Why Do People Fear Folding Knives?

[jdailey4206966]

The situation is simple, everyone is quoting state or municipal laws which do not pertain to the workplace.

Most company policies are very strict and prohibit any "weapon" in the workplace. You can argue til you are blue in the face but any knife,gun, or blunt weapon you have is prohibited. If you carried around garden shears in your belt and your job had noting to do with gardening you will probably get called to human resources.

You have no "rights" to knives in a workplace, that is totally at the discretion of your employer. Your place of employment is not a democratic environment and as long as they follow federal and state employment laws they can have any policy they want.

I know this is funny to me. lol. The sign says that weapons are banned from even being on company property. Yet when you get hired in, they give you a disposible utility knife, and I know alot of people there who carry leathermans, regular pocket knives, and even some carry balisongs and automatics. I think they put them on there because there was a guy one time who talked about his hunting rifle in his truck and they didn't like that and banned weapons from the property.

 

[Spyharpy]

I carry various Spyderco knives with me to work. Once I pulled out a small keychain size Ladybug in black to open a box. A few jumped back and were asking me why I needed knife and how dangerous they can be. A few days later, i brought the same Ladybug but in the new orange. I pulled it out to open a few small boxes and the comments were how cute the knife was and how they wanted to get one. No comments about how dangerous it was or why I needed a knife. I brought in a pink Delica and everyone I showed it to loved it. I'm sure if it was black, they would have called security on me.

 

[PV29]

You are all describing a troubling thought process which has infected a number of countries abroad and is infecting about half of our population now. It is a cowardly and disingenuous thought process which blames inanimate objects for antisocial behavior by people. This is the dangerous offshoot of the liberal excuse-making mentality, whereby nobody is actually responsible for their actions. Rather, some "root cause" is at fault which "made" the person the monster he is. The afterbirth of this mentality is the blaming of objects, such as knives or guns, which somehow can transform an ordinary law-abiding person into a dangerous criminal. And so it follows that a good person must suddenly transform into "bad" simply because he carries a knife.

It is so much easier to blame and vilify objects because they do not object to this treatment and do not hire lawyers to fight for them. If politicians were to actually hold sociopaths accountable for their actions, and impose harsh and severe prison terms without parole, they would have to deal with ACLU lawyers and media accusations of racism and inhumanity.

Therefore, politicians are taking the easy way out, and the less intelligent among us are buying it. Our elected officials now proclaim to be "tough on guns" and in favor of "tough knife laws". Nobody can seemingly argue with such a stance, they reason. Whereas if they were to proclaim new tougher sentencing for criminals, they would meet opposition from various groups who defend these scum and possibly lose votes.

I do not know the perfect answer to the question of how to deal with folks who blame knives for evil behavior by people. I have always politely advised folks who question my carrying of a Delica, Al Mar Hawk or BM 707 that it is simply a tool that ancient men used safely. If asked, I also give some common sense reasons for carrying like cutting a seat belt in an emergency. It may be offensive to some to feel that they must justify doing something that they know is perfectly within their rights. But I view it as an opportunity to "wake up" some folks who have drifted off to sleep.

 

[Hawkings]

We need to generate a variety of verbal comebacks that make these anti-knife saps feel as stupid as they appear, to us.

I really think that will have the opposite effect, and will in no way help people to think that you are a mature person who should be allowed to carry a sharp object.

 

[Absintheur]

Evidently I must lead a sheltered life here in Indiana. I have never had anyone react to me using a pocket knife of any type (other than "nice knife" that is). Most don't even raise an eyebrow at carry guns here, not that many have ever seen I am carrying. Of course I don't make a big production out of whipping out my tactical mall ninja slayer and using the flipper function to whip it open with a flourish and a wave. I see guys do just that everyday, pulling the knife out with a sudden jerk and flourish then holding it up next to their head to open it like they do in the movies...lol. Even if I am carrying my Kershaw Blackout, when in polite company I will ride the thumb stud to keep it from "popping" open. I open a knife close to my body, use it, and put it up...most people don't even realize I just used a knife...discretion should always be used.

 

[crustaceanmick]

I've never worked in an office where apparently, a lot of people don't trust each other?

I work in construction, where all the savages walk around carrying multiple tools that could be used to kill or maim. Guess I'm pretty fortunate!!!

