Could you imagine the laughter that would result if people claimed the slippery slope of gun control would result in banned knives? A political world where “assault weapon” bans include not just pistol grips, folding stocks, and bayonet lugs but kitchen knives is just ridiculous, right? Wrong. Check out what is happening in the U.K.:
A team from West Middlesex University Hospital said violent crime is on the increase – and kitchen knives are used in as many as half of all stabbings.
They argued many assaults are committed impulsively, prompted by alcohol and drugs, and a kitchen knife often makes an all too available weapon.
The research is published in the British Medical Journal.
The researchers said there was no reason for long pointed knives to be publicly available at all.
…
The study found links between easy access to domestic knives and violent assault are long established.
French laws in the 17th century decreed that the tips of table and street knives be ground smooth.
A century later, forks and blunt-ended table knives were introduced in the UK in an effort to reduce injuries during arguments in public eating houses.
The researchers say legislation to ban the sale of long pointed knives would be a key step in the fight against violent crime.
“The Home Office is looking for ways to reduce knife crime.”
“We suggest that banning the sale of long pointed knives is a sensible and practical measure that would have this effect.”
…
Home Office spokesperson said there were already extensive restrictions in place to control the sale and possession of knives.
“The law already prohibits the possession of offensive weapons in a public place, and the possession of knives in public without good reason or lawful authority, with the exception of a folding pocket knife with a blade not exceeding three inches.”
“Offensive weapons are defined as any weapon designed or adapted to cause injury, or intended by the person possessing them to do so.”
“An individual has to demonstrate that he had good reason to possess a knife, for example for fishing, other sporting purposes or as part of his profession (e.g. a chef) in a public place.”
“The manufacture, sale and importation of 17 bladed, pointed and other offensive weapons have been banned, in addition to flick knives and gravity knives.”
I’m having difficulty modeling what is going on in these peoples minds. Making a knife is not like building a Pentium 4 integrated circuit. You can’t shut down a few factories and expect knifes to disappear from the hands of people. How long have people been making knives? Something on the order a million (or two) years, right? Do these people believe the technology for knife making can be restricted? Do they believe if they ban knives people will stop making them?
The best model I can come up with that there is some sort of mass insanity that has taken hold of these people. We’ve long known that anti-gun people have mental problems. When these people have achieved their goals of banning guns the mental problems don’t go away–they merely find a new obsession and knives are the most visible target.
