By Jeffrey Denning
WASHINGTON - July 8, 2008 - A senior government
official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expressed
great interest in a so-called safety bracelet that would serve as a stun
device, similar to that of a police Taser®. According to the promotional video
found at the Lamperd Less Lethal website, this bracelet would be worn by all
airline passengers.
This bracelet would:
- take the place of an airline boarding pass
- contain personal information about the traveler
- be able to monitor the whereabouts of each passenger and his/her luggage
- shock the wearer on command, completely immobilizing him/her for several minutes
The Electronic ID Bracelet, as it is called,
would be worn by every traveler “until they disembark the flight at their
destination.” In other words, every airline passenger would be tracked by a
government-funded global positioning satellite system (GPS), containing
personal, private and confidential information, and that it would shock the
customer worse than an electronic dog collar if he or she got out of line.
Clearly the Electronic ID Bracelet is an
euphemism for the EMD Safety Bracelet. EMD stands for Electro-Musclar
Disruption. According to the promotional video, the bracelet can completely
immobilize the wearer for several minutes.
Is the United States government really that
interested in this bracelet? Absolutely!
According to a letter from DHS official, Paul S.
Ruwaldt of the Science and Technology Directorate, office of Research and
Development, to the inventor with whom he had previously met, he wrote, “To
make it clear, we [the federal government] are interested in…the immobilizing
security bracelet, and look forward to receiving a written proposal.” The
letter came from the DHS office at the William J. Hughes Technical Center at
the Atlantic City International Airport, which is the Federal Aviation
Administration headquarters.
In another part of the letter, Mr. Ruwaldt
confirmed, “It is conceivable to envision a use to improve air security on
passenger planes.”
Would every paying airline passenger flying on a
commercial airplane be mandated to wear one of these devices? I cringe at the
thought. Not only could it be used as a physical restraining device, but also
as a method of interrogation, according to the Mr. Ruwaldt’s letter.
Would you let them put one of those on your
wrist? Would you allow airline employees, mandated by the government, to place
such a bracelet on any member of your family?
Why are tax dollars being spent on something
like this? Is this a police state or is it America?
Ed. Note: It is a police state.