"Police chief pushes for knife ban"

[Kuolema]

Well my cousin is an RCMP in Alberta, so I decided I'd ask him if he sees a lot of knife crimes, and what not. He told me a lot of them are with things like Steak Knives, kitchen knives, even gardening type things, like shears and what not. Basically most of the attacks aren't using your Spydies, they're with easy to obtain, readily available ones. Fit of rage, grab the meat cleaver in the kitchen and hurt someone. At least that's what I interpreted, and of course he told me it's not always the case, but from what he's seen so far that's usually what it is.

And it really does make sense, most gang members and that don't spend 200$ on a knife, you're going to get something cheap, because let's face it, a 5$ dollar store steak knife stabs into a human just as good as a Spydie.

It's just annoying that you get classed into that group for having a knife. My parents used to think that when I was carrying, until they started realizing all the things I Was doing for them, from opening mail and parcels, to gardening, to even trimming the floor mats on my sisters new car.

I haven't met a lot of Police around here, but I really hope if this stuff gets through they'll be good and realize the good knife users from the dangerous ones.

[Ookami]

Lynn Thompson, president of Cold Steel, had it right, when he said that he had never seen a knife jump off a table and attack someone.

Stabbing, threatening, and mugging people is already forbidden. If gangsters commit these crimes, which are more severely punished than carrying knives, what makes the police chief believe that under the new law those thugs will just leave their knives at home and become good citizens?


Ookami
________
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[FLYBYU44]

Lynn Thompson, president of Cold Steel, had it right, when he said that he had never seen a knife jump off a table and attack someone.

Stabbing, threatening, and mugging people is already forbidden. If gangsters commit these crimes, which are more severely punished than carrying knives, what makes the police chief believe that under the new law those thugs will just leave their knives at home and become good citizens?


Ookami

Exactly! I love how they think that by making a new law up that everyone will follow it. Criminals by their very definition don't follow the law, so what good is it?

[FLYBYU44]

My letter's in the paper today, see it here:

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/opinion/l ... story.html

[Doc Pyres]

My letter's in the paper today, see it here:

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/opinion/l ... story.html

Good for you, sir! Very well written! I'm glad they actually published it. Well done!

[defenestrate]

flyby,
Kudos on getting your letter published. It's important these folks realize that not everyone is happy having their rights trampled on.

[Bushbadger]

I'm originally from the uk and live in the states now and I feel safer here than I did in my hometown in england. All the daft ban laws will do nothing but victimize law abiding people who will mostly never be in trouble. Whether you ban guns, knives or whatever doesn't matter, at the end of the day if some moron wants to hurt another they will. Will they ban rocks? How can you ban a fist? The uk has been called the nanny state for a while and individual freedom is disapearing fast. Unfortunatley it seems to be spreading quickly, and that's going to be a problem for us all.

[2cha]

CRAZY! If stabbings can't be minimized in a prison--as close to a total control environment as is economically feasible, how are they to be minimized on the street by laws? Shall we also ban glass bottles (obvious), brick paving (might hit someone), trees (sharp stick or club), tire irons, golf clubs etc?
It's just so silly.

[Delica_Nut]

I hope no one is beaten to death with a toaster.

[Endur]

I hope no one is beaten to death with a toaster.

Good point.

:eek:

We all need a worldwide law:

"Any body part or object that shall be (readily) available, concealable or not, capable of causing bodily or mental injury, will henceforth be banned from sale, purchase, possession and use. Being found in possession of any such body part or object will warrant your immediate arrest and death sentence, for it is clear you have criminal intentions. Any victim at the hands of such a crime, shall need only utter "ouch", and the criminal will be sentenced to death for manslaughter. We shall conduct intensive searches for any such body parts or objects, and confiscate any body part or object which has been stated in this law. You will have 90 days to hand over any such body part or object to authorities, without prosecution. After the said time-limit is over, you will be put to justice."

Cars, coffee machines, Xboxes, aerosol inhalers and clothing items? They all need to go for our own safety! There's crazy people out there that might use them against us! :mad:


(first post btw...:cool :)

[Kuolema]

Haha! Welcome to the board Endur!

Any updates on this, I've been neglecting to keep up to speed on it (I know, I know, I'm horrible :p )?

[vampyrewolf]

I haven't seen anything new on it lately...

initial news release, editorial, and a response to each... and it'll be off the news for a few months again.

We have a documented assault every day here in the city, with "a knife or other similar weapon" (~300 in 6 months)
But with a city of 250k and 1 confirmed/known gang member for every thousand (1:1000 as of 2002 when I was doing my research on it), though I'm sure that number has gone up the last couple years with folks moving west. Look at Vancouver's crime rates 5 years ago compared to now. That ~250 comfirmed gang members means ~1000 oter members and another ~1000+ wanna-be's... so if 2500 gang members only commit 1 documented assault a day, why worry?

99% of the crime as a whole is committed because of drugs. And yet our cops are out there cracking down on drivers who fail to signal, essentially abandoning certain neighbourhoods after dark (I go walking in one of those areas, you don't see a cop car after 8pm, but you'll see 5 in 3 blocks during the day).

[Kuolema]

Haha, that's a good point Vamp.

Come to think of it, the only Cops I see 'round my place is one because he happens to live some blocks away. The Police here do a good job, but I agree, sometimes they get their priorities screwed up. Now on the news they said they're going to start really cracking down on this Cellphone/Electronic Device Driving Ban. Kinda odd, 'cos Cops are always using their car computer and radio while driving. Whatever, back on topic, FLY's Letter to the Ed was pretty good, showed it to some friends who couldn't argue with what he said. Hopefully some sense will be made of it.

It's real simple, it's just a shame Politics is a fools game, because these laws just limit the law abiding citizens.

[vampyrewolf]

The day they pass it, is the day I become a criminal.

I have an RCMP across the street, works for the drug enforcement side of things... nice fancy ghost cars. They still have the kids in and the place locked down tight after about 8pm.

Here's a question for you... I walk within a couple blocks of your place when I'm on the return 1/2 of my walk. I know what the area is like at 11pm... do you? :p The last time I saw a cop on my walk was when the group I just worked over called the cop car. The car followed me for a couple houses before pulling over to ask me a few questions. He thought it sounded suspicous to have a group of 5 been jumped and beat by 1 guy.

[Slick]

I should have read through the entire thread but it is upsetting.

...My knives are tools. My choice of self defense tools include anthing at hand. Fists, bricks, rocks, knees, tire irons, hammers, wrenches, elbows (especilally elbows), and any other thing at hand to get the job done Are we to ban elbows and rocks? How about we punish the bad behavior (crime) and trust us to use our tools appropriately.

Integral spell checker needed here. Thank god for the post preview option.

[Kuolema]

Actually Vamp, 'round my way late at night it's pretty dangerous. Don't know this whole west side/east side business; **** a couple months ago that kid was jumped and beaten by the McD's just down from my house. I know the the couple times I can running late at night 3/10 Ill get a cop ask me why Im out so late and where Im going.

An that's WITHOUT carry machete .

[vampyrewolf]

I just carry a 26" ASP and flashlight. Situational awareness is survival.