Posted on 03/07/2017 6:01:31 AM PST by marktwain
On 20 February, 2017, Governor McAuliffe (D) Virginia vetoed HB 1432. The bill would have reformed Virginia law to remove the blanket prohibition on carrying, possessing, trading or selling of switchblade knives.
The law was a holdover from the 1950's when bans on the ownership of switchblade knives swept the nation. The bans were based on groundless hysteria about their supposed use by street gangs. The play “West Side Story” was said to have a role in the passage of these laws. A federal statute banning the interstate sale of switchblade knives was passed. From the excellent article by Bernard Levine, published in 1990, which details how the ban came into existence:
Congressman Delaney's mind was made up, so it probably would have been pointless to confuse him with the facts. Switchblades came into common use in the United States, not around 1950 as he stated, but around 1850. After the turn of the century, thanks to the inventive genius of George Schrade (and the “protection” of the Tariff Acts of 1891 and 1897), American made switchblades of all sizes became popular and commonplace.
Wikipedia has a good bit of the history on their article about switchblades. From Wikipedia:
In 1954, Democratic Rep. James J. Delaney of New York authored the first bill submitted to the U.S. Congress banning the manufacture and sale of switchblades, beginning a wave of legal restrictions worldwide and a consequent decline in their popularity. In 1955, U.S. newspapers promoted the image of a young delinquent with a stiletto switchblade or flick knife with lurid stories of urban youth gang warfare, often featuring lower class youth and/or racial minorities.[4]
All of the laws were pushed based on propaganda and unfounded assertions by
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
I can remember in the mid-1960s in Alabama when switchblade talk was going on, and churches were hyping up how they needed to be controlled. At the time, all I was thinking about was how to get one of these fancy new knives.
I lived in North Carolina in the mid 1960’s and remember exactly the same thing. I wanted one.
“All of the laws were pushed based on propaganda and unfounded assertions....”
They let me carry a pistol, concealed, that I can draw with one hand fire AND kill you at extended ranges.
But I cant carry a pocket knife that will open automatically that I cant harm you with it if you are more than arms length away?
I’ve never liked the idea of having to fight with a knife. Thats a very intimate encounter. But I will if I’m cornered.
It seems pretty stupid to have to leave my knife at home when I have to travel through Texas, but I would raise little suspicion with my sniper rifle and MAK-90 in the trunk with more ammo than I could physically carry, rather than if the Texas cops found this little toy in my pocket.
Just an FYI, I have three of these legal assisted openers. They are excellent:
Consealed
I am pretty handy and use my knives a lot. A switchblade would just be very useful.
Can’t beat Kershaws for the price. I like them better than switchblades.
Way back in the Dark Ages of 1968, I was in a gun shop in Little Rock talking to the owner whom I had bought a few guns from before Johnson’s 1968 G C Law took effect.
He was showing me an old knife he had found that he used to sell many years ago. It was the first civilian switch blade I had ever seen. He sold it to me cheap but it was such a cheap model it broke not long afterward.
In the military at the time we were taught to cut parachute cords using a government issue switchblade, but we were not allowed to have one. Go figure.
I later bought one of in Thailand, with the penguin stamp on the blade. Soft steel, and later a shorter one in Mexico. Same brand. Also had soft steel in the blade.
I found I preferred the Sikes-Fairbairn commando knife better.
Screw the government!
SWITCHBLADES ARE UNNECESSARY! (yes, I am shouting)
I really hate that Clinton’s Bag Man is Governor.
He belongs in prison.
Democrats vs. Constitution is a permanent part of their desire to establish a dictatorship.
It was a feeble attempt at levity. I should have added the /sarcasm tag
And an attempt to point out the absurdity of banning a specific type of knife (weapon) if other types of weapons are allowed/available.
Is the real objective of McAuliffe to ban self-defense? Is he trying to accomplish this via the incrementalism of first banning the "scary weapons" (switchbaldes, Black 'Assault' Rifles) then widening the list of prohibited evil tools.
Is the real objective of McAuliffe to ban self-defense? Is he trying to accomplish this via the incrementalism of first banning the “scary weapons” (switchbaldes, Black ‘Assault’ Rifles) then widening the list of prohibited evil tools.
I thought it might be sarcasm... but it is hard to be certain.
As to your later point. Yes, I think the idea is to ban self-defense, at least self-defense with weapons.
Eventually, I think the objective is to remold the human mind so that any thought of violence is met with revulsion.
But all that does is create a population of serfs and cowards that are easily conquered.
Some have speculated that is exactly what happened to classical civilization. The Muslims were able to conquer much of it because there was no longer any viable soldier-class.
The leftist rejoinder is “That is why we need world control!” They envision Brave New World, not as a distopia, but as a blueprint.
What manner of self-defense is acceptable to Governor S*itface? Flower power perhaps?
>> I really hate that Clinton’s Bag Man is Governor.
A lying Libertarian candidate is the only reason Terry “The Punk” McAuliffe won the election.
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