SpyderEdgeForever wrote: ↑Fri Jan 25, 2019 9:13 amThe Deacon wrote: ↑Wed Jan 23, 2019 4:46 amInteresting article, but I find it difficult to "connect the dots" between an event (or series of events) that happened in the 1970's with New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s decision around 2010 to encourage the NYPD to stretch the definition of a "gravity knife" as defined in a New York State law that had been on the books since the mid 1950's to include just about any locking folder. I'm more inclined to believe that, at least initially when he was using it to extort money from businesses that had been selling locking folders for decades without incident, it was simply a way to boost City revenue during the recession.
SpyderEdgeForever wrote: ↑Fri Jan 25, 2019 9:13 amAnd what is the reason for the present resistance from the ruling powers there to reverse the ban? Is it because it is
1 too economically lucrative for them to give up on because they can always fall back on it as a way to make money from citizens?
2 Ideaologically it helps push the disarming the public and making people more dependent on government, and, perhaps in their eyes those who push for civilian carry of one hand openers are "conservative", even though this is a bi partisan issue with both democrat and republican pro knife voters being against the bans?
I'm sure it's more the second than the first. Extorting money from businesses that sold knives was lucrative, but it was pretty much of a one time only thing. Fines from individuals would be a pitance in comparison and, given that possession of a gravity knife is a misdemeanor in NY, that's assuming they were fined instead of jailed.
cbrstar wrote: I've been reading on other sites that it's being used by police to harass and discriminate against minorities.
Can't speak to that, as I've not seen any credible evidence of that. However, the trend these days is for everyone to claim victimhood. So, it would not surprise me if some of those charged played the race card. OTOH, between the fact that a disproportionately large percentage of violent crime is committed by minority members against minority members and the fact that New Yoirk has been a "minority majority" city for over a decade now, it would not surprise me if a majority of those running afoul of this particular law were something other than Caucasian.
EDITED TO ADD: The original 1950's era Federal and state legislation banning possession of automatic and gravity knives by all but police and military was a different matter. It was driven by fear of minorities, specifically blacks, Puerto Ricans, and Italian Americans, and the rhetoric used by those advocating for it back then would certainly be classified as racist today.
