I beleive this is important, please read.
DaveT
carrying in the states but how law makers through out the west interpret
the switch blade laws and knife laws in general.
Mail received from Blade Forums-
I normally don't mass email members, but we need to take action on this
NOW!!!!
Spark
Owner, BladeForums.com
------------------------------------------
URGENT ACTION ALERT: Write your Senators NOW to STOP funding for
Customs' Pocket Knife Grab.
Knife Rights News Slice Vol. 2 Number 11
Write your Senators NOW to STOP funding for Customs' Pocket Knife Grab.
As you are aware, Customs is proposing to prohibit the import of assisted
and one-hand openers and in the process has broadly re-defined what a
Switchblade is to cover almost all pocket knives, with potential far-
reaching consequences. Our best bet to stop Customs in the short term is
for Congress to prevent them from spending a dime to implement their
proposed ruling. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Appropriations Bill will be taken up by the Senate on Tuesday, July 7th.
We need your help NOW to rally support for an amendment to stop funding
for this Customs rulemaking.
Timing has not worked in our favor as D.C. has become a ghost town due to
the July 4th recess. We will have two days to make this work upon their
return. Your emails to Senate offices will get their attention and be a
huge help as our lobbyists and legislative representatives work Monday
and Tuesday to get an amendment introduced and voted into the DHS
Appropriations Bill. Contacting Senator Patty Murray [D-WA] and Senator
George Voinovich [R-OH] is particularly important because they are
ranking members on the Senate Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on
Homeland Security. Still, contacting your own Senators is also very
important and their support is needed as well.
Pass this Action Alert to everyone you know and urge them to ACT NOW!
Post on every online forum and social networking site you can. We need
to generate thousands of emails before next Monday. If you have a
personal relationship with any Senators or their staff, now is the time
to call (well, maybe Monday since nobody is in the office now).
Personally know a radio or TV talk show host? Please have them contact
me (http://bit.ly/vo1uA ) so we can reach out to a wider audience. Help
save our Knife Rights; STOP this ridiculous and illegitimate rulemaking
by Customs. WRITE TODAY!
Please note that multiple members of a household can and should each
write separately.
We encourage you to use the two sample letters below and copy and paste
into the email forms. If you want to further personalize your letter,
please be POLITE and NON-PARTISAN. The "enemy" is Customs, not the
Administration. We can only succeed with the support of both parties.
DO NOT yell, don't rant and don't be rude! Stay focused and stay on
message. This is NOT the time or place to express your frustrations or
make any other political points or complaints.
Just four simple emails can make a BIG difference!
NOTE that there are TWO different letters , one for Senators Murray and
Voinovich and one for your own two Senators (unless Murray or Voinovich
happens to be your own Senator):
Email forms for Senators Murray and Voinovich can be found here:
Senator Murray: http://murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm
Senator Voinovich: http://tinyurl.com/2rpu4p
1. Sample Letter for Senators Murray and Voinovich:
RE: U.S. Customs & Border Protection Proposed Revocation of Ruling
Letters and Revocation of Treatment Relating to the Admissibilty [sic] of
Certain Knives with Spring-Assisted Opening Mechanisms
Dear Senator [Murray or Voinovich, as appropriate],
As a pocket knife owner, I am extremely concerned about the recently
announced Customs ruling, which wrongly interprets federal law and would
prohibit the importation of many of the sporting and utility knives that
I use and enjoy. Their overly broad and novel new interpretation of what
a Switchblade is could make me a felon for carrying a simple pocket
knife. Additionally, the economic impact of the ruling on the knife trade
would be severe. Pocket knives utilizing assisted or one hand opening
technology are the dominant share of the market, and prohibiting the use
of the technology would force significant job losses, and the potential
loss of entire businesses.
This type of Federal regulation is totally unnecessary, and I strongly
urge you to work with representatives from Knife Rights and other and
advocacy organizations on an appropriate restriction to prevent Customs
from implementing this ruling.
