A Taser gun used by firearms officers during training demonstrations at the Jackton training center in Glasgow, Scotland, where police leaders from throughout the US gathered to discuss department tactics, on November 12, 2015. (Photo: Kieran Dodds / The New York Times)

The national trend of sanctioning the increased use of police Tasers and stun guns, and the argument that using weapons other than guns may save lives or reduce injuries, ignore the underlying problems of how police use force against civilians.