We should be indeed. This is not the stuff of the future, but of now! Tasers were once science-fiction but are now used, even though they can kill.
And there hasn't been much news on it, but "non-lethal sonic devices" like the one below have begun being used in the US for "crowd control". In fact, they shipped some to areas hit by Hurricane Katrina, "so authorities can use the tools for crowd control, aid distribution and rescue operations." [reported in
Wired or
here].
"Vehicle-mounted devices were used by Israeli authorities to scatter groups earlier this year, when Palestinians and Jewish supporters gathered to protest Israel's West Bank separation barrier. Dubbed "The Scream" by the Israeli Army, the device sends out streams of noise in intervals of about 10 seconds. The specific sonic frequencies chosen affect the inner ear, creating dizziness and nausea in human targets."
who needs bullets?