Knife Rights and other advocacy organizations will be contacting your
office to discuss with you concrete ways to prevent Customs from acting
on their intention to reclassify sport/utility knives as switchblades.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Individual Signature]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2. Locate YOUR OWN Senators and their email forms here:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Sample Letter to YOUR Senators:
RE: U.S. Customs & Border Protection Proposed Revocation of Ruling
Letters and Revocation of Treatment Relating to the Admissibilty [sic] of
Certain Knives with Spring-Assisted Opening Mechanisms
Dear Senator [Insert Senator’s Name],
As a pocket knife owner, I am extremely concerned about the recently
announced Customs ruling, which wrongly interprets federal law and would
prohibit the importation of many of the sporting and utility knives that
I use and enjoy. Their overly broad and novel new interpretation of what
a Switchblade is could make me a felon for carrying a simple pocket
knife. Additionally, the economic impact of the ruling on the knife trade
would be severe. Pocket knives utilizing assisted or one hand opening
technology are the dominant share of the market, and prohibiting the use
of the technology would force significant job losses, and the potential
loss of entire businesses.
This type of Federal regulation is totally unnecessary, and I strongly
urge you to support efforts by Knife Rights and other advocacy
organizations to prevent Customs from acting on their intention to
reclassify sport/utility knives as switchblades.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Individual Signature]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Be a Knife Rights Spokesperson on the 4th!
Attending a July 4th party or celebration over this holiday weekend? Talk
to everyone you meet. Ask them to write their Senators and
Representatives. Send them to Knife Rights for more information and the
sample letter. YOU can make a difference in this fight. Speak up and be
heard.
It's worth noting that virtually every Member of Congress heads home for
the July 4th holiday, in large part to attend celebrations and meet with
their constituents. If you happen to run into one of your Senators or
Representative at a July 4th event, please take a moment to ask them to
help stop funding for Customs' Pocket Knife Grab. Be polite, non-partisan
and sincere, and if they tell you it's nothing to worry about, suggest to
them that they are being bamboozled by Customs and to take a closer
look. Nothing beats a personal, one on one, request for action. All the
facts are available in our Comments submitted to Customs: http://
bit.ly/1NqNYi
NEW: Show Off Your Support for Knife Rights
Celebrate Independence Weekend by supporting this fight for our freedoms
with a "STOP U.S. Customs' Pocket Knife Grab" t-shirt, mug or any of the
other clothing or accessories from the new Knife Rights Online
Marketplace on Cafe Press: http://www.cafepress.com/KnifeRights 100% of
the profits go to support this fight.
If you are graphically talented, please submit your own design and/or
slogan for possible use on a shirt, etc. Designs must be in good taste
and be 10x10 in., 300 dpi, JPG or PNG format. All designs submitted
become the property of Knife Rights, Inc. Email to:
cus...@KnifeRights.com
Knife Rights on Twitter
Follow Knife Rights on Twitter and receive the latest updates and notices
as soon as they occur:
http://twitter.com/KnifeRights
Join or Donate to Knife Rights
Your membership dues help support our efforts to protect your rights.
Invest a modest sum in A Sharper Future™. Join at the Benefactor level
to help us even more.
JOIN NOW! http://tinyurl.com/qnu988
PLEASE DONATE TO SUPPORT THIS FIGHT FOR YOUR KNIFE RIGHTS!
We need your help: http://bit.ly/Scvp9
Copyright 2009, Knife Rights, Inc.
This may be reproduced. It may not be reproduced for commercial purposes.
Doug Ritter
Chairman and Executive Director
Knife Rights, Inc.
a 501(c)(4) Member Organization
dri...@KnifeRights.org
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KnifeRights
------------------------------------------
******* - You are receiving this because you are a member of
BladeForums.com and have set your profile to receive notifications from
Administrators.
--
DaveT
Chilla
right to carry arms.
We in Australia have never had this.
