Who wants all knife laws repealed?

[Charlie Mike]

Self explanatory. In some states, you can be considered a felon for driving through various counties with your EDC. We all know weapons laws do not apply to criminals. We all know most "knife crime" is done with cheap kitchen knives and not custom Microtechs.

 

[MORIMOTOM]

repealing all laws is probably not the best idea.

if those are the only two choices, i have to refrain. i would have no problem with a rewrite or revision of existing laws, provided they are reasonable and realistic.

 

[gundude73]

i would like to see some laws like blade length and carrying fixed blades repealed, will it happen? highly doubtful.

 

[Alann45]

Almost all the "knife" laws are useless. Most are confusing and impossible to understand, and some are down right silly. Switchblade laws being a prime example....not surprising considering they were inspired by panic created by 50's high school delinquent movies.
The only function they serve is to provide probable cause for further search and detainment. They also provide an additonal item to charge someone with that can be used to negotiate the desired outcome.

Making criminal the mere position or carrying of a knife is wrong.
There are ample laws covering the the improper use of any item as a weapon, and those are sufficient to regulate knife usage.

 

[CarpScot]

I don't see why you bring the constitution into it but I wouldn't repeal all laws that involve knives. Evaluating the worth of the ones that exist and then deciding if they should be repealed or rewritten makes a lot more sense.

 

[TD22057]

The key thing in my book is to criminalize the behavior you actually want to stop - not the things you think MIGHT lead up to that. It should be completely illegal to threaten and hurt someone whether you're using a weapon or not. Carrying a knife has nothing to do with this and should be legal in any form - it's what you do with that should be illegal.

 

[tom19176]

The Constitution protects the right to bears ARMS, not just guns, so I agree with him referring to it. The knife laws differ so greatly, and normal law abidding people get effected to much by them, so I would agree that we should all follow NH and not make any knife per se illegal. Actions are what should be regulated.

 

[corwise]

repealing all laws is probably not the best idea.

+1 You need to clarify a bit. If you were to say "Who wants to repeal all carry laws," then I might agree with you. "All knife laws" leaves to much open. Does that mean that if you stab someone you don't want them to be considered assult with a deadly weapon, but just simple assult?
True, I can assume that common sense applies. But that rarely happens.

I'll agree that I would like a lot of the carry laws simplified, and more importantly clarified.

 

[gordonquixote]

Move down here to the south already.....

 

[jayinhk]

Move to Austria--you can legally EDC a sword.

 

[wes payne]

Being a traditional liberitarian, Im gonna have to agree with some of the posts calling for all knife laws to be repealed. I know that knife laws could potentialy prevent some vioelnce, but this is niether provable nor sensible, not to mention that Knives can preserve life as readily as they can threaten it. Lets not legislate to prevent. Laws should be made sparingly, and only when there is evidience that they are of the utmost importance. No laws should be made with regards to the most practical tool in man's arsenal.

 

[JK14]

+1 You need to clarify a bit. If you were to say "Who wants to repeal all carry laws," then I might agree with you. "All knife laws" leaves to much open. Does that mean that if you stab someone you don't want them to be considered assault with a deadly weapon, but just simple assault?
True, I can assume that common sense applies. But that rarely happens.

I'll agree that I would like a lot of the carry laws simplified, and more importantly clarified.

Agreed. It would be nice if the regulations were more consistent and clear. Also, where a state has enacted legislation governing the possession/carrying of knives, it is a little frustrating to have the various municipalities/counties within the state adopt ordinances that are more restrictive, particularly when an individual can be liable for violation regardless of whether he or she had knowledge of the restriction.

 

[TOM1960]

The Constitution protects the right to bears ARMS, not just guns, so I agree with him referring to it. The knife laws differ so greatly, and normal law abidding people get effected to much by them, so I would agree that we should all follow NH and not make any knife per se illegal. Actions are what should be regulated.

Repealing all knife laws would be the other extreme, just like repealing all gun laws. We need to bring such laws and the way they are interpreted by courts into line with good sense. Tom, I know that you are in NY and NYC is taking knife-law enforcement too far. A Broadway stage-hand arrested on her way home from work because a NYPD transit cop notices her Kershaw Blur assisted-opener clipped to her belt (exposed knife and gravity-knife charges). A notable NYC chef arrested for carrying a pocket knife (gravity knife charge). The young man that you are trying to help after he was arrested on gravity knife charges (CRKT Drifter with 2.9" blade) at Coney Island - Stillwell Station in Brooklyn. The list goes on. Far too many otherwise law-abiding citizens are accumulating lifelong criminal records because of such bull**** charges. This abuse should stop. If it takes a SCOTUS ruling to accomplish this, so be it.

