re: #198 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

Until you said so I had no idea whether you agreed or not this was a moment where force was justified, even perhaps compelled. The fact that whatever device might not help is completely beside the point and irrelevant. Perfection or a perfect effectiveness rate is not required. Taking the defender from helpless to having a fighting or fleeing chance is the point.

If guns are so unreliable, why don’t we give ordinary street police something more effective? Well that would be because they are quite effective when needed. They are the most effective tool in certain circumstances. I’m looking forward to phasers on stun. Tasers are a fair try. But until then guns and other devices are what we have.

Even groups respond to a gun. All that guy needed was time to flee. Again perfection is not the standard that has merit. The proper standard would be “reasonably effective”. Claiming a higher standard smacks of a poison pill standard, designed to underestimate the utility of the tool.