I carry a knife at work, among co-workers whom many on the forum would consider 'liberal-leaning'. Except for one other guy who occasionally carries a knife (due to seeing me carrying and using one), not one other person there carries one. And not one person (including the two owners of the business) cares a whit when I pull out one of my knives, because there's always a reason why I'm doing it, and I've never made a big deal out of it. In the early years, if anyone asked me why I carried a knife, I merely pointed out what I was using it for (cutting straps, opening and breaking down boxes, etc.), and that it's more convenient than having to hunt down a pair of scissors. I even occasionally carry a large knife like the Spyderco Military or Police model, and nobody is afraid or even cares. It's common knowledge among my co-workers that I carry a knife, and that it's handy. Had I acted defensively or militant about it, things would have been quite different.
I've mentioned this before, but I've seen some knife people act all militant about their right to carry. Once in a gun shop, the young guy behind the counter was vigorously flipping a knife I had asked to see. He was flipping it so hard, at one point it almost flew out of his hand towards some customers browsing in the shop. They gave him a wary look. When I quietly mentioned that maybe he shouldn't flick it so hard, he angrily said (I'm paraphrasing, but this is the gist): "I have the legal right to do whatever the hell I want with a knife. If anybody has a problem with it, they can go ____ themselves."
Sadly, he isn't the only knife person I've seen like that. Being militant about the right to carry a knife will not win those who don't carry over to your side. In fact, quite the opposite. They'll think that you (and by extension, anybody else who carries a knife) is a nut job. It's the same as angrily shooting one's self in the foot in order to prove gun safety.
Rather than having a chip on one's shoulder or feeling superior about it, how about leading by quiet example? When others see that a pocketknife has useful purposes other than going all Freddie Krueger on them, some just may change their minds, if they were anti-pocketknife or neutral on the matter. Or maybe not. But at least they'll have seen a positive example, and that'll be in the backs of their minds, even if they never choose to carry a knife themselves.
Jim
I've mentioned this before, but I've seen some knife people act all militant about their right to carry. Once in a gun shop, the young guy behind the counter was vigorously flipping a knife I had asked to see. He was flipping it so hard, at one point it almost flew out of his hand towards some customers browsing in the shop. They gave him a wary look. When I quietly mentioned that maybe he shouldn't flick it so hard, he angrily said (I'm paraphrasing, but this is the gist): "I have the legal right to do whatever the hell I want with a knife. If anybody has a problem with it, they can go ____ themselves."
Sadly, he isn't the only knife person I've seen like that. Being militant about the right to carry a knife will not win those who don't carry over to your side. In fact, quite the opposite. They'll think that you (and by extension, anybody else who carries a knife) is a nut job. It's the same as angrily shooting one's self in the foot in order to prove gun safety.
Rather than having a chip on one's shoulder or feeling superior about it, how about leading by quiet example? When others see that a pocketknife has useful purposes other than going all Freddie Krueger on them, some just may change their minds, if they were anti-pocketknife or neutral on the matter. Or maybe not. But at least they'll have seen a positive example, and that'll be in the backs of their minds, even if they never choose to carry a knife themselves.
Jim
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