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Knife Rights News Slice eBlast - August 29, 2011
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Dog Days of Summer Busy at Knife Rights
We want all those affected by Irene this past weekend to know our thoughts and prayers are with you as you work to get your lives back to normal. When viewing the damage Irene has left in its wake, it just reinforces how important knives and edged tools are to our survival and recovery after any disaster.
It may be the dog days of summer, but unlike some people who have been playing golf, for us here at Knife Rights there's been plenty of work to do. We have been working non-stop all summer on both our Federal Civil Rights lawsuit against New York City and the New York District Attorney, as well as on our legislative efforts for next session.
In New York City, honest citizens are still being arrested on the streets and subways for carrying perfectly legal knives. In one particularly outrageous case an electrician was arrested standing on the front step of the home he was working at with his knife in his tool belt. He joined another person in the back seat of an unmarked police car that had been arrested for a so-called "illegal knife" just down the street. Our legal team is currently assisting a number of these victims even as our civil rights lawsuit is slowly moving forward.
Never carry your knife in New York City clipped to your pocket. Even when covered by a jacket, simply moving the jacket aside to get to a wallet has been enough to get folks arrested. Always ensure your knife is completely concealed at all times. If you are arrested for possession of an "illegal knife" in New York, please contact Knife Rights at: nycity@KnifeRights.org
The lawsuit to stop this persecution of honest New Yorkers carrying perfectly legal knives, filed in June, is at its early stages and proceeds apace. As to our legislative agenda, including our National Knife Law Preemption Campaign, we are working on numerous states to either pre-file bills for next session or line up sponsors to file at the earliest opportunity. We are laying the groundwork for a record breaking legislative year.
We cannot do all this without your support. As we have said before, FREEDOM IS NOT FREE. Your contributions are needed more than ever. Please support Knife Rights with a Contribution!
Meanwhile, we hope to see many of you at two events coming up. Please stop by the Knife Rights booth/table and say hello:
Usual Suspects Network Gathering in Las Vegas, NV, September 2-3
Knifemakers' Guild Show in Louisville, KY, September 15-18
Below you will find some news items that may be of interest. If you were signed up for our Twitter feed or Liked our Facebook page, you'd already have read about these by now. Twitter and Facebook are the first places you'll read news from Knife Rights.
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Zero Tolerance - Zero Commonsense
A Chicago public school teacher has been charged with weapons violations after he displayed garden-variety tools he uses around the classroom, including wrenches, screwdrivers, a box cutter, a 2.25" pocketknife, and pliers as part of a second grade teaching curriculum that required a "tool discussion."
Despite the fact that all potentially hazardous items were kept out of the students' reach, school officials at Washington Irving Elementary School informed Doug Bartlett, a 17-year veteran in the classroom, that his use of the tools as visual aids endangered his students. Bartlett now faces disciplinary action and possible termination. The Rutherford Institute, a civil rights organization is coming to Barlett's defense. They have warned the school that disciplinary action under these circumstances could constitute a violation of Bartlett's Fourteenth Amendment right to due process. The Institute's attorneys are demanding that the school halt the disciplinary proceedings against Bartlett. We are not surprised by anything anymore from the bureaucrats in Chicagoland. Incidents like this makes Knife Rights mission even more critical.
More details about this outrageous violation of teacher Bartlett's civil rights can be found at: http://bit.ly/n6A6pt
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Boston City Councilors Propose Licensing Knife Retailers
As previously reported, the Massachusetts legislature was looking at proposing a law that would make purchasing a knife nearly as difficult as purchasing a firearm, which to date has not gained any traction in part due to Knife Rights' efforts. Now, anti-knife activists have turned to the city of Boston. Two Boston members of the City Council have proposed that knife retailers be licensed in a purported effort to prevent sales of knives to minors.
As noted in the article linked below, existing Boston law already prohibits knives with a blade two inches or longer from being sold to anyone under age 18. A number of stores were fined as a result of a recent sting operation for illegally selling knives to underage persons.
Knife Rights has a representative on the ground in Massachusetts and will be monitoring this proposed ordinance in case it grows legs. There is no indication that there has been any factual connection made between violence committed with knives in the city and these retailers, or that licensing would actually help the situation any more than simply enforcing the existing law on the books.
