Tasers Replace Mace, Pepper Spray for Public Use

It seems the future is definitely here. In the '80s I can remember most of my female friends carrying a bottle of mace in their bags no larger than the small bottles of body scents we now carry. These handheld protective sprays were widely available for purchase, and although there were times they had been abused, they also came into use when threatened by one of the many men out there who confused the word "no" for the word "yes".

In the '90s, pepper spray replaced mace. A less toxic approach to protection, pepper spray has the same effect when sprayed in the face, specifically the eyes, just not quite as damaging and long lasting. However, it does cause a self-defense reaction as the attacker releases the victim and reaches for his eyes, thus giving the victim enough time to make her escape. Pepper spray also comes in smaller containers that can connect to your keychain. This gives for easy access when walking in that dark parking lot alone and vulnerable.

Now we are in the new millennium. Personal protection handguns falling into the wrong personality, or found hiding in mom and dad's closet where the curious youngster can find before playing his last game of "cops and robbers" because it wasn't a toy he was aiming at his friend.

Police officers are keeping Internal Affairs busy because each time a trigger is pulled while aiming at a suspect, they must undergo a long, arduous investigation to determine if the police had the justification for pulling the trigger or not.