BBC:
A national knife amnesty has been announced by Home Secretary Charles Clarke in a bid to halt the rise in crimes involving the weapons. Mr Clarke said the project, to allow people to hand in weapons without fear of prosecution, would run for five weeks this summer, starting on 24 May. Police forces throughout England, Scotland and Wales will be involved. ...The Brits recently enacted extremely restrictive gun-ownership laws, and as a result.... violent crime WENT UP! So NOW they're gonna have very restrictive knife-ownership laws! Sheesh! How stupid. If they really want to lower violent crime they should UNrestrict gun-ownership and make sure crooks'n hoodlums know that if they try to pull something on the average citizen, they might vry well get SHOT DEAD! THAT WILL LOWER CRIME. It has in the USA.
The announcement of the latest drive comes nearly a month after the high-profile killing of City lawyer Thomas ap Rhys Pryce, who was stabbed to death in North London on his way home from a night out. Home Office figures released in 26 January showed violent crime in England and Wales rose 4% between July and September last year.
The Home Office says the amnesty is part of a wide range of actions being taken to tackle knife crime, including toughening the law on carrying blades. Other proposals include raising the age at which people can legally purchase knives from 16 to 18 and giving teachers power to search pupils for knives at school.
Not to argue with your point about crime in the U.S. but if you have a link to an article or study indicating that crime in the U.S. goes down with loosening gun restrictions or that crime goes up when tightening them, such a link would be useful to this post. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteMichael,
ReplyDeleteYou might want to read several good books about this subject.
John Lott's "More Guns, Less Crime" covers the US.
Stephen Halbrook's "That Every Man Be Armed" covers the philosophical basis for the 2nd Amendment.
Joyce Lee Malcolm's "Guns and Violence:the English Experience" covers the U.K. Her book "To Keep and Bear Arms" is also worthwhile.
Another review of the British situation is David Kopel's "Gun Control in Great Britain."
Why don't you read those for starters, and then come back and let us know what you're thinking?
thanks gandalin.
ReplyDeleteNext they'll come for all things pointy, forks (dinner, salad, and fondue), pitchforks will be left alone but you have to get a permit, chopsticks may be the next to go, then toothpicks, really sharp pencils, and don't forget pens. Yes, pens, just remember that they "...are mightier than the sword..." or some such, besides, y'all probably seen what a trained fighter can do with a pen, think "Bourne Identity".
ReplyDelete'Pick