 

[THG]

It is so much easier to blame and vilify objects because they do not object to this treatment and do not hire lawyers to fight for them. If politicians were to actually hold sociopaths accountable for their actions, and impose harsh and severe prison terms without parole, they would have to deal with ACLU lawyers and media accusations of racism and inhumanity.

Exactly. The whole point of liberalism is that it's an ideology that allows you to look like you're doing something good when in fact you are simply shifting the responsibility to somebody or something else.

 

[stabman]

Exactly. The whole point of POLITICS is that it's an ideology that allows you to look like you're doing something good when in fact you are simply shifting the responsibility to somebody or something else.

There, fixed it for ya.

 

[crustaceanmick]

There, fixed it for ya.

Excellent work stabman. :thumbup:

Just wish I'd been that quick.

 

[THG]

There, fixed it for ya.

Nah, liberalism and conservatism aren't necessarily always political ideologies, although they tend to play a large part in it. Don't think that liberal is synonymous with democrat and conservative is synonymous with republican.

 

[crustaceanmick]

"Don't think that liberal is synonymous with democrat and conservative is synonymous with republican."

Why WOULD anyone think that?

"The whole point of liberalism is that it's an ideology that allows you to look like your doing something good when in fact you are simply shifting the responsibility to somebody or something else."

(post #67) Sounds like twisted O' Reilly logic.

If this is correct, then that would mean George Bush is a LIBERAL for going to war with Iraq!!! (I know I twisted your meaning but I just couldn't stop myself. CHEAP TRICK! . . Gotta stop watching O' Reilly!!)


See ya in Whine and Cheese.

 

[GarageBoy]

Because of media portrayal and kids acting like big shots because they have a knife

 

[Gerberblades]

What Spydie is that?

 

[enderwiggin]

You are all describing a troubling thought process which has infected a number of countries abroad and is infecting about half of our population now. It is a cowardly and disingenuous thought process which blames inanimate objects for antisocial behavior by people. This is the dangerous offshoot of the liberal excuse-making mentality, whereby nobody is actually responsible for their actions. Rather, some "root cause" is at fault which "made" the person the monster he is. The afterbirth of this mentality is the blaming of objects, such as knives or guns, which somehow can transform an ordinary law-abiding person into a dangerous criminal. And so it follows that a good person must suddenly transform into "bad" simply because he carries a knife.

It is so much easier to blame and vilify objects because they do not object to this treatment and do not hire lawyers to fight for them. If politicians were to actually hold sociopaths accountable for their actions, and impose harsh and severe prison terms without parole, they would have to deal with ACLU lawyers and media accusations of racism and inhumanity.

Therefore, politicians are taking the easy way out, and the less intelligent among us are buying it. Our elected officials now proclaim to be "tough on guns" and in favor of "tough knife laws". Nobody can seemingly argue with such a stance, they reason. Whereas if they were to proclaim new tougher sentencing for criminals, they would meet opposition from various groups who defend these scum and possibly lose votes.

I do not know the perfect answer to the question of how to deal with folks who blame knives for evil behavior by people. I have always politely advised folks who question my carrying of a Delica, Al Mar Hawk or BM 707 that it is simply a tool that ancient men used safely. If asked, I also give some common sense reasons for carrying like cutting a seat belt in an emergency. It may be offensive to some to feel that they must justify doing something that they know is perfectly within their rights. But I view it as an opportunity to "wake up" some folks who have drifted off to sleep.

Your arguments would be much more worthwhile if you could weed out the "It's because of the Liberals" ideology, and trust the strength of your own argument, instead of just relying on talk radio dogma.

Like a lot of people here who make great points, but then start ranting and raving about some conspiracy in the Liberal media between Liberal shadow-agents and the Liberal army coming to take away your freedom.

It would be really nice if we could stay on-topic, instead of veering off into weird political conspiracy theories.

 

[crustaceanmick]

Your arguments would be much more worthwhile if you could weed out the "It's because of the Liberals" ideology, and trust the strength of your own argument, instead of just relying on talk radio dogma.

Like a lot of people here who make great points, but then start ranting and raving about some conspiracy in the Liberal media between Liberal shadow-agents and the Liberal army coming to take away your freedom.

It would be really nice if we could stay on-topic, instead of veering off into weird political conspiracy theories.

