“knife control”

[VoiceofReason]

As most of us know England has “gun control laws” that have basically banned guns. I have downloaded two web pages from British newspapers concerning “knife control”. They are ridiculous such as banning “long pointed kitchen knives” and I think a lot of people on this forum would get a kick out of reading them. I don’t think both of them are still available on line.

Is there any way I could post them without going through a lot of trouble or creating a web site?

What about the copyright laws?

Well I guess I messed up.

I posted quotes from the articles and a link to the “beer glass” articles in “off topic” under “You can’t make this stuff up”.
I saved both articles to my computer. Neither one is available on line any longer.

I used to have considerable respect for the Brits.

As individuals they used to have a lot of respect and consideration for others. They also demonstrated outstanding “intestinal fortitude” during WWII.

My respect has now turned to sympathy.

I don’t know where their courage went. Why do they not stand up to their government and demand the right to protect themselves?
I suppose I could guess at answers to this all day long.

I sincerely would like to see Brittan “Great” again.

[Keith B]

As most of us know England has “gun control laws” that have basically banned guns. I have downloaded two web pages from British newspapers concerning “knife control”. They are ridiculous such as banning “long pointed kitchen knives” and I think a lot of people on this forum would get a kick out of reading them. I don’t think both of them are still available on line.

Is there any way I could post them without going through a lot of trouble or creating a web site?

What about the copyright laws?

You can post a link to where you got them.

[chartreuse]

When I lived there, we used to refer to "knife control" as "The War on Cutlery".

[PeteCamp]

I understand that war has now expanded to beer steins. Wonderful weapons, don't ya' know?

[karl]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4581871.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I almost can't tell if this is a satire or not, their accusations are ludicrous! What kind of chefs did they interview that don't prefer the use of long bladed knives?

Edit: This is a fairly old article (May 2005).

Edit #2: More silly links:
Woman Arrested for Knife in Car
UK's "Online Knife Crime Resource"

[Fangs]

The researchers said a short pointed knife may cause a substantial superficial wound if used in an assault - but is unlikely to penetrate to inner organs.

I was under the impression that a blade of less than 2 inches could puncture either the heart or the lungs. Am I wrong or is their definition of "short pointed knife" really, really short"?

[marksiwel]

The researchers said a short pointed knife may cause a substantial superficial wound if used in an assault - but is unlikely to penetrate to inner organs.

I was under the impression that a blade of less than 2 inches could puncture either the heart or the lungs. Am I wrong or is their definition of "short pointed knife" really, really short"?

it doesnt take much to take an eye out, cut your throat, or just mess you up

[chartreuse]

The researchers said a short pointed knife may cause a substantial superficial wound if used in an assault - but is unlikely to penetrate to inner organs.

I was under the impression that a blade of less than 2 inches could puncture either the heart or the lungs. Am I wrong or is their definition of "short pointed knife" really, really short"?

it doesnt take much to take an eye out, cut your throat, or just mess you up

Yep, and just to highlight the stupidity further, much of the current hysteria over knives resulted from the killing, some years ago, of a young boy named Damiola Taylor. IIRC, he was stabbed in the leg with a very short blade, but died because it nicked the femoral artery.

[marksiwel]

Frankly wouldnt it be easier/better to carry some Rebar? Or you could just put a Razor Blade on a stick

[Dave01]

Sadly the UK is not the only place with ridiculous knife laws...

My Father wanted a Buck knife (6") to carry with him when he goes camping. I thought this would make a good birthday gift. I tried to order one from Bass Pro, but they would not ship a knife longer than 5" into NY or CA. As they explained, they could not ship a "hazardous and/or dangerous" knife (don't remember the exact phrase they used) into those states.

Apparently knives under 5" are not dangerous. I hesitate to even write this though as someone in those states may realize their error and go all "UK" on their citizens.

Dave

[marksiwel]

Its about people control, plan and simple

[Excaliber]

All of this nonsense stems from the fact that some folks believe they can end violence by making possession of certain objects they regard as weapons illegal. The logic is that if the objects used to inflict injuries are not available, those injuries will not be inflicted. Hence, we should be able to make lists of "good" objects and "bad objects", ban the bad objects, and the world will become a peaceful and happy place.

This entire line of reasoning rests on the baseless assumption that a distinction can be made between objects that are and are not weapons. It also leads to further silliness like attempting to define at what point a non-weapon becomes a weapon after all due to a change in size, appearance, or accessories.

When I teach seminars on surviving active shooters or other violent incidents, I use a Powerpoint slide that shows a rifle, a revolver, a can opener, a poodle leash, a bathroom scale, and a Listerine bottle. I then ask the participants to tell me how many weapons are depicted. Most civilians go for 2 (rifle and revolver), and most law enforcement officers go for 6. My answer is: it depends. I have personally investigated homicides where each of those objects was the instrument of death. However, all clearly also have other uses, and 4 of them are not generally regarded as weapons even though they were quite effective in causing a person's death in some instances.

Objects by their nature are neither weapons nor non-weapons - they are neutral, although some are more suitable than others for use as weapons. My point is that virtually any object can be used to inflict injury or cause death to a living creature. When used for this purpose the object becomes a weapon in that context. In any other context it is a tool or simply an object.

The factor which determines whether or not an object is a weapon in any given circumstance and whether that use is beneficial or harmful is the intent of the user. No legislative action will ever change that.

[marksiwel]

its going to end with the goverment making people take Happy Pills so they will be more docile.

[mymojo]

All I know is that if I am attacked by a BG with a knife I will defend myself with my assault 2x4 (it has a tactical flashlight!)

[ifanyonecan]

I carry a knife with me everywhere. There are some places that, to avoid trouble, I unclip it from my jean pocket and put it inside, out of site, but usually it's clipped right there.

I use it for random tasks at least every other day. It's great to open dip cans, cut strings off clothes, open stupid plastic blister packs, etc. It even has a glass breaker and seat-belt cutter should I or someone else be trapped in a car. I carry it while scuba diving in case I get caught in fishing line (the seat-belt cutter is great for not having to open a blade under water.)

Point being, I have plenty of good reasons to carry it without working with food. A good knife is always handy. Even my high school recognized this, and they never reprimanded anyone to my knowledge for having one, and probably a third of the guys carried one on their jean pocket. My school had the #1 FFA in the nation, so even the school recognized that these guys had them for a good reason. They would use them for small tasks all the time in the shop or, for example, to cut baling wire with animals.

I have never cut anyone (except myself ) or threatened anyone with it. Nobody could ever argue to me that my knife is a weapon; it simply isn't. It's a tool.