Myoldnamebroke on 28/2/2006 at 13:33
Quote Posted by Phydeaux
No, the namby pamby idiotic legislation is designed to make idiot sheeple think that the world (or their little corner of it) is a safer place to live, and to improve the legislators' (or whatever you call them over there) chances of getting reelected by said idiot sheeple.
A lot of mad legislation is simply the result of people always being scared and afraid and LOVING IT.
No matter how safe you make the country, someone is going to get stabbed or something. Newspapers love this, people love this as it justifies their ridiculous moaning and OH NO WE'RE ALL DOOMED BRITAIN HAS GONE TO THE DOGS. At this point SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. So what does the government do?
It can't really work to reduce the causes of crime, as that's hard work and no matter what you lower it to, people will still think CRIME IS RAMPANT and call your figures GOVERNMENT SPIN.
So you're reduced to showy measures to appease the Daily Mail until those dastardly FOREIGNS strike again.
Hesche on 28/2/2006 at 13:44
Quote Posted by d0om
You can carry an unloaded air pistol though, as long as you're not trespassing!
You could also carry a used syringe and tell evil-doers you have some slowly killing disease. It works the other way round, junkies do that here.
Building more police stations will help lowering the crime rate. At least it did in Sim City...
SubJeff on 28/2/2006 at 13:56
Phydeaux
These laws are here to prevent people like Havvoc getting a hard on for some sadism and battering senseless someone who is only after your dvd player (after a surprise attack from behind no doubt). It's viewed as more civilised approach than going John Woo/Van Damme on someone who is only after £100.
Yes, they are not perfect, but neither is the alternative.
Phydeaux on 28/2/2006 at 14:12
Quote Posted by d0om
[edit]Also, how does carrying a knife make you
safer? All it does it make the assailent kill you for your money, rather than just threaten.[/edit]
Carrying a knife is obviously safer than not carrying a knife. But running away is still the best choice. Giving the mugger what he wants is the second best choice. Waaaaay down at the bottom of the list is getting into a knife fight. Anybody who thinks that they can win a knife fight is a delusional moron (unless they know escrima or something). This ain't the movies. I'd rather have a sturdy flashlight or a walking stick than a knife if I had to defend myself against somebody with a knife. The best tools however are still a cool head and a good pair of shoes.
And BTW, I never said anything about using a knife in self defense in the first place. My point is about how fucking
useless those laws are. They don't stop crime, and they don't make it safer for regular folk. What they do do is criminalize something that many law-abiding citizens wished they could do, which is carry a knife (an extremely useful
tool), one that doesn't threaten to sever their own fingers (locking or fixed blade knives are inherently much safer to use than non-locking folding knives), and probably never even had the notion of using it in self defense.
For example, myself. I carry a knife (ok, 3 knives: one plain, one serrated, and a Swiss Army) with me every day. I use them at work all the time. I use them at home all the time. Ironically, I use them more to cut things for
other people more than I use it for myself. My pain edge knife is usually a either a balisong (butterfly knife) or an auto (switchblade/flick knife), which I can legally carry here.
Do you know how much a threat I am to other law-abiding citizens?
None. Zilch. Zero. Fuck-all.
Which is about the same threat most people in the UK are to other people in the UK.
Except of course the muggers. With their flick knives.
But regular people can't carry certain things because they're "dangerous".
But they're not. Knives aren't dangerous. A knife is an inatimate object. A person with criminal intent is dangerous.
Intent. Dwell on that for a moment.
A person with criminal intent
without a knife is still dangerous.
The laws do nothing.
(
http://www.britishblades.com/home/index.php)
Phydeaux on 28/2/2006 at 14:27
BTW, I'm sure I seem passionate about this topic (I am) even though most people would wonder why I give a rat's ass about the laws in a country I've never visited, nor have any immediate plans to (but I would like to someday). This isn't about "US is better than UK", overinflated patriotism, one-upping, or any nonsense like that. This isn't really even about one's right to defend himself, and certainly not about the 2nd Amendment and carrying guns.
Rather, I have many online friends in the UK who are as passionate about knives as I am. It's a hobby. It's a useful hobby. And for me, hopefully in the not-too-distant future, it'll be a profession (I want to make knives). So every time I hear about more idiotic anti-knife legislation in the UK, I'm interested and concerned. Concerned that my knife knut friends in the UK will have to give up more of their rights because some other bunch of idiots are willing to surrender their own rights for the empty, delusional promise that they're making their country safer. Yes, it makes me glad I live in Arizona where I can own and carry whatever I want, but it also makes me sad for my less fortunate friends across the pond.
How the fuck can you fillet a fish with a blunt knife?
Naartjie on 28/2/2006 at 14:31
Nobody's going to prosecute you for carrying a knife in your tackle box, but I can guarantee that 95% of the population doesn't see the point in carrying a butterfly knife about your person when you're walking about town.
You've also contradicted yourself:
Quote:
This isn't really even about one's right to defend himself, and certainly not about the 2nd Amendment and carrying guns.
Quote:
Concerned that my knife knut friends in the UK will have to give up more of their rights because some other bunch of idiots are willing to surrender their own rights for the empty, delusional promise that they're making their country safer.
Paz on 28/2/2006 at 14:40
Quote Posted by Phydeaux
And god forbid someone breaks into your house, if you whomp him on the head with a
baseball cricket bat,
you go to jail.
Any cases of this you can cite from the last five years?
Crime is pretty kerrrazy here, right - so there should be hundreds.
SubJeff on 28/2/2006 at 14:56
Quote Posted by Phydeaux
Carrying a knife is obviously safer than not carrying a knife.
Wrong. If you are attacked or threatened and you have a knife on you you
are going to think about using it, if only to scare your attacker off. Whoops - now there is an assailant and a knife within close proximity of each other and YOU are threatening THEM. Guess what happens if the knife changes hands in a scuffle.
Heck, if you are in fight/confrontational situation for whatever reason and your (future) opponent pulls a knife you are going to take things ALOT more seriously, and so be much more likely to injure them to a greater degree than you would have if it were an unarmed situation.
In fact I think there is reason for the attacker to fear for their safety more than they would have an hurt YOU more. And I'll wager a court of law would see it thier way. Mugger: "Yes your honour, I did intend to take Phydeaux's mobile phone and watch but when he pulled out three types of knife I feared for my life." Judge: "That's reasonable. Phydeaux, join Havvoc in the 'I got served' box please. And no, you have to pay your own medical bills you knife wielding maniac".
Jennie&Tim on 28/2/2006 at 15:10
Quote Posted by Naartjie
You've also contradicted yourself:
I don't see that as a contradiction, he is saying they are giving up the right to have a useful tool in order to reduce crime; that doesn't have much to do with self-defence.
