Friday 29 July 2016

"'Ave You Got A Licence For That, Mr Sabatier..?"

Caroline Shearer set up weapons awareness charity Only Cowards Carry in November 2012 after her son, Jay Whiston, 18, was stabbed to death at a house party in Colchester in 2012.
She said swords, meat cleavers and extreme knives cause additional problems in the fight against knife crime because so many deadly weapons are already available in homes.
She said: “Zombie killers are really, really bad, but when you look at it, over 53 per cent of stabbings are with knives from people’s kitchens.
Well, quite!
Mrs Shearer said websites should only be allowed to sell the weapons for legitimate reasons.
While martial artists might have grounds to buy a sword, she believes other weapons such as blades made to look like credit cards, sharpened earrings and umbrella swords have no legitimate purpose.
Lots of things have 'no legitimate purpose' but people collect them. Why even bring this up, if knives are everywhere? After all, it's not like we could ever prevent...

Oh.
She said: “I really believe all knives should be licensed. That way if someone is carrying one there has to be a reason.
For example, if you are a fisherman you may need to have a knife, but that would be licensed.
The licence fee would then fund the education the kids need. That’s what I would like to see.”
*speechless*

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does she have a position on who may drive a truck along the beachfront?

Lord T said...

You already are supposed to have a license for truck driving. I suspect he didn't have one from his driving skills. Tut tut. If only trucks didn't start till you presented a valid license.

I would like to see the license for knives be set up the same mickey mouse way that guns are licensed. Categories for which knives you can use, knife length, defined handle size and renewed every few years. That will fix every knife problem we have. Worked well on the guns.

These idiots really are scum.

Anonymous said...

It wasn't that long ago when a local lad was stabbed by a young girl using one of those combs with the long, sharp, point. Can't wait till all pharmacies, hair dressing salons, and supermarkets apply for the licence to sell them.
Penseivat

Anonymous said...

My teenage son has a fine collection of knives, around 70 them. They're carefully arranged in two drawers. He recently inherited his Granny's Girl Guide sheath knife which she in turn inherited from her uncle who carved his initials and date - 1932 - on the handle. His collection includes his grandad's RAF "dinghy-stabber" knife, by Rodgers of Sheffield, which was carried by my father in his jet fighter in case of accidental dinghy deployment in the air, a rare event but which was known to push the controls into a dive unless it was quickly punctured.
The lad's collection ranges from heirlooms to tiny "peanut" knives to Bowie knives but mostly he likes Swiss Army knives, with their tools such as saws and screwdrivers, and is often asked "do you have your knife on you?" when we're out and about and we have a need for a handy tool.
A knife, if licenced, is still - strangely enough, despite the powerful magic of Government paperwork - capable of causing injury. So just to be sure, I will break all the blades off his prized collection and leave him with the handles which all look very nice. He can have a pair of scissors with rounded tips instead. He won't mind that I don't consider him to be a trustworthy, rational and moral human being.
PS. Sorry for Mrs Shearer's loss. She's right that disguised blades and umbrella swords don't have a legitimate purpose but, ahem, that's why they are ALREADY illegal! The best way for any 18 year old to avoid being stabbed or harmed is to avoid high risk places such as private parties filled with drunken young men, and don't BE a drunken young man at such venues. A clear head helps you to back down if challenged and walk away if physically possible because that's the key in understanding the legal and moral difference between fighting (illegal) and self-defence (your inalienable right).

Woman on a Raft said...

And the fee would go to her charity....

Flaxen Saxon said...

Next thing you know, sharp sticks will be illegal.

Anonymous said...

"she believes other weapons such as blades made to look like credit cards, sharpened earrings and umbrella swords have no legitimate purpose"

I believe all of those are already explicitly banned under the offensive weapons act.

As for licensing you can have my little folding knife when you pry it from my cold dead fingers, its really bloody usefull...

Ed P said...

Pencils can be very dangerous, as can drill bits, screwdrivers, saws, chisels, etc. To be completely safe all cutlery must be removed from the public too - follow the american example and eat with fingers, you know it makes sense.

While we're at it, staircases seem like "an accident waiting to happen", as people have been known to trip and fall. These must be banned immediately!

Oh, and all cars must have a man with a red flag walking in front of them - you can't be too safe (as morons say).

Anonymous said...

There are none so annoying as 'like to see/ brigade of self appointed busybodies

Andy said...

This is manna from heaven for our leaders. As soon as they hear this demand for licences they will get busy implementing the necessary laws. Who'd a thunk it, proles begging to pay more tax? The next thing you know they'll tax the air we breathe. What's that? They already are? Oh well, time to string up a few eejits.

Anonymous said...

I must say if you are a big ugly bruiser all this banning seems a good idea.

JuliaM said...

"I would like to see the license for knives be set up the same mickey mouse way that guns are licensed."

It'd be immensely amusing to see them try to work this one out, wouldn't it?

"Can't wait till all pharmacies, hair dressing salons, and supermarkets apply for the licence to sell them."

'I've got a sharpened bamboo stake from the garden, coppers, and I ain't afraid to use it!'

"She's right that disguised blades and umbrella swords don't have a legitimate purpose but, ahem, that's why they are ALREADY illegal! "

She's not very bright. Is she?

"And the fee would go to her charity...."

Hmmm, I see a pattern emerging...

"Next thing you know, sharp sticks will be illegal."

*hides bamboo stake*

JuliaM said...

"I believe all of those are already explicitly banned under the offensive weapons act."

Quite! They often show up in 'knife amnesties', so clearly, being illegal doesn't restrict their use the way she might think it would.

"Oh, and all cars must have a man with a red flag walking in front of them - you can't be too safe (as morons say)."

Blimey, don't give them ideas!

"Oh well, time to string up a few eejits."

'Do you have a license for that string, sir?'