Laser Terror

[Steve Cima <cima@bellsouth.net>]

The police Captain's comments are valid, valuable and true.  A ban or some
restrictions on laser pointers may be required.

But most of the subscribers on RADSAFE don't profess expertise on the law
enforcement issues involved.  Our expertise is in the area of radiation
safety.  And we truly hate to see radiation safety issues distorted, as they
so often are, to serve as a terror tactic in the advance of a social agenda.

The FDA's regulations for laser safety address the radiation safety issues.
Advocates for restricting pointers should base their arguments on the other
issues or concerns.  The other issues may be valid. The radiation safety
issues are not.

Unfortunately you can sway a million people with emotions quicker  than one
person with logic.  Fear of radiation is an "easy to push" emotional
button.  And those that push it care less about truth than victory in their
cause.  That's a basic truth about radiation politics today

It's ironic, the opponents to the lasers consider their misuse a form of
terrorism.  So they engage in terror tactics of their own to combat them.
Terror begets terror, also a basic truth.

Obviously, my opinions only,

Steve Cima
cima@bellsouth.net

Bruce Bugg wrote:

> >>There recently was a discussion of the ubiquity and safety of laser
> pointers here on radsafe.  I thought I'd report that a bill has just
> passed committee in Arkansas to ban the sale of laser pointers to
> minors.  <snip>  I wouldn't be surprised if
> their was a lack of scientific expertise in their deliberations. I
> think the ban is a good idea anyway;  my wife was a bit rattled when
> she turned away from the blackboard in the college class she was
> teaching and found that she was being laser-pointed.  <snip><<
>
> There is another element to this: Police officers, knowing that laser
> sighted weapons are out there (many officers and agencies use them)
> automatically regard ANY laser dot pointed at them as a threat.
> Legitimately so, it appears, beacuse two Chicago cops were shot recently
> by a subject who used a laser-sighted handgun.
>
> On a restricted news list (so I can't directly quote it here) we had
> several officers throughout the country relate stories of people
> illuminating cops with laser pointers "to see what would happen." When
> the cops reacted by drawing guns, seeking cover, and going into a
> felony-apprehension mode, the games suddenly turned very un-funny.
>
> Some of our officers have related the same type of story to me.
>
> Parents of childern in moving cars have found themselves the subject of
> a felony stop when the kids lit up a passing police car.
>
> Non - LE types may think that type of response is an overreaction, but I
> disagree.
>
> I fear it will not be very long before we hear of some "innocent child
> who was just playing" getting shot by a police officer who reasonably
> feared for his or her safety of the safety of someone else.
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Capt. Bruce Bugg
> HazMat Specialist - Enforcement Officer
> Ga. Public Service Commission
> 1007 Virginia Avenue, Suite 310
> Hapeville, GA  30354-1325
> voice:  404.559.6627
> fax:    404.559.4972
> e-mail: bruceb@psc.state.ga.us
> or:     75720.1177@compuserve.com
>
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