Video: www.bit.ly/p0TUmg
Article: http://bo.st/qBwsaZ
Your membership and support allows Knife Rights to oppose efforts such as this to restrict our freedoms. If you are not yet a member, please join Knife Rights and encourage your friends to join today!
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Knifemakers and Knife Owners Beware?
Can you document where that wood, bone, horn or other natural materials used in your knives came from and that it is legal to use and own in compliance with the Lacey Act? One of the more insidious Federal laws on the books, its initial scope was to combat trafficking in illegally taken wildlife. In 2008 the Act was amended to extend this protection to prohibit all trade in plant and plant products (wood included) that are illegally sourced, both in the U.S.or from foreign countries. Enforcement with regards to the new materials covered has been phased in and is now fully implemented.
Over the years, overzealous enforcement and extraordinary over-reaching bureaucratic interpretations by the Feds has put numerous honest companies out of business or cost them a fortune to defend themselves to prove their innocence or pay significant fines for paperwork violations. Many alleged violations involve only minor documentation errors, yet are prosecuted with vigor by the government.
A recent raid on the Gibson Guitar factory has put the much-abused Lacey Act back in the spotlight. This is something about which knifemakers and knife owners should at least be aware as so many knives contain natural materials in handles and sheaths.
Read the Wall Street Journal article at: http://on.wsj.com/ntwOz7
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Carry a Knife - Save a Life
For want of a knife ready at hand was an innocent baby's life lost? A crash, a fire and an attempted rescue of an 11-month-old child tragically ends in failure. What a different outcome might there have been had anyone had a knife immediately available. Might this tragedy have been averted? Sure does seem that way. Full article at: http://lat.ms/qVwl1V
Knives are one of man's oldest tools and deserved of protection as both versatile and lifesaving tools and as arms. Carry a Knife - Save a Life!
Help Knife Rights turn the tide. As we succeed in repealing bad knife laws and passing good knife laws, we also pave the way for a change in attitude. It won't happen overnight, but we can make a difference with your support. Join Knife Rights today!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Join Knife Rights Today!
Please support Knife Rights with a Contribution!
Get the latest updates and notices as soon as they occur:
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Sign up for our FREE News Slice & eBlast newsletters: Sign up here
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dog Days of Summer Busy at Knife Rights
We want all those affected by Irene this past weekend to know our thoughts and prayers are with you as you work to get your lives back to normal. When viewing the damage Irene has left in its wake, it just reinforces how important knives and edged tools are to our survival and recovery after any disaster.
It may be the dog days of summer, but unlike some people who have been playing golf, for us here at Knife Rights there's been plenty of work to do. We have been working non-stop all summer on both our Federal Civil Rights lawsuit against New York City and the New York District Attorney, as well as on our legislative efforts for next session.
In New York City, honest citizens are still being arrested on the streets and subways for carrying perfectly legal knives. In one particularly outrageous case an electrician was arrested standing on the front step of the home he was working at with his knife in his tool belt. He joined another person in the back seat of an unmarked police car that had been arrested for a so-called "illegal knife" just down the street. Our legal team is currently assisting a number of these victims even as our civil rights lawsuit is slowly moving forward.
Never carry your knife in New York City clipped to your pocket. Even when covered by a jacket, simply moving the jacket aside to get to a wallet has been enough to get folks arrested. Always ensure your knife is completely concealed at all times. If you are arrested for possession of an "illegal knife" in New York, please contact Knife Rights at: nycity@KnifeRights.org
The lawsuit to stop this persecution of honest New Yorkers carrying perfectly legal knives, filed in June, is at its early stages and proceeds apace. As to our legislative agenda, including our National Knife Law Preemption Campaign, we are working on numerous states to either pre-file bills for next session or line up sponsors to file at the earliest opportunity. We are laying the groundwork for a record breaking legislative year.
We cannot do all this without your support. As we have said before, FREEDOM IS NOT FREE. Your contributions are needed more than ever. Please support Knife Rights with a Contribution!
