Knife Lovers seen as Monsters

I live in Taiwan as well and have to say that I totally disagree with just about everything you say.

You will find that people have already totally forgotten about the MRT stabbing and have gone back to their lives. All the ASP batons, silly spray and other stuff that was bought in a blustering panic is at the botton of a bag or in a drawer somewhere.... I see everything here. I find it hilarious that every assault after the fact is now a "copycat" attack, keep that big bubbling pot of fear boiling over, eh ? :rolleyes: There are stabbings, shootings, beatings and punchups every day here, they are not "copycat attacks".

I regularly meet people in public and have a knife related show and tells. I sat with a fellow forumite just a few weeks ago in the middle of San-sia town drinking coffee and playing with knives from minitures to Sebenzas to 12" dirks. We were not even noticed nevermind carted away by the cops. You are spreading the classic fear mongering nonsense and need to actually look at the reality of what is going on and not parrot what you heard somwhere.

Japanese swords are illegal largly because of political reasons but any sword that has a handle long enough to hold with two hands has to be licenced to import. Gangsters do not run about with katanas and the few "blue lanterns" that do feel they have to prove themselves alegedly use the classic watermelon knife, although that is a myth IMO. There are far, far more baseball bats and axe handles in the trunks of cars and under scooter seats than anything else, believe me. ;)

Sorry to be so massively blunt here but this sort of nonsense really needs put to bed right away with big whack of reality. :)


Quiff said:
I'm a Taiwanese and I live in Taipei.
Compare to most parts of the world,
this is a rather safe country/city.

And the knife laws here are pretty tolerant too,
with no restrict on blade lengths whatsoever,
as long as you don't open carry a big fixed blade around,
you won't get into trouble.

The government mainly bans samurai swords and double-edged knives,
for samurai swords are the common weapon for local gangsters.

But since May, everything changed.

A 21 yr old college student started a random mass killing on a subway train.
In the tunnels, between stations, the passengers had nowhere to hide.
With two fruit knives in his hands,
he killed 4 people, and injured another 24.

[video=youtube;Ugn6aR1VuZ0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugn6aR1VuZ0[/video]

Here is the actual footage on that train,
filmed by the survivors at the scene.
Be careful, for there is bloody image.

After the tragic incident,
every Taiwanese become scared to the sight of any person with a knife on them.

An innocent lady cutting fruits on a train were reported to the police and taken away immediately.
A high school student who bought a cheap fruit knife in the city,
and went home on a train with the knife, was reported also.

Pepper sprays sold out everywhere,
and there are even more than 5 copycat random stabbings since then,
where all the suspects don't know their victims at all,
and were not after their money.

Before this incident,
I can show my knives to friends outdoors, in a fast food restaurant,
and not a single person will freak out with the sight of knives,
even though there isn't a knife culture in this country.

After May,
I don't ever dare to do that again.
There were even talks to ban knives on subways.

I don't know the wound in our society will ever heal again,
and compare to the loss of that tragic incident,
a little inconvenient and bias for us knife lovers is definitely nothing.

Just a little sentimental for those who use knives on the wrong path.
Click to expand...
 
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Haze said:
I live in Taiwan as well and have to say that I totally disagree with just about everything you say.

You will find that people have already totally forgotten about the MRT stabbing and have gone back to their lives. All the ASP batons, silly spray and other stuff that was bought in a blustering panic is at the botton of a bag or in a drawer somewhere.... I see everything here. I find it hilarious that every assault after the fact is now a "copycat" attack, keep that big bubbling pot of fear boiling over, eh ? :rolleyes: There are stabbings, shootings, beatings and punchups every day here, they are not "copycat attacks".

I regularly meet people in public and have a knife related show and tells. I sat with a fellow forumite just a few weeks ago in the middle of San-sia town drinking coffee and playing with knives from minitures to Sebenzas to 12" dirks. We were not even noticed nevermind carted away by the cops. You are spreading the classic fear mongering nonsense and need to actually look at the reality of what is going on and not parrot what you heard somwhere.

