Knife dealers in Scotland will need a licence under plans to tackle blade culture

telegraph.co.UK ^ | July 30, 2008 | Simon Johnson

[PROCON]

Dealers in non-domestic knives will be required to have a licence, under plans to tackle Scotland's blade culture Launching a consultation, Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice minister, said he was taking action to ensure the weapons do not fall into the wrong hands.

Measures could include keeping full descriptions of knives sold, along with detailed records of how a customer's age and identity were verified

But campaigners claimed the measures would be ineffective as yobs would simply switch to kitchen knives, while politicians called for tougher sentences.

Last month, it emerged Scots are twice as likely to be stabbed to death as people south of the Border - of the 73 murders committed in the Strathclyde Police area last year, 40 involved knives.

Knife crime in Scotland is now 3.5 times higher than in England and Wales and statistics show most blade-related violence is centred in the west of Scotland.

Glasgow has a homicide rate of 58.7 per million, the second highest in Western Europe behind Finland.

In 2007, 544 knife victims were hospitalised in Glasgow out of a total of 1,170 across Scotland, but the real figure is thought to be much higher.

Laws passed by the previous Labour-led Scottish Executive introduced the power to establish such a licensing scheme, and its SNP successor has decided to examine how this would work in practice.

[JaguarXKE]

Hoot mon!

[Radl]

They have lost their minds.

[popdonnelly]

“most blade-related violence is centred in the west of Scotland.”

The Wild West.

[mwilli20]

So when we were trying to be funny by asking them “What are you going to do next, ban knives?” far from shaming them, we were actually giving them ideas...

How sad...

[Ouderkirk]

To quote Archie Bunker

would you feel any better if they was tossed out windows?

First they ban guns. Now they want to restrict and ban knives. Eventually the UK will be taking a pill for nourishment as all sharp object will also be banned.

[agooga]

So much for Scotland’s proud heritage of the blade in bringing and keeping their liberty.

[4yearlurker]

Bench grinders are next. after all,some misguided yut might fashion a blade out of a butter knife,or lawn mower part,or......etc.

Carpenters,you are next.

[sionnsar]

Register your dirks and "sgian dubh"s?

Pipes and Drums of FreeRepublic ping!

This is an ultra-low-volume ping list (typically weeks to months between pings).
FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this list.

Going to the Games? Organize a Clan FReeper get-together!

[The Louiswu]

Mean while, in the very near future...

SPOON dealers in Scotland will need a licence under plans to tackle SPOON culture telegraph.co.UK ^ | July 30, 2009 | Simon Johnson Posted on July 30, 2008 1:40:54 PM EDT by PROCON

Dealers in non-domestic SPOONS will be required to have a licence, under plans to tackle Scotland's SPOON culture Launching a consultation, Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice minister, said he was taking action to ensure the SPOONS do not fall into the wrong hands.

Measures could include keeping full descriptions of SPOONS sold, along with detailed records of how a customer's age and identity were verified

But campaigners claimed the measures would be ineffective as yobs would simply switch to SPORKS.

Last month, it emerged Scots are twice as likely to be SPOONED to death as people south of the Border - of the 73 murders committed in the Strathclyde Police area last year, 40 involved SPOONS.

SPOON crime in Scotland is now 3.5 times higher than in England and Wales and statistics show most SPOON-related violence is centred in the west of Scotland.

Glasgow has a homicide rate of 58.7 per million, the second highest in Western Europe behind Finland.

In 2007, 544 SPOON victims were hospitalised in Glasgow out of a total of 1,170 across Scotland, but the real figure is thought to be much higher.

Laws passed by the previous Labour-led Scottish Executive introduced the power to establish such a licensing scheme, and its SNP successor has decided to examine how this would work in practice.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...

[Argus]

Will they enforce a thirty day waiting period before Angus can get his Ginsu?

[truthguy]

I never cease to be amazed at the people in Europe or the UK who cannot recognize what is happening to their civilization. Focusing on the knife rather than the behavior is what the problem is all about. Knives have been around forever and they never had this degree of violence so obviously the knife is not the problem. Where did the “blade culture” come about. I have carried some type of knife since the days when I was a Boy Scout and never have I been seduced into the dark world of “blade culture”. As an earlier post has declared, these people have lost their minds.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

"They may take our blades...but they will not take our Freedom!...no...wait...."

[ThanhPhero]

Construction supplies dealers in Wales will have to apply for special licenses to deal in wooden dowels and lengths of pipe in a new move in Parliament to deal with the Welsh club culture that has developed after all knives were successfully removed from the hands of the populace.

[Monkey Face]

Oy. Liberals suck.

[catbertz]

I just posted this in another thread, but I feel like repeating myself :)

I just can't comprehend the level of insanity over there. It's like bizarro world. I mean, you can make a knife/shiv out of anything.

Once the UK gets knife crimes under control, then what's next? Will they ban all sticks and clubs? I think a cricket bat would be a perfect weapon, and don't get me started on golf clubs. Hell the sport makes people crazy anyway. A perfect breeding ground for nutters with weapons.

[CowboyJay]

Next they will ban steaks as knife-paraphanelia?

[Kozak]

Yes, they have...

Theodore Dalrymple

Missing the Point

Banning sharp kitchen knives won’t cut Britain’s violent crime.

2 June 2005

Violent crime continues to increase in Britain, by 17 percent last year alone. Stabbing is particularly fashionable, and up to a quarter of British 16-year-olds now claim to carry knives whenever they leave home, and to be prepared to use them. That is apparently what the Scouting motto, “Be Prepared,” now means to British children.

An anxious editorial in the British Medical Journal, penned by three emergency room doctors, offers a partial solution to the problem: ban the sale of kitchen knives with pointed ends. ...

Missing the Point

[bill1952]

What about pointy sticks?

[SunkenCiv]

The next good idea? To combat the hooliganism culture by banning soccer.