kung fu baseball bats

[Kellen Bassette]

Part of the reason no one outside the continent of America understands their gun laws. Sure we get you need shotguns and hunting rifles for bears and stuff.... But why handguns?

What happens if your rifle jams and you've wounded a bear?
Enter the side arm.

[Jimbo]

If you have to mess around opening a blade 30 percent of the way before it flicks, then you pretty much have to carry it already open if you intend to use it suddenly. If weapons are obvious, they are not as dangerous because people can see it coming. Butterfly knives come out of nowhere, they open fast.

Although I don't favor them, the assisted-opening folders open very fast. You push a thumb stud or "flipper" with one hand, and the assisted-opening feature takes over. It's one smooth motion. Have you ever handled one? You don't need to carry it open. They can be open and ready faster than a butterfly knife. But they are not necessarily designed to play a weapon role. It's designed for convenience (and perhaps a degree of novelty). Most folding knives are used for mundane cutting tasks.

But TBH, I can flick open a Spyderco one-handed as fast or faster than an assisted-opener, if I really feel like it (I never need to for daily cutting chores so I don't). Plus, doing that too much can cause premature wear on the locking mechanism.

[RenDaHai]

Although I don't favor them, the assisted-opening folders open very fast. You push a thumb stud or "flipper" with one hand, and the assisted-opening feature takes over. It's one smooth motion. Have you ever handled one? You don't need to carry it open. But they are not only designed to play a weapon role. It's designed for convenience (and perhaps a degree of novelty). Most folding knives are used for mundane cutting tasks.

But TBH, I can flick open a Spyderco one-handed as fast or faster than an assisted-opener, if I really feel like it (I never need to for daily cutting chores so I don't). Plus, it can cause premature wear on the locking mechanism.

Oh, I see. Does it still come out of the side though? I.e how fast can you go from a closed knife to stabbing into something, do you need to change grip?

Right, I get it. There will always be ways around it. But making these things illegal does help, it puts the concept into the social consciousness. This has a large impact on peoples behaviour. Plus some stupid kid is not gonna think that kinda knife is cool, but a butterfly knife, thats awesome. Theres more potential for danger.

[Raipizo]

Quick release leather belts with heavy metal buckles are very popular here , easy to carry and useful - I've seen a lot of people playing with these....

Or even the seat belt belts, those buckles pretty heavy and hard.

Bawang, you make me laugh. Do you use a lot of tiger claw strikes with those fingernails?

[Raipizo]

If so may you have mercy on us all, you could pierce our skulls like peanut shells with those mini lightsabers.

[Jimbo]

RenDaHai:

So long as the knife laws here don't become as restrictive as those in the U.K. Some of which are ridiculous. As Syn said, even if you restrict everything, people will always find a way with whatever objects are around. Simply outlawing everything that *could* be dangerous isn't the answer. There are much deeper societal issues that must be addressed. Otherwise, we should ban cars, as people cause more deaths and destruction with them every year than almost anything else.

[RenDaHai]

RenDaHai:

So long as the knife laws here don't become as restrictive as those in the U.K. Some of which are ridiculous. As Syn said, even if you restrict everything, people will always find a way with whatever objects are around. Simply outlawing everything that *could* be dangerous isn't the answer. There are much deeper societal issues that must be addressed. Otherwise, we should ban cars, as people cause more deaths and destruction with them every year than almost anything else.

No but it is important to attach a much social stigma as possible to these things. It makes people aware of the danger.

I think we should massively change road laws. Living in China for many years I have seen the worst of driving and horrific accidents. It is such an unnatural death. Cars can be more dangerous than guns. But look at the laws governing cars. They are many and constantly watched. I don't think we go far enough. It angers me that we can make an iPad but yet we can't make a safer set of road laws or safer cars for pedestrians.

[Syn7]

To be honest, I wouldn't want to fight with any folding knife. I mean, if you have to, okay, but it would be my last choice for obvious reasons. Anyone who handles knives know what I'm talking about. Stuff happens. Parts fail. It's just not a good look.

The spring blade is fast, it will be open long before you can raise your hand. But that's true with most lock blades with the thumb stud. The emerson wave is pretty fast too, but it will destroy your pocket.

Ren: I disagree with the stigma comment. Not entirely, but in part. I hear what your saying and I respect the sentiment. But we have to be more pragmatic about these things. We should work on the fix, not the bandaid. Knives and guns aren't even in the same league. Just like fishing line isn't in a knifes league, yet can be deadly. As for guns, I'm all for controls and SOME limitations, but an outright ban is simply out of the question. You will never keep all the guns from all the bad guys, but you can do a lot to make sure those who do possess them legally have the necessary knowledge to handle, maintain and store them properly. And even then, you will still have to deal with the idiot factor, but that's just a fact of life. Guns aren't going anywhere. Every day they become more accessible and easier to fabricate. We need to look at this from a different angle. No point in trying to dam a river with your hands. That's when you think up some more creative solutions. Try new ideas.

As for conceal comment, well, lots of people carry knives and you just don't see them. I clip mine on my pocket and I'm not really worried about people seeing it or not, but I could just as easily drop it in my pocket. It would be no less legal and no less dangerous. What does it matter how it opens? If you don't want kids to play with weapons, then educate them... en masse.

As for cars, they will be driving themselves in your lifetime. Much safer that way. Just think, you can sleep on your way to work!