Japanese swords are illegal largly because of political reasons but any sword that has a handle long enough to hold with two hands has to be licenced to import. Gangsters do not run about with katanas and the few "blue lanterns" that do feel they have to prove themselves alegedly use the classic watermelon knife, although that is a myth IMO. There are far, far more baseball bats and axe handles in the trunks of cars and under scooter seats than anything else, believe me. ;)

Sorry to be so massively blunt here but this sort of nonsense really needs put to bed right away with big whack of reality. :)
Click to expand...

Well, first I have to say that Sanxia isn't a really big town and pretty far away from the city,
so I have no idea what the public feels about knives over there.
You can try to show your knives out in the public here in Taipei,
or Banqiao (a district nearby Taipei), where the stabbing took place,
or on subway trains, and find out the reactions yourself.

Just as I believe people will react to knives very differently in Texas and in New York.

And I don't see how posting on a English knife forum about an incident in Taiwan, can spread fear in US or Taiwan.
Most BladeForums users don't live in Taiwan,
plus they all have a pretty good sense about knives and how to use them already,
how could I make they fear about knives or knife people?

I don't know what good it will do me either.

I myself is a knife person,
don't own a Sebenza yet, but do own 70-80 knives,
from Busse, Strider, ZT LEs, LionSteel, several $300 range customs,
to ZT normal editions, Spydercos, Benchmades, SAKs, Opinels and many many more.
I constantly give out knives to close friends as birthday presents,
and wish the whole society can treat knife people in a right way.
Why would I want to spread fear about knives?

There are several random stabbings happened in Taipei & Banqiao alone in the following month and half,
all done by knives, all not robberies, perpetrators don't know the victims before in all cases,
which is not common here in Taiwan;
I think they can be classified as copycat crimes all right.

Speaking about gangsters and samurai swords,
well yes, baseball bats, watermelon knives and machetes are definitely more popular,
but the government can't ban them, can they?
So they ban the knives that are lack of a proper use instead,
such as samurai swords (a favorite of motorcycle gangs), daggers & push knives (double edged knives) etc.
It is written in the law that these type of knives are strictly forbidden.

I did previously mentioned the paranoia has died down a bit,
but I don't think it will ever go away.
It will never be the same.
 
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It will never go away if you keep it going like you did in your original post. ;) It went back to the same about 2 or 3 weeks after the stabbing, right after the police stopped the visible presence.....

I spend lots of time in Taipei and carry knives as well as a baton as part of my EDC, I have never had any problems or funny looks, I get more people staring because they are seeing a foreigner for real. :rolleyes:
I meet friends most Fridays for tea and knives in Taipei so I'm sorry but you are just talking out the top of your head. The scooter gangs are also a myth, the stories in the north are all about the south and stories in the south are all about the north, it doesn't happen as far as I have seen in the nearly 9 years Ive lived here. You are just buying into the standard nonsense about katanas and gang etc, stop believeing everything you hear. I'm sorry, but you being Taiwanese you should make more effort to know the inns and outs of your own laws and what is actually real or not.

Quiff said:
Well, first I have to say that Sanxia isn't a really big town and pretty far away from the city,
so I have no idea what the public feels about knives over there.
You can try to show your knives out in the public here in Taipei,
or Banqiao (a district nearby Taipei), where the stabbing took place,
or on subway trains, and find out the reactions yourself.

Just as I believe people will react to knives very differently in Texas and in New York.

And I don't see how posting on a English knife forum about an incident in Taiwan, can spread fear in US or Taiwan.
Most BladeForums users don't live in Taiwan,
plus they all have a pretty good sense about knives and how to use them already,
how could I make they fear about knives or knife people?
I don't know what good it will do me either.

There are several random stabbings happened in Taipei & Banqiao alone in the following month and half,
all done by knives, all not robberies, perpetrators don't know the victims before in all cases,
which is not common here in Taiwan;
I think they can be classified as copycat crimes all right.

Speaking about gangsters and samurai swords,
well yes, baseball bats, watermelon knives and machetes are definitely more popular,
but the government can't ban them, can they?
So they ban the knives that are lack of a proper use instead,
such as samurai swords (a favorite of motorcycle gangs), daggers & push knives (double edged knives) etc.
It is written in the law that these type of knives are strictly forbidden.

I did previously mentioned the paranoia has died down a bit,
but I don't think it will ever go away.
It will never be the same.
Click to expand...
 
