Britain is going down the road to a total police/welfare state if it is not there already.
Posted on 06/02/2006 2:04:03 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
In its latest and broadest attempt to get knives off the streets and especially out of the hands of young people, the British government announced a nationwide knife amnesty program, says USA Today. Police hope to collect 30,000 knives that will be turned in at police stations, churches, supermarkets and schools around the country.
** Of the 839 homicides in England and Wales in the 12 months ending Nov. 28 -- the most recent period for which Home Office figures are available -- 29 percent involved sharp instruments including knives, blades and swords.
** Firearms account for just 9 percent of murders in Britain. The murder rate in Britain is 15 per million people.
** In contrast, the U.S. murder rate is 55 per million, according to the FBI. Of those, 70 percent of murders were committed with firearms; just 14 percent involved knives or cutting instruments.
** In London alone, there were 12,589 knife-related crimes last year. Police say the people most likely to carry knives are males ages 15 to 18.
The House of Lords is considering a crime-reduction bill that would raise the minimum age to buy a knife from 16 to 18, give teachers the power to physically search students and mandate jail time for possessing a knife without cause. In the meantime, officials hope setting up collection bins across the country during the amnesty will raise awareness and help reduce knife attacks.
Norman Brennan, director of the Victims of Crime Trust, calls the amnesty program, "no more than a public relations exercise." The victims' rights advocacy group proposes tougher penalties, including a mandatory five-year prison sentence for anyone possessing a knife.
Source: César G. Soriano, "Amnesty Program Takes Aim at UK's 'Knife Culture,'" USA Today, May 31, 2005.
For text (subscription required):
I'm surprised British men are allowed belts to keep their pants up.
Britain is going down the road to a total police/welfare state if it is not there already.
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
Please add me to your list. Thanks!
Next it will be the forks! I am telling ya!
There have been quite serious movements toward restriction of kitchen knives recently.
you can now but not for much longer they are working to get kitchen knifes banned now
Spoons can be sharpened. Then I believe they are called "shanks".
What about nail clippers?
Off with their hands !
yitbos
But if they ban the kitchen knifes then how will the English eat their Biscuits?
Unfortunately, it will never occur to liberal do-gooders that the problem is with the "anything goes" morality aimed at youth, not the type of weapon they carry.
OK, so I'm on a business trip in San Antonio, TX, home of the Alamo. On the tour of the Alamo, I see a reference to legislation referring to Bowie Knives (and Arkansas Toothpicks). Here's something that might be interesting:
Cite as Aymette v. State, 2 Humphreys 154 (Tenn. 1840)
AYMETTE v. THE STATE.
Nashville, December, 1840.
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW-Act prohibiting the wearing of a bowie-knife.
The act of 1837, 137, 2 (Code, section 4746), making it a
misdemeanor to carry a bowie-knife under the clothes, or concealed
about the person, is not in violation of the constitution, article
1, section 26, securing to the citizen the right to keep and bear
arms for the common defence. [Acc. Andrews v. State, 3 Heisk. 180,
184, 193, citing this case, and variously commenting on the
language of the opinion. See, also, Haynes v. State, 6 Humph.
120.]
At the January term, 1840, of the circuit court of Giles
county, Judge Dillahunty presiding, an indictment was filed against
William Aymette. This indictment charged: 1st. That Aymette, on
the 26th day of June, 1839, in the county of Giles, " did wear a
certain bowie-knife under his clothes, and keep the same concealed
about his person, contrary to the form of the statute," etc. 2d.
"That on the same day, " etc., "the said Aymette did, wear a
certain other knife and weapon, in form, shape, and size resembling
a bowie-knife, and under the clothes of him, the said Aymette, and
concealed about the person of him," etc.
The defendant pleaded not guilty, and the case was submitted
to a jury at the October term, 1840, Judge Dillahunty presiding.
It appeared that Aymette, during the sitting of the circuit
court in June 1839, at Pulaski, Giles county, had fallen out with
one Hamilton, and that about ten o'clock, P. M., he went in search
of him to a hotel, swearing he would have his heart's blood. He
had a bowie-knife concealed under his vest and suspended to the
waistband of his breeches, which he took out occasionally and
brandished in his hand. He was put out of the hotel, and proceeded
from place to place in search of Hamilton, and occasionally
exhibited his knife.
The jury, under the charge of the court, returned a verdict of
guilty.
The defendant moved the court in arrest of judgment, but the
motion was overruled and the defendant sentenced to three months'
imprisonment in the common jail of Giles county, and to pay a fine
of $200 to the state. From this judgment defendant appealed in
error.
Washington and Ewing, for Aymette; Attorney General, for the
State.
GREEN, J., delivered the opinion of the court.
The plaintiff in error was convicted in the Giles circuit
court, for wearing a bowie-knife concealed under his clothes, under
the act of 1837-1838, ch. 137, sec. 2, which provides " that, if
any person shall wear any bowie-knife, or Arkansas toothpick, or
other knife or weapon that shall in form, shape, or size resemble
a bowie-knife or Arkansas toothpick, under his clothes, or keep the
same concealed about his person, such person shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined in a sum
not less than two hundred dollars, and shall be imprisoned in the
county jail not less than three months and not more than six
months."
It is now insisted that the above act of the legislature is
unconstitutional, and therefore the judgment in this case should
have been arrested.
It would be popular, however politicians will never do it.
Regards, Ivan
So what's the point? Hah! I hadda say it! BWAHAHAHAH!!!
Next up
"Stick Culture" rhymes with Sick
TT
• In 1987 two men assaulted Eric Butler, a 56-year-old British Petroleum executive, in a London subway car, trying to strangle him and smashing his head against the door. No one came to his aid. He later testified, "My air supply was being cut off, my eyes became blurred, and I feared for my life." In desperation he unsheathed an ornamental sword blade in his walking stick and slashed at one of his attackers, stabbing the man in the stomach. The assailants were charged with wounding. Butler was tried and convicted of carrying an offensive weapon.
yitbos
Out here in uber-liberal Marin/Sonoma counties California, you can't buy a sheath knife from a catalog and have it shipped here! Our representatives working hard to make sure we don't hurt ourselves.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.