Trillions of gallons of water can cause catastrophic and unprecedented damage to an area, something that some places across the United States have seen just these past couple of months. Flooding, which is not only a dangerous weather event but often a common occurrence in areas across the world, can definitely be an issue when flood management plans do not prioritize public safety. Due to the sheer enormity of floods and their potential mass destruction, flood management often relies on an organized system of regulations and procedures to assist in navigating the aftermath of a hazard that can seem overwhelming.
In this sense the stunning similarities in policies between flood management and regulating stun gun laws in washington state in an area are almost eerie. Both utilize laws that have similar goals, such as protecting the public from unexpected hazards and helping those in charge of managing these hazards stay organized and focused on their tasks. In both flood management and overseeing the use of stun guns in Washington State, regulations include safety protocols that prioritize public safety above all else. Just like the use of serially numbered weapons like stun guns which reduces the risk of someone selling a weapon illegally or using it for illegal acts, flood management requires that those with experience and training in accounts of flood safety oversee other employees handling flood management.
Both systems have had previous successes in order to regulate proper conduct during emergencies or natural disasters. Much like implementing rules on the use of stun guns to keep weapons away from children and educate people about the dangers involved, regulations in flood management often introduce management tools to those involved in flood prevention that help educate and inform the public about the risks of flooding. Flood management policies also handle the logistics behind implementing appropriate technologies to assist in telling people what needs to be done during a flood, something also utilized in the legal framework surrounding the use of stun guns in communities in Washington State. Furthermore, flowcharts are common in both legal regulations for flood management implementation and safe stun gun usage.
A regulatory framework must be enforced and administered properly if it is to be a success. Though flood management and the use of stun guns have some similarities with how they can be regulated legally, there are several differences between the two in how they have been executed in the past. Several governmental entities and agencies can aid in the enforcement of flood management regulations and protocols. In Washington State, the use of stun guns is overseen by local law enforcement officials who can educate people about the ownership and use of stun guns. All too often, citizens can be directly involved in handing out the consequences for those who misuse stun guns with the help of juries and judges who listen to both sides of warning and safety related arguments before coming to a conclusion observing Washington State’s Laws. In this sense, it’s refreshing to know that people can still play an active role in ensuring the safety of themselves and others even with the use of weapons such as stun guns.
Public perception and view of procedures behind regulations surrounding both flood management and the use of stun guns also appear to be similar. On a more ominous note however, many regulations covering the use of weapons such as stun guns share certain drawbacks as some regulations covering flood management. For example, some legal restrictions placed on those who administer stun guns are unclear and can be subject to interpretation, something that can be said for flood management regulations depending on the situation. In some cases, those affected by regulations act in ways contrary to the intended purpose of these regulations. For example, some people have been known to purchase stun guns for uses other than its intended purposes of self-defense while others may refrain from using more costly methods to prevent flooding such as recruiting people with access to boats and preventing clogged drainage systems. As the saying goes, you can’t use a hammer to fix every problem you may come across thus expectations surrounding legal regulations must be met with caution.
Fortunately, there are those who facilitate the enforcement of regulations by reviewing and evaluating claims surrounding violations. For example, there are administrative and judicial bodies that handle the records and paperwork behind the use of stun guns while regulations concerning flood management have been successful in handling other types of weather related events with past floods being observed to have lessened in future years. Both categories of regulations have been observed to have made significant contributions to the communities they serve, with the public being more informed and educated about the hazards involved in natural disasters. Recently however, researchers have become aware that some regulations can play an even bigger role in managing and regulating the use of stun gun by those who have easy access to them. In the past, public employees have often been in charge of managing the aftermath of a flood from overcrowding in evacuation centers to working with those affected by injury, something that can also be said for those with experience in the use of stun guns as self-defense weapons. With the possibility of future changes to the law surrounding the use of stun guns, time will tell whether updates to Washington’s laws will inform people about the proper use of stun guns or other weapons that can be useful for self-defense.
Flood management and the legal regulations governing the use of stun guns may seem extremely different from one another. But in reality, the past successes of such categories of regulations in minimizing the adverse effects of natural disasters carry important lessons for those involved in implementing the safety protocols of modern-day legal regulations. By being open to new and flexible ideas, laws surrounding the use of stun guns or other weapons can be used to help inform the public about the safety and risks of weapons such as stun guns whereas regulations covering flood management can do the same for those residing in communities prone to flooding. It is through this open mindset that those working in governmental positions can work more effectively to enforce and administer regulations while making an honest effort in keeping communities safe from those who would abuse such weapons or tools.
For more information on flood management policies, you can visit Wikipedia’s page on flood management.