Brown says knife-carrying "unacceptable"

[poncho]

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Monday people carrying knives would be "caught, prosecuted and punished" as he defended the government's handling of knife crime following a spate of stabbing deaths.

But his message was overshadowed over claims from opposition parties that the government had already backtracked from a "half-baked" policy to force those caught with knives to visit hospitals to see stabbing victims for themselves.

"We need to make it absolutely clear to everyone, but especially young people, that in our country there are boundaries of acceptable behaviour, that it is completely unacceptable to carry a knife," Brown told his monthly news conference.

Four fatal stabbings in one day in London last week, taking the total killed with knives in the capital this year above 50, has returned the issue of violent crime to the top of the political agenda.

The capital's Metropolitan Police Service says tackling knife crime has now overtaken counter-terrorism as its main priority.

Full Article...

This seems completely backwards to me. Wouldn't it be wiser to just make it legal for citizens to carry a gun? What is there left to outlaw after knives?

 

[Don]

This seems completely backwards to me. Wouldn't it be wiser to just make it legal for citizens to carry a gun? What is there left to outlaw after knives?

Clubs, bricks, rocks, fists, feet.....

 

[TC]

I am glad I don't live there. I carry a knive every day here and I plan on continuing to do so.

 

[David Lamb]

... Wouldn't it be wiser to just make it legal for citizens to carry a gun? What is there left to outlaw after knives?

Not from the comparison of gun death statistics I have seen! In England and Wales, in 2002, such deaths were at a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 people. The rate for the United States for 2001 was 10.26 per 100,000 people. (I'm not sure why I coul not find comparable figures for the same year, but I cannot believe that the figures being a year apart would cause anything like the huge difference). I found the figures at: http://www.gun-control-network.org/GF01.htm

 

[poncho]

There are places Americans aren't allowed to carry guns, schools for instance. Look at the numbers, the unarmed teachers and students in the school shootings here didn't even have a chance. Gun control just makes it easier for crazies to get higher body counts.

 

[I Am Blessed 24]

I thought it was always against the law to carry a knife with a blade longer than six inches or a switch blade. What happened?

 

[poncho]

An Illinois legislative committee summed up the whole
subject of deadly weapon laws very neatly back in 1961:

"The possession and use of dangerous weapons has long
presented a problem to the law... Statutes of this kind have
been criticized for having the effect of prohibiting the law-
abiding citizen from protecting himself, while at the same
time failing to reach the criminal who habitually uses
dangerous weapons for illegal ends. Nevertheless, a great
many convictions have been obtained for the crime of carrying
concealed weapons. Hence, the Committee felt that a
continuation of the same policies which lie behind the
present law of deadly weapons was desirable."

Translated into plain English, they said that this law only
affects law-abiding citizens, but since many of them have
been convicted, and thus have been redefined as criminals,
let's keep enforcing it.

http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/sta-law.htm

 

[sag38]

Let's make criminals out of good citizens who are smart enough to carry an equalizer. Shows how stupid our law makers can be.

Next thing you know, chain mail (did I spell that right?) will be required attire in Britain. And, if you play some form of baseball , you'll have to register your bat or whatever they call that thing they swing while playing cricket. Perhaps your bat will have to be locked up in an arsenal at the playing field. Oh, and God forbid if you have heavy rolling pin. And, what about that cast iron frying pan? Stupid is the only word I can find when the nanny state steps too far in trying to protect her citizens. No guns, no knives, no bats, no crow bars, no rolling pins, no heavy frying pans. Oh yeah, you will have to leave your golf clubs at the golf course locked away. Let see, what about automobiles. We can't have those either. A jilted husband may crash it through the kitchen wall to get at his wife.

 

[donnA]

I thought it was always against the law to carry a knife with a blade longer than six inches or a switch blade. What happened?

It is here

 

[abcgrad94]

Let's make criminals out of good citizens who are smart enough to carry an equalizer. Shows how stupid our law makers can be.

Next thing you know, chain mail (did I spell that right?) will be required attire in Britain. And, if you play some form of baseball , you'll have to register your bat or whatever they call that thing they swing while playing cricket. Perhaps your bat will have to be locked up in an arsenal at the playing field. Oh, and God forbid if you have heavy rolling pin. And, what about that cast iron frying pan? Stupid is the only word I can find when the nanny state steps too far in trying to protect her citizens. No guns, no knives, no bats, no crow bars, no rolling pins, no heavy frying pans. Oh yeah, you will have to leave your golf clubs at the golf course locked away. Let see, what about automobiles. We can't have those either. A jilted husband may crash it through the kitchen wall to get at his wife.

Oh great. There goes my rolling pin.

 

[tinytim]

Whew!!! What a relief!!!

 

[I Am Blessed 24]

Oh great. There goes my rolling pin.

And DH will probably petition them to outlaw iron skillets (my weapon of choice).

 

[abcgrad94]

Toothpicks will be next, since they are sharp, pointed objects.

 

[tinytim]

Since it has been said I have a pointed head, will I be outlawed?

 

[Andre]

Not from the comparison of gun death statistics I have seen! In England and Wales, in 2002, such deaths were at a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 people. The rate for the United States for 2001 was 10.26 per 100,000 people. (I'm not sure why I coul not find comparable figures for the same year, but I cannot believe that the figures being a year apart would cause anything like the huge difference). I found the figures at: http://www.gun-control-network.org/GF01.htm

I am with you but Americans really love their guns. While I think that owning a gun is at odds with the gospel message, there is a deeply ingrained American cultural value about guns and the right to have one. And, as always, it is easy to mix up cultural values with Scriptural ones.

Statistics are of little value when you go up against such a deeply ingrained and emotionally held value. I will now duck as all the gun-types take aim.....

 

[Don]

Andre, my gun will be used for gathering food. Are you still against me having it? Is there some scripture that prevents having a gun for this reason?

 

[abcgrad94]

I am with you but Americans really love their guns. While I think that owning a gun is at odds with the gospel message, there is a deeply ingrained American cultural value about guns and the right to have one. And, as always, it is easy to mix up cultural values with Scriptural ones.

Statistics are of little value when you go up against such a deeply ingrained and emotionally held value. I will now duck as all the gun-types take aim.....

Guns don't hurt people. People hurt people.

Using a weapon to defend yourself or others from harm does not go against scripture. When Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, the men were armed and prepared to defend themselves.

 

[just-want-peace]

Andre, my gun will be used for gathering food. Are you still against me having it? Is there some scripture that prevents having a gun for this reason?

But, but, but, it CAN be used for killing; therefore it is mandatory that you or any other citizen not have one.:sleeping_2: (Now, if we could just convince the criminal element to give up their guns ----!!??)

Ah, liberalism!!! The death knell of civilization.

 

[sag38]

Is there one that says I can't defend my home? If you break into my home, and I'm there, you will be greeted with lead. And, I will have no spiritual or moral problem in doing so. Of course, I hope you are ready to meet the Lord.

 

[tinytim]

It's called self defense, and the Bible allows for that.
It is called defense of the innocent... and the Bible allows for that...

Jesus even said to take up a sword...