Posted on 06/18/2013 2:03:51 PM PDT by marktwain
Quietly, with almost no attention from the old media, a strong second front has been opened in the fight to restore the Second Amendment.
There can be no doubt that knives, tomahawks, and other edged weapons were meant to be included as arms protected under the Second Amendment. They were commonly used weapons in the militias of the Revolutionary War, and had been part of military equipment since the dawn of history.
Opponents of individual rights have been able to dig up a few town safety ordinances regulating the storage of gunpowder or the firing of guns in urban centers.
I have yet to see one that forbade the carrying of knives, tomahawks, or other edged weapons. Swords were specifically mentioned during the debates about the ratification of the Constitution.
Laws limiting the carrying of knives have proliferated after the War between the States, and especially in the last half of the 20th century. Now a small but extremely effective organization is fighting to restore the Second Amendment protections to edged weapons by rolling back silly, ineffective, and unconstitutional bans on them.
A plot in Customs to redefine "switchblade" to include most pocket knives was defeated in Congress in 2009.
In the last few years, New Hampshire(2010, 2011), Utah(2011), and Arizona (2010) have removed most of the bans and restrictions on carrying edged instruments. Knive preemption, eliminating most local restrictions, was passed in Georgia in 2012, with a Missouri ban on switchblades repealed in the same year.
Now, in 2013, a vertible flurry of knife law reforms have been successful in the states.
Kansas started the year with a repeal of the ban on switchblades, dirks, daggers, and stilettos, and by enacting preemption legislation to do away with a patchwork of local laws that were impossible for any sane traveler to keep up with.
Alaska soon followed with a repeal of the ban on switchblades and statewide knife law preempiton.
Tennesee followed just a few days later with knife law preemption, and plans to repeal bans on switchblades and others next year.
In May, Indiana eliminated the state's ban on switchblades, with Texas to follow just a few days ago in June.
With the national focus on semi-automatic firearms, standard capacity magazines, and incipient national registration disguised as background checks, little attention has been focused on the success of much needed reforms on the carrying of edged weapons clearly protected by the Second Amendment.
Surprisingly, a reasonably fair article was published in Mother Jones, not know for its concerns about upholding the Constitution. Knife Rights even awarded the author, Richard Grant, with a Freedom's Voice award.
The passage of significant reforms in five states in the first half of 2013 indicates that times are right for rolling back infringements of the individual right to carry and use these time tested tools.
©2013 by Dean Weingarten Permission to share granted as long as this notice is included.
As a blade fan, one who has used a blade to scare off two wannabe muggers (separate occasions), I say ABOUT TIME!
I don’t know all the edged weapons that are being used in our current wars in the Middle East, but we do know that both knives and tomahawks have been used to kill the enemy in hand to hand combat.
I'm not entirely sure knives of that dimension would be particularly comfortable concealed carry pieces anyway. But my everyday carry knife is assisted-opening and so illegal in a number of states and cities (not mine, fortunately). Those were laws intended to disarm youth gangs in the 50's IIRC. And that is precisely what the "assault weapon" bans are - a cosmetic attempt to address a problem that doesn't exist that ends up cast in concrete.
Our martial arts instructor taught how to fight effectively with a ‘hawk. Made a believer out of me. The surprise extension of reach combined with the sudden terrible damage one can inflict with a good tomahawk has earned a place for one in my 72 hour kit. And other places.
I mistakenly put the wrong address in the source location. Here is the correct source address:
http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-second-front-on-second-amendment.html
I recall reading an article about the fatality rates for guns vs knives. IIRC knives were listed at 70% and handguns were in the mid 20’s. It makes sense because you will generally bleed out much quicker with a deep slash than you would with a bullet.
If you can find that link, we could use it for our arsenal.
That was before the advent of common usage of expanding bullets, the .357, 9mm, and .40.
If someone with a knife knows what they are doing, they can be extremely effective.
I see no comments about blackjacks (billies) or saps. Both are very effective. A little love tap on the clavicle and it breaks like a pretzel. Upside the head is lethal.
Laws limiting the carrying of knives have proliferated after the War between the States, and especially in the last half of the 20th century. Now a small but extremely effective organization is fighting to restore the Second Amendment protections to edged weapons by rolling back silly, ineffective, and unconstitutional bans on them.
Impact weapons are likely the oldest weapons next to hands, feet, and teeth. It is hard to see any form of reason such that they would not be protected.
Then again, "Progressives" are very good at ignoring reason, facts, and logic.
An article, and a trend, that’s sure to have America’s good little lock-stepping Liberals sh*tting blood.
But a long overdue development nevertheless.
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