Haze said:
It will never go away if you keep it going like you did in your original post. ;) It went back to the same about 2 or 3 weeks after the stabbing, right after the police stopped the visible presence.....

I spend lots of time in Taipei and carry knives as well as a baton as part of my EDC, I have never had any problems or funny looks, I get more people staring because they are seeing a foreigner for real. :rolleyes:
I meet friends most Fridays for tea and knives in Taipei so I'm sorry but you are just talking out the top of your head. The scooter gangs are also a myth, the stories in the north are all about the south and stories in the south are all about the north, it doesn't happen as far as I have seen in the nearly 9 years Ive lived here. You are just buying into the standard nonsense about katanas and gang etc, stop believeing everything you hear. I'm sorry, but you being Taiwanese you should make more effort to know the inns and outs of your own laws and what is actually real or not.
Click to expand...

I respect your own experience,
though I certainly don't feel that way.

Just want to clear up something,
the special police patrol that the government put on the subway trains after the incident,
just to show the public they are doing something to prevent this to happen again?
They haven't disappeared,
there are 589 policemen patrolling on Taipei subway trains everyday.
Actual numbers taken from the city council.
 
I'm not looking to argue "facts" with you. We obviously have rather different experiences of the same places for some reason. You are a knife person and that is a good thing but don't go talking like the non knife people here do. You should really know better. :)

As for the police, well, I'm laughing let's just leave it at that......

Quiff said:
I respect your own experience,
though I certainly don't feel that way.

Just want to clear up something,
the special police patrol that the government put on the subway trains after the incident,
just to show the public they are doing something to prevent this to happen again?
They haven't disappeared,
there are 589 policemen patrolling on Taipei subway trains everyday.
Actual numbers taken from the city council.
Click to expand...
 
Quiff, I hope you are well. Thank you very much for this post. Reminds us why we have to keep fighting for the 2nd Amendment rights we have here. Thanks again
 
jackknife said:
The solution of someone who goes out and deliberately takes another life for any reason, And I don't believe in the insanity defense, is to hang the sunofab----. Or whatever the capital punishment is in that country. Hanging, beheading, gas chamber, firing squad. As long as people can commit murder and get off on less than a capital punishment, this will keep on happening. The knife didn't leap up into that mans hand and force him to kill those people. No more than the gun made Adam Lanza kill those school children. We are letting too many grow up with no sense of personal responsibility, or the repercussions of a lack of.
Click to expand...

Study after study confirms that
a) Capital punishment has never been shown to have a deterrent value in any jurisdiction.
b) Capital punishment always gets applied disproportionately to the poor and racial minorities.
c) Capital punishment is always more expensive in total costs than life imprisonment.

I know its more fun to shake your first at the monitor and say that they should be beheaded, but honestly, this is question that doesn't even get past your local High School debate club. The only reason we still have it because of public fear and outrage and politicians who like to leverage that into a "get tough on crime" image, that ultimately leads to state sponsored killing that doesn't stop crime, is mostly applied to people who don't look you and me and costs a fortune.

But I have a problem with nitwit politicians who think outlawing an inanimate object will solve the problem. Anyone can grind a point on a piece of metal and stab someone. They do it in prison everyday under the noses of guards. But I guess it's easier than to admit you have a people problem in your society.
Click to expand...

No, obviously you prefer nitwit politicians who promise that they will stop crime by killing more people.

This thread, sadly, isn't about knives or even capital punishment. It's about the sad and disturbing phenomena of mass killing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_murder#Mass_murder_by_individuals

If the moderators think it's possible for a constructive discussion about the root causes and cures for mass killing can and should take place on this forum, then let's have a go of it. Otherwise, please shut this thread down.
 
pinnah said:
Study after study confirms that
a) Capital punishment has never been shown to have a deterrent value in any jurisdiction.
b) Capital punishment always gets applied disproportionately to the poor and racial minorities.
c) Capital punishment is always more expensive in total costs than life imprisonment.

I know its more fun to shake your first at the monitor and say that they should be beheaded, but honestly, this is question that doesn't even get past your local High School debate club. The only reason we still have it because of public fear and outrage and politicians who like to leverage that into a "get tough on crime" image, that ultimately leads to state sponsored killing that doesn't stop crime, is mostly applied to people who don't look you and me and costs a fortune.



