Does anyone else think the UK knife ban is getting out of hand?

Question

I can see their reasoning, less knives less knife attacks, but does anyone else feel it is a huge blow to our freedom that we are not allowed to carry around a small piece of metal that is used as a tool? Even craft knives are illegal to carry and I think it is awful.

If you haven't heard a builder was recently arrested for carrying the knife of his trade that he has carried for decades. He is literally a Grandpa.

Answer 1

Look I live in Australia and it is well out of hand here with the ban. A 14 year old child fishing with his father is not legally allowed to handle the fishing knife to cut bait, scale or gut the fish, free his line from a snare or peel the apple he brought with him!

Now that is out of control and it will probably get the same way there. you cannot stigmatise all young people because some young people commit crimes. And the asker is quite right when he says that you cannot claim that only young people (or even primarily young people) are responsible for knife attacks.

Young people are in fact much more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators of it. Tragically the people they are most likely to experience that violence from is their parents or a close family member.

It is a shame that our repective governments are not paying more attention to that.

Answer 2

i know growing up we all had knives,but times are different now,the fear instilled in some,and the type of situation they find themselves,they don't have fist fights any more,its dangerous times as the news constantly remind us and the rising increase in attacks with knives and deaths,and a lot of the time innocent people are dying needlessly,fair enough it is possible to use your discretion,especially in the case you say,grandpa,work etc,you could stab some one with a pen,regardless,its still not a weapon unless being used as one,they are bringing in and changing a lot of things and they are doing it in such a way some we cant even see,and once they are in that's it,peAce,i think it will get a lot worse before it gets better,

Answer 3

Thats rubbish, the knife laws don't affect people carrying knives for their tade or if its required for some other legitimate means( i.e tradesmen,shelfstackers,Scotsmen(who wear the proper dress kilt).

It is more than likely that the cops who stoppped him were ignorant(and also cluless aboot the law).

It reminds me of an article in todays paper when a man jogging home from Shinty practise was stopped by the police cause he was his shinty stick with him and they accused him of carrying an offensive weapon, It is these ignorant police officers who should be reprimanded for their gross stupidity and lack of common sense they are no better than the wee chav morons who think their hard cause they carry a knife.

Answer 4

"I can see their reasoning, less knives less knife attacks"

They said the same thing about guns. The criminals are still going to commit crimes, and if their prefered tool isn't availible they'll just use something else. Banning tools doesn't stop the criminals who simply substitute one item for another. Here's a simple way to curb "Knife crime" (note how they've now changed "gun" to "knife" despite originaly saying that it was guns that were the problem, hmmm....mabey...it's the criminals that are the problem, and not the tool used?) is to allow law abiding citizens to cary personal firearms. After a few knife wielding attackers end up dead the others will get the clue that.....mabey.....not a smart thing to do. ;-) As Kurdis P said what's next, bans on glass bottles, clubs, sticks.....?

- David

Answer 5

You know, when the UK banned the private ownership of guns years ago there was a joke here in the US that knives would be the next thing banned in the UK.

Sadly, it's not a joke anymore!

Many are repeating the same excuses that were used to get rid of guns. From my view, you need to stop the insanity of "Political Correctness" that has taken over the UK and deal with violent people in a swift and harsh manner. The message that violence aganist someone will not be tolerated and you will be removed from society if you do so.  

Because right now it looks like the Inmates are running the asylum over there.

Answer 6

Better safe than sorry.

At least something is being done. Maybe you have better suggestions.

Answer 7

you would feel differently if you lost a loved one to a knife attack !

Answer 8

I don't mind these scrotes killing each other its the innocent ones that get in they way that upsets me.

Answer 9

I am not aware of any knife ban on the streets of the UK. The legal position is the same as it was two weeks ago, a month ago, six months ago.

What are you talking about?

xx VP

Answer 10

If someone is intent on killing someone they will. you could easily kill a person with your bare hands.

the weapons may make it easier but we need to look at the people who commit these crimes not the weapons they use, Geez how can we blame and inanimate object for anything?

should we ban cars because people drink drive and kill people with them?

Answer 11

I see your point and agree with you in some respects.

However, my life is more important to me then that small amount of 'freedom' I have lost by not carrying a knife that I never carried in the first place.

I'm sure the majority of people would agree that a small loss of freedom is better then a big loss of life.

Answer 12

Obviously the ban is the only solution.

Since the UK banned guns no one has been shot.

I'm not from the UK but I basically agree on a ban on all dangerous or potentially dangerous items is the best way to prevent behaviour. A ban on gasoline rags and glass bottles should be next. Followed by a ban on sporting equipment.

Also there should be a ban on speech that is capable of hurting someone's feelings.

Answer 13

These new rules are totally out of hand. There is a huge difference between someone carrying a knife to injure someone and some who needs it for a job etc. But then again the UK government would like to ban everything!

Answer 14

Given the amount of people killed this year then no. If you have a genuine reason to have one there's no problem.Do you really need a craft knife at the pub for example.

Answer 15

Yes. It's caused by hysteria. Instead of banning the tools of violence, we should be encouraging kids to express themselves in different ways.

In fact, we should spending our resources reducing deaths in other areas such as road accidents, which kill far more people.

Answer 16

I think the Law did a good job to take people to prison if they are caught with a knife, because even if YOU are not thinking of murdering someone, someone else might be.

I think this knife crimeis getting out of hand so the Law is confused because they dont know what to do either, and they find putting knife carriers to prison could solve it all, it woldnt, all it could do is maybe decrease.

Answer 17

No. I don't see how else we can stop little gobshites walking around tooled up.

Answer 18

Pencils and pens will be next ... just as soon as everything is converted to touch screens.