7/18/2002: Sometimes rubber bullets hurt

The official caption: The back of a Paraguayan protester bears testimony to the damage that a rubber bullet can do. The protester, a proponent of Gen. Lino Cesar Oviedo, was shot south of Asuncion while calling for the resignation of President Luis Gonzalez Macchi.

I don't understand why rubber bullets are ever an acceptable idea in the first place. It seems to me that it just encourages the wrong approach amongst the police - approaches that don't work and are obviously dangerous. Isn't rule one of firearm safety, don't point at anything you don't intend to completely destroy? Why should that change because *some* of the loads are supposed to be non-lethal? Is there something I'm missing?

I would submit that rubber bullets <b>always</b> hurt. Damn.

That dude definitely needs a Band-Aid&trade; though.

And not one of the little weenie ones, he'll need that giant 4" x 4" square one that comes in its own special box.

Re: 7/18/2002: Sometimes rubber bullets hurt

"The protester, a proponent of Gen. Lino Cesar Oviedo, was shot south of Asuncion while calling for the resignation of President Luis Gonzalez Macchi."

Something tells me he was doing a little more than peacefully "calling for" his resignation!

I'm not so sure rubber bullets in and of themselves are a problem, as long as they are used responsibly. Sure, they can kill, but hopefully the police using them have been trained on how to fire them without killing or causing permanent injury.

Bullet hole

Look at where the hole is! Shooting at people the are running away is simply a waste of bullets.

I agree that rubber bullets are stupid as hell.

Perhaps riot foam or stumm gas?

rubber bullets are probably a lot cheaper than special chemical foam.

the dude is gonna need a nice trip to the chiropractor, i reckon. Getting shot in the spine must suck.

so must getting shot anywhere else.

Is this one of those half-centimeter-over-and-you-would-have-been-paralyzed type things?

'Tis but a scratch.

Damn protesters..always standing there peacefully holding signs! Why, he probably asked for it!

Rubber???

Guys, have you seen these "rubber" bullets??? I don't know why they call them "rubber". It is about half-inch in diameter iron (yes, you read it right - iron) balls covererd with about 1-2 mm of plastic. Pack (i do not remember, but I think about couple hundred of them) sitting in small cylinder attached to end of rifle and rifle gets special piston to get it work, not regular bullet (there are another versions, too). It has very short range but man, it is a powerful and loud. I saw how these thing got fired (on firing range) and I will not go anywhere near this thing if I see them attached to M16...