Meanwhile, we hope to see many of you at two events coming up. Please stop by the Knife Rights booth/table and say hello:
Usual Suspects Network Gathering in Las Vegas, NV, September 2-3
Knifemakers' Guild Show in Louisville, KY, September 15-18
Below you will find some news items that may be of interest. If you were signed up for our Twitter feed or Liked our Facebook page, you'd already have read about these by now. Twitter and Facebook are the first places you'll read news from Knife Rights.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zero Tolerance - Zero Commonsense
A Chicago public school teacher has been charged with weapons violations after he displayed garden-variety tools he uses around the classroom, including wrenches, screwdrivers, a box cutter, a 2.25" pocketknife, and pliers as part of a second grade teaching curriculum that required a "tool discussion."
Despite the fact that all potentially hazardous items were kept out of the students' reach, school officials at Washington Irving Elementary School informed Doug Bartlett, a 17-year veteran in the classroom, that his use of the tools as visual aids endangered his students. Bartlett now faces disciplinary action and possible termination. The Rutherford Institute, a civil rights organization is coming to Barlett's defense. They have warned the school that disciplinary action under these circumstances could constitute a violation of Bartlett's Fourteenth Amendment right to due process. The Institute's attorneys are demanding that the school halt the disciplinary proceedings against Bartlett. We are not surprised by anything anymore from the bureaucrats in Chicagoland. Incidents like this makes Knife Rights mission even more critical.
More details about this outrageous violation of teacher Bartlett's civil rights can be found at: http://bit.ly/n6A6pt
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boston City Councilors Propose Licensing Knife Retailers
As previously reported, the Massachusetts legislature was looking at proposing a law that would make purchasing a knife nearly as difficult as purchasing a firearm, which to date has not gained any traction in part due to Knife Rights' efforts. Now, anti-knife activists have turned to the city of Boston. Two Boston members of the City Council have proposed that knife retailers be licensed in a purported effort to prevent sales of knives to minors.
As noted in the article linked below, existing Boston law already prohibits knives with a blade two inches or longer from being sold to anyone under age 18. A number of stores were fined as a result of a recent sting operation for illegally selling knives to underage persons.
Knife Rights has a representative on the ground in Massachusetts and will be monitoring this proposed ordinance in case it grows legs. There is no indication that there has been any factual connection made between violence committed with knives in the city and these retailers, or that licensing would actually help the situation any more than simply enforcing the existing law on the books.
Video: www.bit.ly/p0TUmg
Article: http://bo.st/qBwsaZ
Your membership and support allows Knife Rights to oppose efforts such as this to restrict our freedoms. If you are not yet a member, please join Knife Rights and encourage your friends to join today!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Knifemakers and Knife Owners Beware?
Can you document where that wood, bone, horn or other natural materials used in your knives came from and that it is legal to use and own in compliance with the Lacey Act? One of the more insidious Federal laws on the books, its initial scope was to combat trafficking in illegally taken wildlife. In 2008 the Act was amended to extend this protection to prohibit all trade in plant and plant products (wood included) that are illegally sourced, both in the U.S.or from foreign countries. Enforcement with regards to the new materials covered has been phased in and is now fully implemented.
Over the years, overzealous enforcement and extraordinary over-reaching bureaucratic interpretations by the Feds has put numerous honest companies out of business or cost them a fortune to defend themselves to prove their innocence or pay significant fines for paperwork violations. Many alleged violations involve only minor documentation errors, yet are prosecuted with vigor by the government.
A recent raid on the Gibson Guitar factory has put the much-abused Lacey Act back in the spotlight. This is something about which knifemakers and knife owners should at least be aware as so many knives contain natural materials in handles and sheaths.
Read the Wall Street Journal article at: http://on.wsj.com/ntwOz7
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carry a Knife - Save a Life
For want of a knife ready at hand was an innocent baby's life lost? A crash, a fire and an attempted rescue of an 11-month-old child tragically ends in failure. What a different outcome might there have been had anyone had a knife immediately available. Might this tragedy have been averted? Sure does seem that way. Full article at: http://lat.ms/qVwl1V
Knives are one of man's oldest tools and deserved of protection as both versatile and lifesaving tools and as arms. Carry a Knife - Save a Life!
Help Knife Rights turn the tide. As we succeed in repealing bad knife laws and passing good knife laws, we also pave the way for a change in attitude. It won't happen overnight, but we can make a difference with your support. Join Knife Rights today!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Join Knife Rights Today!
Please support Knife Rights with a Contribution!
Get the latest updates and notices as soon as they occur:
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter