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Will Scots give up their knives, too?
Valey Morning Star ^ | March 08, 2005

Posted on 03/08/2005 11:38:00 AM PST by SwinneySwitch

Scotland has long been thought of as a wild land, peopled by independent-minded warriors, herdsmen and farmers. For centuries, its remoteness has fostered the spirit of self-sufficiency and independence that brooked little interference from the outside world.

Scots fought many wars to safeguard their freedom. Who can forget Mel Gibson’s William Wallace shouting out the word "freedom" as he was being tortured to death in the closing scene of the movie, "Braveheart"?

Modern Scots, however, are seeing that spirit of freedom legislated away in favor of more state control of their lives.

Many Americans are aware of the strict gun-control laws in the United Kingdom, of which Scotland is a part. It’s nearly impossible for the average U.K. citizen to own a firearm, much less carry it for self-defense.

A couple of indicators seem to show the ban is doing its job but having unforeseen effects: violent home invasions are increasing because felons know the odds of encountering an armed homeowner are nil; and the number of knife murders are rising.

That last one is of particular concern to Scotland’s first minister, Jack McConnell. He’s trying to get legislation passed that would slap restrictions on knives and swords.

According to The Scotsman online newspaper, McConnell’s proposal would license shops selling non-household knives, ban the sale of swords, make it illegal to carry a knife or sword and double the sentence for carrying a knife to four years. Proponents of the measures point out that carrying a sgian dubh, a small knife tucked into the top of a stocking as part of traditional garb, would be exempt from the ban. Carrying most other knives, however, would be illegal.

Although it’s tempting to dismiss the proposal as a goofy response to a serious problem — violence — it must be taken seriously by defenders of an individual’s right to self-defense. Thomas Jefferson summed up that right in the Declaration of Independence: that men (and women) are born with "certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Implicit in those rights is the right to defend oneself from outside attack by other people or the government. It is that natural right of all men that McConnell’s idea attacks.

The Scotsman quoted McConnell as saying, "The sale of swords in Scotland today is fundamentally wrong. There can be no reason for people buying swords off the street for use or to have in their homes."

Sound familiar? It’s nearly word for word the same argument used in this country by those who would ban the sale and possession of firearms.

Will these people ever learn that the way to address violent crime is by taking and keeping felons off the street, not simply restricting the tools of their trade?

The United Kingdom’s experience with gun control shows that felons will simply change weapons when their favorite is outlawed. We wouldn’t be surprised to learn, should McConnell’s proposal become law, that Scottish thugs were carrying clubs and brass knuckles. What then?


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; US: Texas; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: bang; freedom; guncontrol; knives; scotland; swords
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To: eskimo
Even the slimy Brits

Scots are Brits, what they are not is English (or Welsh or Irish for that matter).

41 posted on 03/08/2005 3:39:34 PM PST by El Gato (Activist Judges can twist the Constitution into anything they want ... or so they think.)
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To: Luddite Patent Counsel
The explosive device might be effective, but not much use in close-quarters combat

It's used to prevent getting to close-quarters combat... and it's very effective.

42 posted on 03/08/2005 3:41:45 PM PST by El Gato (Activist Judges can twist the Constitution into anything they want ... or so they think.)
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To: El Gato

Cool. But you probably aren't getting either one of them on a commercial flight... ;-)


43 posted on 03/08/2005 4:01:43 PM PST by Luddite Patent Counsel ("Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others." - Groucho Marx)
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To: SwinneySwitch
Outlawing knives and swords.

Isn't that what fosterd the introduction of the longbow in the middle ages?

44 posted on 03/08/2005 4:07:54 PM PST by Balding_Eagle (God has blessed Republicans with really stupid enemies.)
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To: solitas

"If it's not Scottish, it's CRAP!

Michael Palin. And I didn't have to look it up. :)"



Actually, IIRC, it was Mike Myers who made that line famous on SNL.

But Michael Palin did play the Scot who won Wimbledon after defeating the dreaded blanc manges on Monty Python's Flying Circus.


45 posted on 03/08/2005 4:21:17 PM PST by AuH2ORepublican (Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.)
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To: Balding_Eagle

"Not the archers. My scouts tell me their archers are miles away and no threat to us. Arrows cost money. Use up the Irish. Their dead cost nothing." ~ Longshanks in Braveheart


46 posted on 03/08/2005 5:15:52 PM PST by SwinneySwitch (America, bless God!)
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To: solitas
Michael Myers in Saturday Night Live. A running bit where he ran a mall store called "All Things Scottish." His motto was ...

Maybe you did have to look it up... ;^)

47 posted on 03/09/2005 6:03:09 AM PST by Yo-Yo
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To: burlywood; El Gato
The Scots are Brits. I suppose you mean that perfidious tribe of effete fascists called the English?

Sorry, I guess I was just being facetious with respect to some personal experiences but you have eloquently stated what I often hear from some friends of Celtic descent.

48 posted on 03/09/2005 10:16:15 AM PST by eskimo
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To: SwinneySwitch
That quote just pissed me off when I first heard it. LOL.

That is until "I told you. It's MY island"......

49 posted on 03/09/2005 10:21:44 AM PST by Dan from Michigan (Cop: "I'm the only one in this room professional enough that I know to carry this Glock 40"...BOOM!)
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To: Fierce Allegiance; Salamander; Cogadh na Sith; Dubh_Ghlase; shibumi; sandbar; bperiwinkle7

Scots ping! sorry this took so long, I was in California getting to know mt girlfriend's family.


50 posted on 03/10/2005 5:02:01 PM PST by MacDorcha (When I say "democratic" I don't mean "Athenian Mob Rule")
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To: MacDorcha

The best blood that Scotland had to offer is now living on in the descendants of those that populated the ridges and valleys of the Appalachians.
When they cleared out the Highland "troublemakers" they left only the knee-benders and @ss-kissers.

There was once a time when I dearly desired to visit Ulster, the highlands of Scotland and Wales just to see the lands of my roots.

Not now.
*My* roots grow up through centuries of wiry, wary, clannish hillbilly kin buried here, VA, WV and TN.

The glory of the "lands of my ancestors" exists only in ancient myths.


[and swords...oh, aye, I got me a mickle amount of swords and daggers, mind ye]....;)







51 posted on 03/10/2005 6:36:36 PM PST by Salamander
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To: Salamander

I would so dearly love to hear you utter the "knee benders and @ss kissers" comment in a Glasgow pub


52 posted on 03/13/2005 4:12:01 AM PST by weegie
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To: followerofchrist
Scots hide knives under their kilts.

And other pointy things too, its been rumored...

53 posted on 03/13/2005 4:17:01 AM PST by Lurking2Long
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To: SwinneySwitch

No guns, no knives, how do they expect them to defend themselves? WITH SPITBALLS!
54 posted on 03/13/2005 4:21:49 AM PST by TheForceOfOne (Social Security – I thought pyramid schemes were illegal!)
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To: SwinneySwitch
The British, Australians, and Scotts become bigger sissified each day. Soon they will outlaw paper with sharp edges.
55 posted on 03/13/2005 4:29:18 AM PST by Modok
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To: weegie

Great fun would ensue no doubt. Unfortunantely, it has the sting of truth to it.


56 posted on 03/13/2005 4:32:40 AM PST by Modok
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To: Modok

Only if watching someone being ripped apart with broken beer glasses is your idea of fun


57 posted on 03/13/2005 4:47:20 AM PST by weegie
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To: weegie
Well now that does sound entertaining. Why don't they use their knives instead of broken beer glasses?
58 posted on 03/13/2005 4:54:33 AM PST by Modok
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To: weegie

Gee....I'm a 5' 3" 114 pound woman.
Do you think it would take a lot of "guts" for a barful of Scots men to kick my ass?
Would there be a lot of pride passed around when they were done?
Would the majority of them even be aware of the clan politics and double-dealings of 2 hundred years ago?

They've bowed to socialism, they've lost their independence [again], they've lost their guns and now they're about to lose their swords.
The fact that a mob of drunken men could easily beat me up has absolutely no bearing on how easily they've let the yoke of cultural slavery be slipped over their necks...again.

Maybe they'll re-outlaw the pipes and the plaids somehwere down the road. [nah...they've too much tourist appeal for that to happen]

In my state, they've been aggressively and relentlessly trying to take away the guns of the Scots/Irish/Welsh hillbillies for over 40 years but we've still got 'em.
We have no "sword laws" at all beyond generalized weaponry laws dictating that we not kill anybody with one.

Since this began with a "cyber p*ssing contest", I guess I should reciprocate by inviting you to make some inflammatory comment in any average hillbilly honky-tonk.


And just to fair, there are probably a lot of ballsy Scots left in Scotland.
Why they're doing nothing to put a stop to tyrannical acts against them is beyond me.
Personally, I want to know how the -Highland & Island- people feel about all this.


59 posted on 03/13/2005 8:49:06 AM PST by Salamander
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To: Modok

Touché.....;))

Better yet...why couldn't they just use a gun?

[how 'til beer is only served in non-lethal soft aluminum cans and paper cups?]


60 posted on 03/13/2005 8:54:23 AM PST by Salamander
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