 

[jahv220]

saying our (assuming we're talking about the US) knife laws prevent knife violence is like saying our gun laws prevent gun violence- what a joke! barring a minimum age requirement and a few other caveats, carry laws should be repealed for folders. I can see the use for laws restricting open carry of large fixed blades cause of fear of sheeple in urban areas/city limits and stuff. but I can deploy my emerson karambit (or any knife with the Wave) faster than my microtech or gerber auto, or any knife for that matter, manual or auto. but the karambit is legal and carrying the microtech is a felony? doesn't make much sense

i just think in general by having strict carry laws the people who care about the law will abide, but the people who don't care about the law... surprise- won't care about the law and will carry whatever they want.

"if guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns" (or knives haha)

and you above posters definitely have it right- knives as tools are possibly the most basic and useful thing i ever have on my person; and the moral panic in the 50s really screwed rational thought

 

[Bufford]

I would get rid of any law that is based on prohibition and regulation, and put the emphasis on behavior. I see no reason why a person cannot carry a gun, knife, power tools or whatever that could be used as a weapon.

However, should the behavior of a person be of harm to others, then make them accountable, and if needed throw the book at them.

 

[artmichalek]

I would support a full re-evaluation rather than repeal, so neither. Knife laws may serve a purpose, but they need to be focused, unambiguous, and uniform. Right now, they are none of those.

Think about driving. Anywhere you go in the US, a stop sign is a red octagon that says stop. And it means that you stop. Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that the government has the right to tell you to stop your vehicle, but most of us can agree that all being on the same page about what to do at an intersection makes us safer.

Compare that to the frequent discussions here about the meaning of a term like "gravity knife" or "dirk". The laws governing these things are so localized and convoluted that some of the people enforcing them don't know what they mean. The average citizen who's not actively engaged in these discussions doesn't stand a chance. No matter where you fall on the spectrum of restricting knives, you can't look at this system and say that it's efficient or effective.

 

[greater]

I think laws that make no logical sense should be thrown into the trash can.

 

[joe-bob]

Since criminal behavior is already illegal, making objects illegal is nonsensical and counterproductive. What was recently passed in NH is a major step forward. What has been happening in NYC is a major travesty of justice, and there should be a bunch of people from that "justice" system put in prison.

It's past time that "public servants" are reminded in no uncertain terms who they work for and who is really supposed to be in charge. Knife laws are just one symptom of a disease that has infested our nation. It's time to change that.

 

[tatteredmidnight]

CM,
I agree with your post, knife laws are stupid because they accomplish nothing, i can stab someone with a screwdriver or slash them with a piece of broken glass as effectively or more effectively than with my Delica 4 EDC. That said, i read a thread started by you a few days ago regarding pulling your CS folder on a tweaker in a parking garage i believe. If we really believe that all knife laws should be repealed, then we need to stop talking/thinking about knives as weapons. Law makers are not going to consider us reasonable people if we insist on referring to these tools as "tactical" weapons when in reality most are no better suited to this task than what you can grab on the street as refuse in any city. People are reactionary and politicians pander to the masses, our own behavior here contributes to the public thinking of knives as weapons.

Also, this is my first post and i don't want you to think i'm coming down on you as a person, i have also had issues in the past and understand what they can do, although i'm not a PTSD sufferer or ex-military. I'm just saying that if you want a topic like this to be taken seriously you need to consider your other posts and how they could effect this goal.

Thank you,
Adam

 

[Skimo]

Yep, trash the laws. Deadly weapon mumbo jumbo... sheesh, if it's hard, pointy, blunt and can break bones puncture skin etc. it's a deadly weapon... the weapon isn't an autonomous solar powered robot programmed to seek and destroy all life on the planet, it's a baseball bat, a kitchen knife, screwdriver, hammer etc.

How about this... you try to kill someone and you get charged with attempted murder, you murder someone and you get charged with murder, pretty simple ideas that are mired in thousands upon thousands of pages of BS.:barf:

Actions are what count, not the item, until there become robots that procreate and are hell bent on destroying humanity, but I think that's far far into the future.