There are many forms of non-firearm lethal weapons: knives, blunt instruments, bows/crossbows, etc. Since all of these can be and are used to commit crimes such as murder and armed robbery, should they be made illegal? At what point/and or what should weapons such as tactical/killing knives should be made illegal? Are these specialized knives useful tools for self defense, or should they be made illegal by the government? Since these weapons are much easier to obtain than guns (many can be made fairly easily too), what steps would be needed to enforce more restrictive laws against these weapons.
Finally, I will state my position. I believe that like just with guns, these weapons in question are only as bad or as good as the person that is holding it. I own many different types of tactical knives for self defense: machetes, kerambits, hunting knives, butterfly knives, etc.. I have no desire to use them unless when necessary to save myself from death or severe personal injury from an attacker(s).
I have a collection of swords that ranges from katanas, broadswords, daggers, etc. In my state it is illegal for me to sharpen most of these and to carry them in public. I agree with these laws (although I don't always follow them).
Somewhat off topic, but in China there have been multiple attacks when a few people with swords and knives manage to kill 20 people or more before police armed with guns are able to stop them.
A ban on knives would be completely unenforceable. Knives are used in food preparation and eating. You can make one from a piece of steel using a simple grinder, or even a file and a whetstone. Blunt instruments are even easier to obtain and manufacture. Bows and the like would be much easier to regulate, but generally require more training to handle effectively.
I am allowed to carry an assist-opening pocket knife on campus if the blade is 4" long or less (faster, thinner and quieter), but I cannot carry a butterfly knife of the same length. Seriously?
Would you want to? If they're a significant danger to the wielder, they may as well be banned.
*Woman cutting steak for family's dinner* *SWAT Team breaks in* "OH MY GOD SHE'S GOT A KNIFE!" "Mam, you have three seconds to get drop the weapon or we will shoot."
I mean, is this an actual serious topic? Outlaw knives?
Besides, that's my point. The average person wouldn't want to carry a balisong anyway, and they certainly aren't going to misuse it as a weapon because they take so much practice to operate. So why ban them?
You know why the traditional cherry bomb is illegal in the US, right?
I regularly carry a machete with a 2ft long blade with me when I take the trash out to the street because I live on a shared driveway and my neighbor has an unfriendly rottweiler that they let run around our neighborhood. I'm not going to be caught empty handed if it attacks me. I've considered buying a tactical 6ft spear since it would be a better weapon, but it costs $70.
I regularly carry a machete with a 2ft long blade with me when I take the trash out to the street because I live on a shared driveway and my neighbor has an unfriendly rottweiler that they let run around our neighborhood. I'm not going to be caught empty handed if it attacks me. I've considered buying a tactical 6ft spear since it would be a better weapon, but it costs $70.
If by unfriendly, you mean vicious and threatening, you should be able to take legal action.
If by unfriendly, you mean vicious and threatening, you should be able to take legal action.
It's not quite vicious, but it's behavior certainly questionable in terms of my safety. It growls, snarls, and jumps up and down from behind the its fence when it sees me walk by. The other day it, ran into my garage and almost made it into my house since the back door was open before my neighbor called it off! I didn't see me though because I was on the other side of my car. But I don't think I could do anything as of yet with the law.
*Woman cutting steak for family's dinner* *SWAT Team breaks in* "OH MY GOD SHE'S GOT A KNIFE!" "Mam, you have three seconds to get drop the weapon or we will shoot."
That last line is a joke, right? They open fire on golf clubs and water nozzles without saying that.
[...] although flash powder is a composition, not a chemical).
The term is being used in a broader sense than that of chemistry, although they could argue that its component chemicals are dangerous.
Your point? A knife is very, very different than an explosive, and the fact remains that a balisong is no more dangerous as a weapon than any other knife. Proper training, especially with a blunt blade, reduces the risk of self-injury, whereas no training can lessen the effect of an explosive.
This is at odds with your earlier description. If this particular make of knife is more dangerous for an unskilled wielder to wield, it makes sense to restrict them. In the same way it makes sense to restrict explosives that are easily dangerous when mishandled.
That doesn't apply to explosives. Having more or less experience does not change the amount of action you can take to avoid being harmed by it.
There are many ways to avoid being harmed by explosives. Some of them are simple, like not igniting them in your hand and storing them in airtight containers, but a licenced pyrotechnician could probably tell you a dozen more.
Seriously, how is that an argument? "You shouldn't have one if you have no experience with it because you might hurt yourself" is absurd.
It isn't really an argument at all. I'm trying to find out why you consider it an injustice for such bans to be in place.
[...] though you could just practice with "dummy" knives (balisong knives with a fake blade), they are just as illegal as normal ones.
The same rules could apply to a chainsaw. They are dangerous and you might hurt yourself if you don't know how to operate and hold one, and no one needs one, before someone makes that argument, but you can buy one in a store with cash with no trouble.
Are you permitted to carry a chainsaw on campus?
My statement or the law?
That part of the law which deals with dummy knives.
If we are talking in terms of the USA, I would prefer to ban all weapons except longswords over a certain length and weight. This will make people safer and the constitution will be intact.