[RenDaHai]

Ren: I disagree with the stigma comment. Not entirely, but in part. I hear what your saying and I respect the sentiment. But we have to be more pragmatic about these things. We should work on the fix, not the bandaid.

Let me give you an example. In China there might as well be no laws governing road use. It is an absolute disaster, and when there are not enforced guidelines no one thinks about it and what is safe.

When you are crossing a pedestrian crossing on a green light (for you) you do not expect a vehicle to be driving on the wrong side of the road and crossing the red light and not paying any attention to you. Yet this happens every time I cross the road.

This would not happen in the west and if it did, everyone nearby would be angry, this social stigma is what stops it happening. Everyone considers it wrong because they have grown up with this law. Here its the driver who gets angry that you went in front of them. Wtf??

When you have lots of laws governing this behaviour people grow up with them and the laws ARE the education. They think about these things. Because they don't have these laws in China, no one thinks about them and everyone is a bad driver.

If everyone was sensible and educated, then you don't need any laws what so ever.
These laws ARE part of the fix, it IS the education. Another social fix will take generations. The bandaid can be put on today.

[Syn7]

Yes... but you don't ban the cars. Follow me? That genie is out of the bottle. You make rules and educate everyone who drives as to how it works and why and penalize offenders. That's all well and good. Now just transfer that argument to weapons because that was what I was referring to, not the car thing. I sympathize with the driving problem in china, but quite frankly, that's just not an issue where I live. I have no issue with our driving laws. We get permits, we get insured, we take care to not plow through crowds. All in all we do ok considering the amount of stupid we have up in here. You hear how high accident fatalities are and people think "wow". Not me, I think we're lucky it's not a shit show like where you're at. We do pretty well under the circumstances. But we still lose our heads over other issues and I think "security" is one of those issues. If people don't push back, then it will become the norm(like you said) and the next generations won't realize what they have lost. I don't support pre crime regulation, but I do support some level of balanced regulation. Big difference between the two though.

[JamesC]

America isn't a continent.

Guns, in general, are a right given to us by our constitution. Hunting is well and good, but the reason for ownership of a gun is simply to use against te government if needed.

But, that's opening a whole can of worms that will quickly spiral down into 1bad territory.

[JamesC]

That was weird. My phone showed a post by RDH as te most recent..., but I think it was on the first page.

Nothing to see here.

[Jimbo]

In decades past, a high number of young people were taught how to safely handle guns and knives, and their proper uses. Regarding knives, I mean their responsible uses as tools, not as thugs' weapons. In general, this instilled a degree of respect, and a more mature attitude, toward these things. I remember in school, most boys I knew carried some type of pocketknife/scout knife, etc. Yet not once did I or anyone I knew ever pull a knife during a fight. The thought never even crossed our minds.

Nowadays, people are instilling fear of the objects into their children. They are taught to be very afraid of someone using a little pen knife to open a package or slice an apple. They can be expelled from school for having one on their person, even if they forgot it was in their bag and they willingly come forward to let school officials know about it. Many Boy Scout troops are no longer allowed to carry any knives whatsoever. Zero tolerance policies mean almost zero common sense.

While *possibly* having good intentions, these "solutions" really are a band-aid...a band-aid put over a compound fracture. It's resulting in a wimpified generation of parents and kids who are taught to fear everything and accept no personal responsibility. Sheep who are willing to just give up their rights "As long as it makes me feel a little safer." It creates an attitude and position of helplessness. Then you have the sociopaths who will not obey the gun laws, and will remain armed no matter what laws are passed, who become bolder and bolder. They can get whatever they want, whenever they want.

And have all the new restrictive laws made everything better? Apparently not. They may *seem* perfectly logical on the surface, but such values are really a cop-out. I say this, and I'm not even a "gun person." But I do know how to safely handle a firearm and shoot properly. Familiarity and respectful handling, along with people actually raising their kids properly, takes the mystique out of it. That's only a part of what society needs to fix, but it could be a start. It's certainly better than opting to settle for a nanny state.

[RenDaHai]

Yes... but you don't ban the cars. Follow me? That genie is out of the bottle. You make rules and educate everyone who drives as to how it works and why and penalize offenders.

But you do. You ban any cars that have a big spike on the front whose only purpose is to skewer pedestrians. Of course you do. YOu ban cars that use lead petrol, in England it is illegal to have bull bars on the front of your car without a permit because they are more dangerous in pedestrian impact and few people really need them. You ban new cars that don't have a crumple zone. You ban new cars that don't have seat belts or airbags.

Knives are an essential part of every day life. Any knives for cutting, whittling, butchering even. But knives expressly designed to kill people... It makes sense to ban them. Why do you want them? Its a message as much as anything. Any knife can kill people, but one expressly designed for this purpose? Its the intent behind it.

Sure, don't ban Shotguns and rifles, you need them for bears, cougars (the feline kind) and zombies. But ones expressly designed for killing people? Hollow point bullets? You need these things?


@James, sorry, the continent of 'North' America, or the AmericaS.

@Jimbo, I see your point about the weakening of people and lack of personal responsibility etc. I get it, I took a pen knife to school, lots of people did, it was just kinda fun and never a problem. But I didn't go to the really bad school, maybe there it would have been a bad idea. The rules are only there for stupid people, if you are sensible you don't need them. But lots of people are stupid.

[David Jamieson]

The 2nd amendment:

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

I don't think this says anything about a right to using guns against the government if you need to. But that did make me laugh this morning...so thanks!