Author Topic: Knives Handed In At Police Stations (Read 3454 times)

Nashwan · « **Reply #45 on:** June 04, 2006, 12:54:16 PM »

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yeah, but they're banning knives.

No, they're not.

They have launched a knife amnesty. That's a different thing entirely.

An amnesty is a publicity stunt for politicians. The politican gets to stand beside a big pile of knives and say "look how much violent crime we've prevented".

Meanwhile, the public go about their business as usual. As Sparks pointed out, the number of knives that have been handed in is tiny.

It's rather like a gun buyback in the US, only slightly less moronic as the knives are not being bought with public money for this publicity stunt.

There are very few types of knives banned in the UK> from memory, modern (ie not antique) sword canes, butterfly knives, belt buckle knives and flickknives.

The other types are legal to own, legal to buy, and only illegal to carry if a: they were designed as weapons (not tools) and you don't have a good reason to be carrying them, or b: you intend to use it to commit a crime.

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Yes the carrying of knives in public has been on the books for at least 20 years to my knowledge and yet I still have a Swiss Army knife and carry it routinely as do millions of other people.

Pocket knives with a blade of less than 3 inches (from memory) are not classed as weapons.

Hangtime · « **Reply #46 on:** June 04, 2006, 01:04:39 PM »

LOL..

and this makes the situation somehow less ludicrious?

Sparks · « **Reply #47 on:** June 04, 2006, 02:44:41 PM »

Hang - yes abosolutely the situation is ludicrous - and absolutely caused by the incompetent floundering government and populist reactionary Prime Minister. This is not new legislation as Nashwan and I pointed out - it has been resurrected as a stunt.

The same time this massive publicity stunt is going on in the name of "reducing violent crime" we have this -

Another shooting in Manchester

Unfortunately we have now to wait until 2010 until our next big chance to get rid of the useless wasters unless a vote of no confidence can be done.

Lukster - what are you smoking ?????

Sparks · « **Reply #48 on:** June 04, 2006, 03:02:12 PM »

Astac - that piece of OLD[/b] legislation is ludicrous and has been widely ignored by the population and the police until a crime with a knife is commited. I'm sure there are many other pieces of law in the US similarly ignored until something happens.

Fact is the issue is not the weapon of choice it's the legal basis of use that is important. The government sees these stunts necessary to try to convince the population that they are safer because they are the ones who perpetuate the laws that protect criminals and make it a bigger crime for a citizen to protect himself and property from a criminal. The debate about the right of personal defence is happenning in UK but you don't hear it - you just hear these soundbites. The right to personal protection and victims rights will be a big issue in the next general election - unfortunately that is 4 years away

.

This is nothing but a hopeles stunt and most people see it for what it is.

lukster · « **Reply #49 on:** June 04, 2006, 03:13:07 PM »

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Originally posted by Sparks
Lukster - what are you smoking ?????

Nothing potent enough to make me trust my government to protect me and mine.

Suave · « **Reply #50 on:** June 04, 2006, 03:19:08 PM »

If knives are legal, why call the event National Knife Amnesty? Was it organized by stupid people or dishonest people, or stupid dishonest people?

Oh well, if you angle for the stupid demographic you won't lose the election.

Sparks · « **Reply #51 on:** June 04, 2006, 04:03:09 PM »

Suave - it was organised by stupid dishonest people - the government.

Lukster - you simply don't read ANYTHING do you ?? My government isn't going to protect me just like yours won't protect you and I have never said anywhere at any time that it will. I want my right to protect myself in my home and on the street back and I'm looking for the party who will support that desire in the next election because that's what we do in democracies like ours - yours and mine.

I ask have you ever been to the UK, spent a significant period of time with a UK national or studied the UK academically ?