Word.

remember; We're all "Brothers Of The Blade" here.

 

[Arkeld]

Y This is the dangerous offshoot of the liberal excuse-making mentality, whereby nobody is actually responsible for their actions.

Just so we´re clear on this, the ideology you describe is NOT liberal in the true sense of the word.

Liberalism refers to a broad array of related ideas and theories of government that consider individual liberty to be the most important political goal. Classical liberals, believe that the only real freedom is freedom from coercion. As a result they see state intervention in the economy as a coercive power that restricts the economic freedom of individuals and favor laissez-faire economic policy. (Wiki)

 

[Rafael]

In the real world sometimes people threaten other people with a knife without actually waving it around like a madman.

That this occasionally happens at an office doesn’t surprise me, it is not unusual to see the people you work with more than most friends and relatives.

True story: a guy gets fired for cutting up a carton box for easy disposal with a 3 inch non-locking folding knife at work. He violated company rules by bringing a weapon into the company and scared coworkers by taking it out of his pocket and unfolding it.

Complete story: the guy who got fired had asked a coworker out. When the young lady politely declined, he persisted. A period of minor harassment followed, nothing serious or obvious enough to make a formal complaint, although the victim did rapport the incidents.

The guy got more angry and hateful and was finally given a formal warning when some of his verbal abuse was overheard by other employees.

He then showed up in the office of the woman he was harassing with a carton box and a garbage bag and cut the box into small ribbons and put the pieces of carton in the bag.

Needless to say there was no reason to take the box to that particular office and boxes were normally not disposed of in this manner. Nor was it his job to dispose of boxes…

Understanding why some people fear knives, might help in keeping them from being banned.

Rafael

 

[crustaceanmick]

Isn't this a lot the same as, "Guns don't kill people; People kill people."?

 

[Benjamin Liu]

Does anyone have a grandfather who didn't have a folding knife?

I'm pretty sure my grandfather had at least one bolo. I actually still had my grandmother's bolo until a couple years ago when I fixed it up and gave it to my dad.


So what is it, some primordial, genetic memory from the stone age or what? And has anyone else gotten in trouble at work for having a small knife?

It isn't any genetic memory, people have used knives as everyday items for thousands of years, and some people still do. On Ron Hood's jungle survival video you can see small children who look too young for kindergarten preparing food with knives that would scare many Boy Scout Leaders.

It is due to sheeple programming. Part of it is due to more urban sheeple fearing knives and spreading their paranoia through voting. When I was a kid in the 1980s it was common to carry a pocketknife to school, and sometime teachers would even ask to use one. Even in schools that banned them, the penalty was normally just taking the knife until your parents picked it up.

In the late 1980s/early 1990s the media had the sheeple in a paranoid anti-gun frenzy, thinking that guns = gangbangers. This was applied to schools in banning knives, even to the point of arresting kids for carrying SAKs. Most sheeple who grow up in such an environment are conditioned to believe that knives are somehow "bad." PC conditioning even works on adults, and I've met people who were normal in the 1980s become paranoid PC sheeple in the 1990s.

 

[Confederate]

In some early settlements (towns and even cities), there used to be "whistle and whittle" gangs. When strangers or undesirables came into town, many of the larger kids would follow them around whistling and whittling, using some large blades. They weren't overtly threatening, but the message was clear.

Discretion is the better part of valor the old saying goes, and that's true. My boss had no valid basis to question my use of that little knife. Had she known about the Cold Steel 4-inch Voyager in my back pocket, it might have been a bit different. Of course, with a knife like the Voyager, if someone sees your larger knife and mentions it to someone, all you have to do is bring the smaller one in and produce it. They look so much alike except for the size that sometimes you can weasel out of trouble.

I had a guard who wouldn't let me in on a day they had metal detectors. I had a Case slipjoint with me with a blade that was just over the legal limit. The guard wouldn't hold it for me, nor would he let me pass. My only option was to leave or surrender the knife. But when I told him it was my grandfather's knife, he just passed me on through. So sometimes good sense prevails. Still, had the guard been a woman, I'd bet dollars to donuts that she wouldn't have backed down.

I brought in a pink Delica and everyone I showed it to loved it. I'm sure if it was black, they would have called security on me.

I think I'd stop with the orange Delica.


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