# Now they come for your knives... next... your sporks. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 27, 2005, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-they-come-for-your-knives-next-your-sporks/305733 "2005-05-27T06:31:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-they-come-for-your-knives-next-your-sporks/305733/21 "2005-05-27T17:06:37Z")
> [@glee](#): > > - how well the US War on Drugs is going? > - how much has it cost so far? > - when are you going to win it? So, how’s your complete legalization working out for you? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-they-come-for-your-knives-next-your-sporks/305733/22 "2005-05-27T17:53:16Z")
The NY Times headline for this piece rocks: **British Medical Experts Campaign for Long, Pointy Knife Control.** “Pointy” is one of those words that provides instant comedy. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-they-come-for-your-knives-next-your-sporks/305733/23 "2005-05-27T18:16:43Z")
Part of this thread makes me feel ancient. When I was in jr. high, a fair number of the students had pocket knives, something like a Barlow or equivalent. A science teacher would ask, “Who’s got a knife?” and several hands would go up. If he called on you to use your knife, it was an honor, particularly if he’d close it and when handing it back say, “Nice edge.” That was a compliment you’d take home and share with your Dad, who’d taught you how to sharpen. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-they-come-for-your-knives-next-your-sporks/305733/24 "2005-05-27T18:22:29Z")
“When Long Pointy Knives are outlawed, only Outlaws will have Long Pointy Knives.” You _knew_ someone would say it. Absurd. CalMeacham, who got his Boy Scout _Toten’ Chip_ at 11. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-they-come-for-your-knives-next-your-sporks/305733/25 "2005-05-27T19:11:27Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > Part of this thread makes me feel ancient. When I was in jr. high, a fair number of the students had pocket knives, something like a Barlow or equivalent. A science teacher would ask, “Who’s got a knife?” and several hands would go up. If he called on you to use your knife, it was an honor, particularly if he’d close it and when handing it back say, “Nice edge.” That was a compliment you’d take home and share with your Dad, who’d taught you how to sharpen. 😉 Hell, a sizeable number of us had .22s or shotguns in the trunks of our cars in the high school parking lot, and we’d go hunting after school. I grew up in a semi-rural area, and it was the late 70s. ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-they-come-for-your-knives-next-your-sporks/305733/26 "2005-05-27T19:28:03Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > Hell, a sizeable number of us had .22s or shotguns in the trunks of our cars in the high school parking lot, and we’d go hunting after school. I grew up in a semi-rural area, and it was the late 70s. I was on the Rifle Team in high school (late 70’s) and we brought our rifles and ammunition to school with us and kept 'em in our lockers. ---
**Author:** ![Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cornelius_Tuggerson)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-they-come-for-your-knives-next-your-sporks/305733/27 "2005-05-27T19:39:37Z")
> [@mittu](#): > > Call me crazy You are crazy. How is banning more stuff? Like there isn’t enough crap thats banned already? All it does is give the goons yet another excuse to screw around with whoever they please. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-they-come-for-your-knives-next-your-sporks/305733/28 "2005-05-27T19:48:15Z")
If they’re really serious they should ban fresh fruit!\* \*obligatory Monty Python reference. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-they-come-for-your-knives-next-your-sporks/305733/29 "2005-05-27T19:53:57Z")
> [@AngelicGemma](#): > > I accidentally cut my leg with my razor yesterday. I think we should ban them too. If you get your legs banned don’t come running to me! ---
**Author:** ![pestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pestie)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-they-come-for-your-knives-next-your-sporks/305733/30 "2005-05-27T19:57:11Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > …is it only me, or does stuff like this ever give anyone else the feeling that the civilized world is going to end up getting torn apart by the machinations of insane, overzealous liberals on one side, and insane, overzealous conservatives on the other? I’ve been sayin’ it for years - conservatives want to be your father (“You’ll do what I say because I’m your father!”) and liberals want to be your mother (“My goodness! Put that down or you’ll hurt yourself!”). I’m a grownup, thanks - I’ll take care of myself. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-they-come-for-your-knives-next-your-sporks/305733/31 "2005-05-28T02:34:47Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > (Scandinavians, for instance, have a relationship with knives that sometimes still freaks out my American cultural baggage. Like, say, teaching preschoolers to whittle… with their own belt knives…) Sounds pretty common to me. I know I learned pretty much that way. Yes, I’m an American. Where’d/when’d you grow up that kids didn’t have knives? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-they-come-for-your-knives-next-your-sporks/305733/32 "2005-05-28T02:39:49Z")
> [@glee](#): > > I agree completely with amrussell. > > If you’re going to start threads making sweeping overblown statements about a possible UK policy which is not likely to happen, could you tell me: > > - how well the US War on Drugs is going? > - how much has it cost so far? > - when are you going to win it? Why? Do I have some obligation to support the US drug war because I commented on this article? ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-they-come-for-your-knives-next-your-sporks/305733/33 "2005-05-28T06:02:23Z")
> [@mittu](#): > > The difference here is that in a heated argument how many people are going to find a cricket bat or golf club close to hand? The same for hammers and saws, they aren’t just left around the home but kitchen knives are frequently on racks in plain view and can easily be picked up in the heat of the moment and turned into a lethal weapon, **far more lethal than bats or clubs**. The comparison really doesn’t hold up. generalization Let me put it this way, if given a choice between a beating with a bat or golf club or a few stabs with a kitchen knife, I’d take the knife. I’d have more chance of surviving some punctures than I would having my skull caved in, my ribs broken so they puncture my lungs etc. /generalization I think you’re reacting the the “emotional” value of a large pointy knife, and not actually thinking about the true potential for harm that a bat, club or even a large wrench could hold. (Or fireplace poker, large bronze decoration, cast iron skillet, rolling pin, etc.) My point is, that doing away with large pointy knives is only a temporary fix, it’s not dealing with the actual problem, which is domestic violence. People will grab ANYTHING in the heat of passion and use it as a weapon, so teach them to control their tempers. There was a case I saw on Court TV where the man beat his wife’s head against the legs of the dining room table killing her, just as an example. (I do believe he tried to make it look as though she had fallen down the basement stairs too, but I’m not certain on that.) Wanna ban dining room tables next? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-they-come-for-your-knives-next-your-sporks/305733.md?page=1)