No, obviously you prefer nitwit politicians who promise that they will stop crime by killing more people.

This thread, sadly, isn't about knives or even capital punishment. It's about the sad and disturbing phenomena of mass killing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_murder#Mass_murder_by_individuals

If the moderators think it's possible for a constructive discussion about the root causes and cures for mass killing can and should take place on this forum, then let's have a go of it. Otherwise, please shut this thread down.
Click to expand...

There are a few obvious problems with a, b, and c that you posted but as this isn't some political discussion and it has no place here, I think it's best not to raise them here. If you feel like having a private discussion about it all sometime, I'd enjoy hearing your thoughts in greater detail. Take care.
 
RedLynx said:
There are a few obvious problems with a, b, and c that you posted but as this isn't some political discussion and it has no place here, I think it's best not to raise them here. If you feel like having a private discussion about it all sometime, I'd enjoy hearing your thoughts in greater detail. Take care.
Click to expand...

This is correct. Keep the political crap out of the discussion, or take it to the Political Arena.
 
B34NS said:
Pretty sure if he was a knife lover, he isn't anymore.
Click to expand...

The OP? That might not necessarily be true. Plenty of ladies have broken my poor heart, and I still love the group in general. ;)

(Just trying to lighten the mood here. :p)
 
RedLynx said:
The OP? That might not necessarily be true. Plenty of ladies have broken my poor heart, and I still love the group in general. ;)

(Just trying to lighten the mood here. :p)
Click to expand...

LOL! Indeed.

In summary, almost anything can be used as a weapon. The objects themselves are inanimate and will not injure, kill, or otherwise destroy anything on their own. In the hands of some imbecile with too much time on their hands, no conscience, no sense of wrong or right, that is where the problems come in. The type of argument is a couple different logical fallacies rolled into one, more often than not used by the media. It's a classic appeal to emotion, false cause, and a bit of slippery slope thrown in as a binding agent.i'm more afraid of people that willingly choose to abandon their own common sense than I am of a knife/weapon itself. :rolleyes:
 
need stronger mental health laws-- you should be able to report someone talking about violence to people, maybe this knife kid had dropped hints of his behavior --just like the elliot guy and those two cop killers in LV, people always drop hints they are about to lose it.
 
RevDevil said:
LOL! Indeed.

In summary, almost anything can be used as a weapon. The objects themselves are inanimate and will not injure, kill, or otherwise destroy anything on their own. In the hands of some imbecile with too much time on their hands, no conscience, no sense of wrong or right, that is where the problems come in. The type of argument is a couple different logical fallacies rolled into one, more often than not used by the media. It's a classic appeal to emotion, false cause, and a bit of slippery slope thrown in as a binding agent.i'm more afraid of people that willingly choose to abandon their own common sense than I am of a knife/weapon itself. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

This (bolded part) is actually where I was thinking of going with my career before I went on to education. I still study this sort of thing as a hobby though. For a person to be so totally different in their brain chemistry, in the way they think, that they can really have not only no sense of right or wrong, which could be instilled by society, but no conscience whatsoever, which is usually just... there. Not everyone has the same or the best of consciences, but most of us have one. For that to be so totally absent... it's morbidly fascinating in a way.
 
No the guy weilding the knife :rolleyes:

Whatever happened to kids assaulting people with spitballs.
 
B34NS said:
No the guy weilding the knife :rolleyes:

Whatever happened to kids assaulting people with spitballs.
Click to expand...

Kids are real MEN now, they don't just use spitballs, they take it to a whole new level of AWESOME right away! ;)
 
I don't think I heard about this incident before. That is pretty bad. Someone mentioned the guy wanted to die. I always hate when suicidal people take others with them.
When I first read the OP, I was thinking of the coordinated knife attack in China where they killed over 30 people. That was messed up.

What were they saying in the video? They were repeating the same thing the whole time. That is pretty crazy that someone actually recorded it. I would have been trying to find something to use as a weapon, if I didn't have one with me.


I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I can't help but think that the "umbrella guy" could have used one of The Penguin's 'special' umbrellas.
602px-BR025.jpg
 
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