VCA can be taken to the ground and a bevy of armed police swarm him to secure him. If the taser doesn’t work, again, there’s a bevy of armed back-up to help manage the situation.

But you, the private citizen? You don’t have backup. You don’t need to gain compliance, you need the situation to stop. You want to get away. A taser might help you here, but gee… it’s a single shot tool, it’s easy to miss under stress and pressure, it may not work, you have to get somewhat close to your attacker to use it. I just don’t see how it’s an effective tool for a private citizen.

There are more effective tools. This is why the gun has yet to be replaced.