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Zehm wasn’t in a parade
When is a baton not a baton?
A baton is a baton when it is a short pointer in the hand of a band director or classical music conductor at a concert. A baton is a baton when a drum major uses it to keep time for the band, or if a majorette twirls it.
A baton is a club when it is in the hands of a law enforcement person. Or it’s a billy club, or billy stick. Or it’s a truncheon or a night stick about 2 feet long. How and when did these clubs come to be called batons? Looks like a euphemism. Are we self-conscious?
What kind did Officer Karl Thompson Jr. use? There are many kinds that are available to the Spokane police. A side-angle baton is a slightly more defensive weapon. As a walking arsenal with a gun, mace, pepper spray and a Taser, why do they need a club to beat on people when other, less-lethal defensive measures are available? But if they do, be honest with us and call a club a club. Calling a club a baton is just plain silly!
Bart Haggin
Spokane