Arts & Literature1 min ago
Knife amnesty......
When are people going to realise that knives don't kill people, people kill people? This knife amnesty just tinkers round the edges giving the impression that something is being done. When are we going to realise that knives are just the tools? They are in every kitchen in the land. Countless things can become weapons what we have to do is address the mental state of the perpetrators. How far are we from total anarchy? The public if necessary will protect themselves. Rant over!
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It don't care if it's nuke or pea shooter jake, it's the will of the user that counts.
Now I'm not suggesting for a minute that they should stock semtex at B&Q, but you know what I mean. The point is what will we focus on next in the mistaken belief that it will alter the probability of murder and injury? nail guns? axes? Chain saws? All deadly with the correct usage and intent.
When you see the knives handed in as part of the amnesty, there are always a load of kitchen knives! Do these people not cook? I'm on holiday this week, but strapped on my multitool (which I carry at work as a matter of course) before going out; it wasn't until I was in the high street that I thought that I could well be arrested for carrying an offensive weapon.
Back when I was a lad, boy scouts were expected to carry (2?) shillings, a piece of string and a penknife. I guess that they only carry the emergency cash now, as the latter two could be used as weapons.
The problem is that the people who hand the knives over as part of the amnesty aren't the people we should worry about. No amount of amnesties are going to persuade a would-be murderer to hand in his weapon.
It's like the guns amnesties. I mean, if you had robbed, or were going to rob a bank, would you hand over your sawn-off?
It's like the guns amnesties. I mean, if you had robbed, or were going to rob a bank, would you hand over your sawn-off?
A recent local news item concerning residents of one particular area going out in the evening armed with weapons. Turned out to be a fact that nearly everyone carried keys on their person.
When does an apparently innocent item become a weaon? It must surely need some human input of brainpower to even think of another use for a key.
The nanny state rules yet again.
When does an apparently innocent item become a weaon? It must surely need some human input of brainpower to even think of another use for a key.
The nanny state rules yet again.
if i'd spent loads of money on some fancy sword or elaborate knife i certainly wouldn't just hand it in, just because the police ask me too!!
as has been said, its the ones who don't hand them in we need to worry about not the ones who do.
the only real point is that family members can get rid of another family member weapons if they are worried about them having them
I think you're all missing two important points, and frankly, given Loosehead's leanings, I'm amazed he isn't more supportive of such a policy.
1) The campaign absolutely does address the culture of carrying a knife - Loosehead's 'mental state of the perpertrators' - by saying this is unnacceptable behaviour.
2) The fewer knives there are in circulation, the fewer can get into the wrong hands. Of course I realise that there is nothing stopping a criminal buying a knife but those who wish to aquire knifes for criminal intent are not likely to want such a purchase on their debit cards. It will make some, if small, difference. If one does not have a knife, it makes it that much harder to commit one's first stabbing if you then have to go and locate a knife first.
Oh and the whole ''X' don't kill people, people kill people' line orf arguement is ridiculous. 'Anthrax doesn't kill people, people kill people' so therefore it's okay to have Anthrax.
To paraphrase Bill Hicks' line on gun control, "There's no link between having a knife and using it, and not having a knife and not using it, and you'd be a fool and a Communist to make one".
Oh dear Waldo your points:
1) Have you read the posts above, How on Earth can it be addressing knife culture? Carrying a knife or indeed any offensive weapon has always been unacceptable. This is just a political nod to make it look as if something is being done. Politicians haven't got the guts to solve the real problem.
2) "The fewer knives that are in circulation the fewer can get into the wrong hands" Really Waldo, Twee? From you? Put down the war cry! There will never be fewer knives they are made in their thousand every day, everything from Rambo Hunting knives to 14 inch Steak knives. The shops are full of them. Even if you exclude and ban all knives except the ones for Butchers, Chef etc they will still be available.
The debit card point? Please how many beers had you had last night? Hangover? you take your debit card to a cash machine and then you take the cash to Harry's Machete Emporium!
On the "people kill people" front I of course accept dangerous weapons should not be available generally but what I'm saying is that if the intent is there a weapon will be found, the high street is full of weapons, legal ones, it's the intent that is the problem not the weapon.
1) Have you read [...]the real problem.
Au contraire. Carrying a knife (of the kind we're discussing here) has always been illegal but it is clear that it is regarded by too many as acceptable. A campaign such as this goes a little way towards adressing that. As for saying it's political, well durr. Of course it is, or there would be knife bins out permanantly.
What I don't get is your indignation that a wider problem isn't being address and (whether or not that's correct) getting your knickers in a twist over something that will have some impact in making the streets safer. Your argument seems to be, 'oh well, the nutters are like the A-team and can improvise munitions from half a turnip and a vacuum cleaner so may as well let them have knives until such time as we manage fundamentally change the way a whole generation behaves.'
We may well need harsher sentences for people carrying knives but how does that invalidate the amnesty? It doesn't.
2) "The fewer [...] down the war cry!
Pardon? 'War cry'? What are you talking about?
There will never [...] still be available.
Ironically, if they did address that issue, based on previous form, you'd be one of the first to be bleating about nanny states and demanding they target the actual people using them for illegal purposes...
The debit card [...] Harry's Machete Emporium!
Well done for picking up on a point acknowleged in my post.
On the "people kill [...] not the weapon.
So, essentially what you're saying is that we shouldn't bother trying to reduce the number of knives on the street until we have managed to institute some all-encompassing societal change..?
Good luck with that...
Hi all. The knife amnsty is a bit of a waste of time when you think about it. Anyone who's walked down Regent Road in Gt Yarmouth can not help to miss the amount of "decorative" knives, swords, hunting knives machete's etc on display in "Tat" shop windows.The government should restrict the sales of these items as they glamourise knives and blades.
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