Hangtime · « **Reply #52 on:** June 04, 2006, 04:07:10 PM »

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Originally posted by Sparks
Hang - yes abosolutely the situation is ludicrous - and absolutely caused by the incompetent floundering government and populist reactionary Prime Minister. This is not new legislation as Nashwan and I pointed out - it has been resurrected as a stunt.

The same time this massive publicity stunt is going on in the name of "reducing violent crime" we have this -

Another shooting in Manchester

Unfortunately we have now to wait until 2010 until our next big chance to get rid of the useless wasters unless a vote of no confidence can be done.

Lukster - what are you smoking ?????

Sparks.. I'm cheered that there are folks like you over there that refuse to drink the kool-aid! Hang in there.. glad to see there's still Men in England!

Anything we can do to help?

lukster · « **Reply #53 on:** June 04, 2006, 04:08:24 PM »

Just because that's what you want Sparks doesn't mean it will happen. I've never been to the UK but from what I read there appear to be more people there like Beetle than like you. Good luck with getting the rights back that your countrymen handed over to their government so meekly. When I see a trend reversal I'll believe you have a better take on what's going on than I.

Hangtime · « **Reply #54 on:** June 04, 2006, 04:21:11 PM »

We're handing off our rights HERE just a 'meekly' as they were lost over THERE.. time we dropped the arrogant 'it won't happen here' BS and had a look around our own backyard.

Sparks · « **Reply #55 on:** June 04, 2006, 04:42:12 PM »

Ah so having never even been to the country and having only read what the media in the US has to offer you feel qualified to label UK general populace as "... naive idealist, ignorant of human nature and history"

Lukster - trust me that what you see over here in the US (yes I'm here on business) bears no relation to what is really happenning in the UK. Lets just say that the news media in the USA isn't renowned for it's foreign story reporting.

Hang - the sad thing is there are a lot of people like me in Uk. Middle class law abiding people who are tired of the crap that's going on but who find the available choices for leaders ....... somewhat lacking. Time will tell but the crime issue is big at home and no-one is being fooled by this "Amnesty" baloney. Just look at those Sussex figures again - 68 hand ins and only 18 classed as weapons. The other 50 were probably little old ladies who thought their bread knife was now classed as an AK47..... And this from 1.245 Mil people. We can all sleep safe tonight - the only 18 deadly weapons in Sussex are gone HOORAYYY!

Government change is going to take some doing. The current Labour crooks have re-arranged things so that it will take an overall swing of 6.5 % in the vote to get a new government majority - that is a huge swing. They are just manipulating bastiges like all politicians.
Check here for intersting stats
Wikipedia on UK election 2010

lukster · « **Reply #56 on:** June 04, 2006, 05:28:21 PM »

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Originally posted by Hangtime
We're handing off our rights HERE just a 'meekly' as they were lost over THERE.. time we dropped the arrogant 'it won't happen here' BS and had a look around our own backyard.

I don't know about you but I can carry one of my handguns in my pocket out in public legally any time I want. that qualifies as the protection I'm talking about.

Can you do the same Sparks?

Toad · « **Reply #57 on:** June 04, 2006, 05:28:57 PM »

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Originally posted by Sparks
The current Labour Government is imploding and these are the death throws. The same thing happens in any failing government - sort of like sending 6000 National gaurd to protect a 2000 mile border.

Point to Mr. Sparks. Well played sir!

Let the game resume.

Hangtime · « **Reply #58 on:** June 04, 2006, 05:32:02 PM »

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Originally posted by lukster
I don't know about you but I can carry one of my handguns in my pocket out in public legally any time I want. that qualifies as the protection I'm talking about.

Can you do the same Sparks?

Maybe in Texas. Not in 27 other US states, 56 cities and more counties than I can tally.

lukster · « **Reply #59 on:** June 04, 2006, 05:37:13 PM »

Our curent government may be on it's way out. Lot of unhappy people, no denying that. We won't be looking to replace it with one more liberal or socialist than what we have though, count on that. Our illegal immigration problem will be one of the central issues in our upcoming elections.