FL's "common pocketknife" may be going byebye

[Menocu]

The sheriff of Orange county is meeting with local lawmakers today to try to have "common pocketknives" classified as "weapons" because of a single fatal stabbing. Yes, it's a tragedy.. but this is pretty excessive and also lacking the common sense to understand "criminals don't obey the law"

Specifically the Sheriff is looking to have the law treat a SAK the same as a gun in terms of jail time if someone is found with one on school property. (ie not suspension/expulsion from school, but felony jail time)

And we all know that a poorly written law can have a much wider effect than was originally intended. If they fudge up an already unecessary law, it could just have a blanket effect of redefining "weapon" to include things like SAKs and other non-locking, short blades throughout the state and not just on school grounds. No biggie for me or anyone else with a CCW permit, but should you really have to go through the trouble of getting such a permit to carry a simple tool that is as likely to cut you as your "victim" if you use it as a weapon?

In any case, I think this is something to keep an eye on as it progresses. Hopefully it won't go far.. and if it must.. hopefully they'll make it VERY specific to schools only. I should note that I don't have any kids and am completely out of touch with how those on this board who do might feel on the issue of traditional pocket knives on school grounds. I'd definitely be interested to see what people with kids in these schools think.

 

[Chipperman]

Sad. I don't live in FL, but I do have kids.

I used to carry a pocket knife in school every day. I don't recall any piles of bloody corpses piling up around me.
I would feel a lot better if qualified teachers and principals were able to carry guns in school, nevermind stupid knife laws.

 

[soa]

I'm sorry to see such a thing happening in the US.

 

[trekon86]

Same here....
If any of those lawmakers had ever had to use a knife for opening, say, a packet of food or something, or to cut cord, they would realize that knives in general, SAKs even more so, are not weapons......unless you must use them as such. Besides, whoever heard of a Swiss Army Knife being used as a weapon? Pretty useless for that purpose. I say that if you are from FL and don't want to have such stupidity inserted into your state law, you should go out and vote if you aren't already--try to get these anuses off the school boards and off the lists of governmental candidates. Liberals were never suited for managing the education of our younger generations anyway.
And if they are having troubles with kids knifing each other with SAKs during school hours, they should (a) confiscate the knife, (b) smack the kid/lock the kid up, and (c) tell the kid's parents that they won't put up with that kind of crap and if they don't want to have major lawsuits on their hands, the kid's parents should educate him/her and teach them the proper uses of pocketknives. Laying the consequences of one dickwad's actions on all of school districts in any state is extraordinarily redundant and pointless--and sure to arouse antipathy against the US school systems in general.
PMZ

 

[cb4life_30]

What he said... It is truely becoming a sad day in the US when Congressmen are bad mouthing are troops and the SAK and other similar cutting tools are being considered weapons of mass destruction. Instead of educating todays youth on the usefulness of such tools we rely on the media, video games and other conspiracy theroists to depict these tools as nothing but weapons used to injure kill or mame. Will somebody please stop the madness!!!

 

[dr g]

It is truely becoming a sad day in the US when Congressmen are bad mouthing are troops

Didn't happen ... there seem to be a couple of other forums more appropriate for this kind of casual cheapshot regardless.

 

[sevenedges]

That is simply stupid. If someone carries a knife and uses it for constructive purposes what's the big deal? I had a shotgun at age 9. My first knife earlier than that. I understand it is in school, but sending some possibly bright, young kid to jail for a knife he uses as a tool is not right. I am all for punishing people who attack, rob, kill, ect. innocent people to the fullest extent of the law. But not a kid in school who is'nt doing anything wrong but carrying a tool. Punishment doesn't fit the crime anymore and i'm getting sick of it. I have a ccw also but how long till those are long gone? try to get one in Cali.

 

[infrared]

Here in Pennsylvania knife laws are pretty vague,except in the case of school property where it is illegal to have a knife on school grounds,or on your person(vehicle)going either to or from a school(?)unless you are using it for a school demonstration(if I understand it correctly).The term "any knife" would imply in my opinion a SAK,Leatherman-even a micra.As near as I can tell I can use,own or possess anything(it would seem even concealed as I found nothing to say otherwise)other than an auto(unless as a curio)and except upon school grounds.I've longed past school days and honestly I don't see a problem with the law as it seems in PA that most of the law revolves around the 'context' or 'situation'=obviously I would expect a LEO to use their discretion if someone was brandishing a knife a 2am in the middle of a street but not so much if they just happened to see a clip on my pocket at 2pm. On school grounds I think the childern should just have it taken away-jail time seems too much-unless they used it as a weapon.An adult who has no business on the school property to begin with-should just walk around the school and avoid the situation.

 

[hlee]

One should note that these laws (at least in Texas and considering firearms) encompass "school zones" and not just "school grounds." So, technically, driving through a school zone with a prohibited item is against the law. Try living in the city and routing your next hunting trip around all school zones. Don't get stopped for a traffic violation in a school zone carrying your SAK if this law passes.

As someone who carried a SAK in school, and only 11 years removed from highschool, there is no need for kids to carry any knife in school (weapon or not). There is arguably no need for teachers and administrators to carry knives either. I can't remember ever needing mine for anything. It was just part of my keyring. Of course a vic tinker is right on the ragged edge of keyring material. Almost everything that is packaged and sold these days is designed to be unrapped without the aid of a knife, food packages included. I carry a BM mini grip daily and the vast, vast majority of its duty is cutting cuticles and keeping my nails short and clean. Keep knives and guns out of schools. The last thing we need is a stressed out history teacher with a glock.

Is jail time over the top? Confiscation doesn't really work. I have a friend that was a vice principle and his hunting knives consisted exclusively of those knives confiscated at his high school. He had a big box full of them. Gave plenty away, and that box was always full. My wife is a high school teacher. Detention doesn't work. The only ones who show are typically first (and generally only) time offenders. Referals don't work. Suspension is rewarding bad behavior. Expulsion is punishing the parents (rightly or not) and the new school that the kid has to go to. Fines are punishing the parents.

Maybe jail time is a good remedy. Away from school but not really a vacation from school, lets the offender know what is in store if he/she continues to break rules/laws, gets the bad seed out of class for a few days/weeks, gives the teachers and other students a break. Remember that for the most part we are not talking about the "honor role-straight A-head cheerleader-jock-class president" type kids. More like the "no respect for anybody-nothing to lose-social misfit-gangsta-future resident of cell block D-selling crack on the corner-Columbine" type kids. Maybe a class treasurer or second string post will get caught in the net, but they new the rules (and the punishments) and actively broke them. So long as the law is written well (like that will happen), maybe it is a workable remedy.