Could banning pointy knives reduce crime in long term?

[Scuffer]

From what I hear, anyone who's eaten British food will attest to that.

Heh, but I've eaten rotten food in America too, and that's before we start on burgers and cheese that comes in a spray can. And Moxie, by all accounts.

Anyway on-topic, I don't see why banning them shouldn't reduce the incidence of moment of madness type crimes, or at least remove that excuse for the defence.

 

[The Last Conformist]

Actually, this year or the next there will be a referendum about banning guns in the nation. I wonder what the point is, since 98.4% of the gun-related crimes are commited with illegal and unregistered guns anyway.

That sounds awfully high. Brazilians don't shoot their wives with their hunting rifles?

 

[IglooDame]

It's an opinion piece by three doctors, not any form of proposed legislation. I believe that opinions are allowed to be expressed in your nation too.

Absolutely true. For proposed legislation, I'll excerpt from 21st April's http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4467569.stm

Labour is planning to introduce a Violent Crime Reduction Bill if re-elected. A big aspect of the bill will be action against knives and a possible ban on replica firearms, something previously believed to be impractical.

 

[IglooDame]

Now that is sweet. You're not out by Vegas, are you?? That's the only place I'd known of (in the U.S.) where you could rent automatic weapons (although maybe I'm making a false assumption that the Uzi you mentioned was auto). Either way, that's awesome.

Remotely on-topic, predictably, a gun-loving American thumbs-upping Uzi's is going to fall on the side of 'WTH?'. Better hope nowhere breaks out in a rash of vicious garden gnome bludgeonings.

http://www.gunsnh.com/ in Manchester, New Hampshire. And yes, the Uzi and some other rental guns are "real" full auto, one trigger pull=empty the magazine.

 

[IglooDame]

There's a difference to: There aren't alot of stuff as dangerous as a gun that is commonly found lying around, but there's plenty of stuff comparable to a long kitchen knife that is.

I've got almost no tools in my appartment, but my hammer is easily enough to crack a skull. My (short, non-kitchen) knives are easily capable of puncturing a lung or slitting a throat. And any toolshed is gonna have an axe.

And your point is valid, I was just saying that the sorts of people that are banning guns out of their desire for a public-health-ish safer, less-often-murdered-or-wounded public (as opposed to the ones emphasizing things more on the political or criminal sides) don't usually see your difference, or mine, or anyone else's, they just keep pushing for more and more restrictions and bans on dangerous objects.

 

[Rik Meleet]

When 2 people get into a fight:
Worst case scenario: They use weapons they have at their disposal.
If it is nothing; the worst injury is most likely bruises and scratches; perhaps a dislocated jaw or a broken hand.
If it is knives: the worst injury is cuts, stabs and perhaps lethal wounds.
If it is guns: death is likely.

Nonsense. Even in war the vast majority of gunshot wounds are not fatal.

There is some distance difference between 2 sides in a war and 2 sides in a fight. Personally; I'd rather face an opponent with him and me both without weapons than I face an opponent with him and me carrying knives. And I prefer knives over guns (for the obvious reason that I prefer to live).

 

[luiz]

That sounds awfully high. Brazilians don't shoot their wives with their hunting rifles?

Only in Goiás.
(Explanation of a national joke to foreigners: we make fun of the goianos because according to the legend their wives are always cheating on them).

But when they do that, it's usually with an illegal gun. Illegal guns are way cheaper, and much easier to get. I could get one in a few hours if I wanted too.

And the number of deaths caused by passional crimes is almost neglectable when compared to the number of deaths caused by traffic wars.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Heh, but I've eaten rotten food in America too, and that's before we start on burgers and cheese that comes in a spray can. And Moxie, by all accounts.

Sorry Scuffer, Im sure its a myth but it was too easy a cheap shot to resist

 

[The Last Conformist]

Only in Goiás.
(Explanation of a national joke to foreigners: we make fun of the goianos because according to the legend their wives are always cheating on them).

But when they do that, it's usually with an illegal gun. Illegal guns are way cheaper, and much easier to get. I could get one in a few hours if I wanted too.

OK. I suppose you don't have the kind of "hunter culture" we have in the rural areas.

 

[aneeshm]

A question - is it legal to possess 10 ( or 20 , or 30 , or n ) knives , each under the legal limit ( three inches ? ) , built in such a way that they can be asembled into a blade/sword of arbitrary length ?

 

[stormbind]

If they take away my pointy knives, I'll starve from being unable to open ready-meals!

If they ban pointy knives, will cleavers become more common?

However, maybe I have a solution: Reshape the tips so that they only puncture a short way!
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[Wolfe Tone]

What an idiotic idea. If everything that could be used as a weapon was banned there would be nothing left. What do they expect us to do hand in our steak knifes.

 

[wit>trope]

Now, far be it from me (who doesn't think bazookas should be illegal) to wonder about whether big knives are a public health threat, but does anyone here think that the sale or ownership of long pointy knives should be made a crime?

If you don't bazookas should be illegal then what about tanks?

I'd support having bazookas and these particular knives be illegal but I think in the US there'd need to be a constitutional amendment for that to work. Instead of allowing individual private citizens to bear arms, I believe we should just allow the respective States to each have their own independent military -- this way the States can defend themselves against any tyranny that might come from the federal military.

 

[Keirador]

Ludicrous. If they ban long pointy knives, several every-day tasks will become much harder. I would need to use two different knives to cut anything of substantial size, a long one and a pointy one. And what would I use to stab people with?

 

[puglover]

No. It won't help. Just as banning guns didn't help them.

 

[stormbind]

No. It won't help. Just as banning guns didn't help them.

Yes, but there are other forces at play:

1. The police were given guns, which meant criminals felt threatened and needed to carry gun in self defense.

2. Popular culture idolises guns and prides criminal activity.

Banning guns had no effect on these two major issues except to bring them to eveyone's attention.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

I'd support having bazookas and these particular knives be illegal

A knife you can use to cut steak and other useful things. A bazooka has only one use: killing people. Ever try eating steak with a bazooka? It aint easy

 

[Vietcong]

Unlike bazookas, long pointy knives have plenty of legitimate uses.

What next, banning blunt objects that could be utilized as clubs? Ban feet?

bazokas got plenty of lagetament uses, such as... umm.. blowing a thef up who breaks into your house!! OOO AND HUNTING!!

 

[wit>trope]

A knife you can use to cut steak and other useful things. A bazooka has only one use: killing people. Ever try eating steak with a bazooka? It aint easy

We're not talking about all knives just a limited selection of them that chefs say is not needed.

In the US the right to bear arms is about killing people because the amendment was designed to allow a free people to defend themselves against a potentially tyrannically federal government.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

In the US the right to bear arms is about killing people because the amendment was designed to allow a free people to defend themselves against a potentially tyrannically federal government.

Well, if the federal government ever becomes a dictatorship, good luck defending your freedoms with shotguns and handguns. Even a bazooka wouldnt be of much use. If they feel like it, through a variety of means, they can pinpoint your location within a few feet and launch a Hellfire missle from an unmanned drone. Or just arrest you and make you dissapear. Forget it, that only made sense when the Constitution was written. At that time there wasnt a great disparity in armament between the government and the people. Today its just a joke.