UK Doctors are calling for kitchen knives ban

Part 2

An argument might be that if used properly, knives, like cars, don't kill people. Unlike cars, however, a knife is just a truncated sword, which was designed to kill. So although intentioned for veggies, a knife looks exactly like something that was fashioned to slit throats. People can be quite creative with appliance usage. Some might even see it as a weapon. :shifty:

Also different is that when drunk and angry, we don't jump in our cars and run people over. Most alcohol related fatalities are the inadvertant result of poor judgement.

What do we do then to help reduce these deaths? We add safety features. This covers all things from traffic lights and speed limits to airbags and improvements in force dispersement.

The key is that the full functionality of a car is maintained. We could drastically reduce fatalities by setting the speed limit at 20 mph, but then we have almost completely negated the whole advantage behind owning a car. What we want to target are features that contribute no additional function to the car, but present a possible hazard.

So back to knives, if we find that all cooking chores can be completed with knives no greater than "x" inches and that knives longer than "x" are highly associated with knife related deaths, then a "safety feature" might be to shorten knifes to a maximum of "x" inches.

Again, anyone with a reasonable need for a long knife should be able to own one. Like professional murders, they would obviously need a full 15 inch knife. :blink:

Rather than call it a ban on knives, call it a knife safety feature. The knife could come with the following disclaimer

"If you are drunk and angry, you are far less likely to fatally wound someone with this new "safety knife" than the conventional long knife."

Of course, that would bring out the "safety knife" brigade that would claim that less such a knife would encourage stabbing. :frusty:

and, inexplicably wanton sex with vaccinated women.

ever tried to cut cheese with a baseball bat?

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Originally Posted by Money Fist

ever tried to cut cheese with a baseball bat?

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I use a knife. Where are you going with this?

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Originally Posted by hobbes

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Originally Posted by Money Fist

ever tried to cut cheese with a baseball bat?

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I use a knife. Where are you going with this?

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ah erm no were
but it wasnt really directed at you
it was just an on-topic thing.... kinda

People will make a weapon out of anything once you take the "weapon of choice" away.

I'm not surprised by this coming from the UK (I'm sure there are American supporters too). I wonder if people will be able to breathe on their own without government intervention in the future.

@hobbes - cars are also able to go 150+ mph. Yet there is no speed limitly close to that. I've taken my trusty Lincoln to 125 mph yet the highest speed limit around here is 65.

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Originally Posted by Busyman

People will make a weapon out of anything once you take the "weapon of choice" away.

I'm not surprised by this coming from the UK (I'm sure there are American supporters too).

@hobbes - cars are also able to go 150+ mph. Yet there is no speed limitly close to that. I've taken my trusty Lincoln to 125 mph yet the highest speed limit around here is 65.

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A weapon is anything used to attack or defend. Sex has been described as an attack with a friendly weapon.:)

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I wonder if people will be able to breathe on their own without government intervention in the future.

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In my case I hope not.:lol:

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Originally Posted by Busyman

People will make a weapon out of anything once you take the "weapon of choice" away.

I'm not surprised by this coming from the UK (I'm sure there are American supporters too). I wonder if people will be able to breathe on their own without government intervention in the future.

@hobbes - cars are also able to go 150+ mph. Yet there is no speed limitly close to that. I've taken my trusty Lincoln to 125 mph yet the highest speed limit around here is 65.

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Yeah, but a fast car means your penis is ginormous. The industry and politicians alike know that. Plus you never know, you might want to drive it on the speed-limit free Autobahn or just simply create an exciting chase scene for the next episode of "Cops". Just watch out for Vidcc going 35 mph in the highway passing lane with his hazard lights flashing.

there are places you're allowed to drive 150+mph, which is fun.

what's fun about a pointy knife?

We have laws against carrying big knives in public places, I'm cool with that.

I'm less enthusiastic about this, as I actually use long knives in the kitchen, long serrated blades for cutting up bread and such, but if it means less people dying I'm all for it.

I don't think it can be compared to a gun-ban, since most people use knives in the kitchen for supposedly peaceful cooking, and only a small percentage, probably far less than a percent, of all kitchen knives actually end up in someone's guts, whereas guns, when used at home, do tend to do what they are supposed to. That is, hurt people.

Me using a knife I like isn't important compared to a single human life, and if giving up the right to have one means that hundreds of people won't die, then I won't even argue if a law like it comes into effect here.

I reckon they've thought quite a bit about it before asking for it, so I reckon there might be something to what they are saying.

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Originally Posted by SnnY

,but if it means less people dying I'm all for it.

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Originally Posted by Busyman

People will make a weapon out of anything once you take the "weapon of choice" away.

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Where will it end? :(