I once had a bumper sticker; “If they outlaw guns, can we use swords?” (Member of SCA back then).
England banned guns. Now, with some high profile murders with swords, they are thinking of banning swords ... and long knives, and bats ...
why not just ban murderers and dispose of them? It would be easier.
Knives and swords throughout most of human history were tools of men, and not all men but aristocracy and soldiers. Women used poisons and daggers. An oppressive government can ban long swords, for example, but a poison is neither detectable (prior to use) nor attributable to a specific person. A poison can kill within seconds or within months, and in latter case it may well masquerade as some strange illness.
Another poster mentioned that whoever has a murderous intent only needs to think long and hard, and a way will be found. Our ancestors killed each other very successfully before firearms became available to a common man. There are always substitute weapons, anything from a date rape drug to a lead pipe to an overdose of an illegal drug to even a bottle of Molotov’s Cocktail. Many a king were killed with nothing more than a pillow. Should we ban pillows now?
A rational man should not worry about a theoretical possibility of being killed by a psycho. First, it’s rare, and secondly you can’t do anything about it, especially if you are not armed. But if you can fight back it definitely improves the chances.
Not thinking anymore. They have banned production katanas and other swords unless you get certain exceptions for nihonto (real japanese made blades) and other things like a registered martial artist.
England is lost. I expect Prince Charles and William are probably secret muslims.