We already have anti-carry laws, switch blades and automatic knives of
any type have been prohibited weapons for many, many years
I think you should fight for this as it is part of the American
constitution, not because I think you should be allowed to carry weapons.
However if it's like the gun debate, I think you're pretty safe.
Americans like their toys (well don't we all?), and the population wont
be denied.
Regards Charles
Good Soldier Schweik
I've read a couple of privately printed books about buffalo hunting in
the early days and apparently, at least in the Northern Territories,
there weren't many enforced anti-gun laws.
My wife has been watching a TV special on the settling of Australia
(she just realized that you white faces stole the place from the black
fellows :-) and there were many photos of white settlers with weapons,
mainly single shot rifles, it appeared to me.
Is it possible that you rowdy Australians have needed anti-weapon laws
once civilization arrived?
(Of course, one can argue whether civilization actually did arrive :-)
cheers,
Schweik
(goodsoldierschweikatgmaildotcom)
Chilla
> I've read a couple of privately printed books about buffalo hunting in
> the early days and apparently, at least in the Northern Territories,
> there weren't many enforced anti-gun laws.
>
> My wife has been watching a TV special on the settling of Australia
> (she just realized that you white faces stole the place from the black
> fellows :-) and there were many photos of white settlers with weapons,
> mainly single shot rifles, it appeared to me.
>
> Is it possible that you rowdy Australians have needed anti-weapon laws
> once civilization arrived?
>
> (Of course, one can argue whether civilization actually did arrive :-)
> cheers,
>
> Schweik
> (goodsoldierschweikatgmaildotcom)
Australia is a former penal colony and it would be silly to give the
inmates lots of toys ;-)
Usually we have a privilege, like gun ownership or carrying a knife, and
some banana does something really silly.
As an example: The reason that we aren't allowed crossbows in NSW, is
not, because they're efficient silent weapon, but that a minister had a
prize cow killed by a crossbow bolt.
White guys always steal the place from the indigenous population,
America is no different North or South.
Rowdy Australians? Well yeah, are there any other kind... but that
makes this place a fun place to live :-)
Civilization, imo, is over rated ;-)
Regards Charles
Lachlan - KotU
a time.
rigger
>
> - Show quoted text -
"Rowdy Australians? Well yeah, are there any other kind... but that
makes this place a fun place to live :-) "
I have to admire a people who show such a great face
to the rest of the world and at the same time put up
with all those "funnel web spiders" and the rest of that
kind of nonsense. It makes me itch just thinking
about all the "creepy crawlies" you folks live with.
dennis
in nca
LarbGai
It makes me itch just thinking
>
> about all the "creepy crawlies" you folks live with.
>
> dennis
> in nca-
****** Or the "monkeys" you live with Dennis?????????
Good Soldier Schweik
And don't forget the iguanas! An old driller (as in drilling a bore)
once told me that a big guna can run right up your horse's tail and up
your back until it reaches your head.
Creepy crawly indeed!
cheers,
Schweik
(goodsoldierschweikatgmaildotcom)
brianWE
I guess they don't realize that Oz was settled, in the first place, to
replace the penal settlements they lost in North America after the War of
Independence, there.
Americans were compelled to import more African slaves to replace the
expendable, cheap labour.
Good Soldier Schweik
wrote:
Which of the colonies do you believe were "penal settlements"?
cheers,
Schweik
(goodsoldierschweikatgmaildotcom)
brianWE
"Which of the colonies do you believe were "penal settlements"? "
From my reading, convicts were sent as labour to whichever colony needed
them. I imagine they were absorbed into the general populations.
I am not aware that there were American "penal settlements" as we had in
Australia.
North America was settled by migrants...convicts were an "after thought".
Australia was settled, specifically, as a dumping ground for felons that
could, no longer, be sent to America. Migration came later.
____________________
Good Soldier Schweik
wrote:
I deliberately asked that as a leading question as I have never read a
reference to either convict transportation or any infrastructure to
support this activity.
The closest to this were the indentured servants but "indentured" was
certainly not any sort of convict it was a method for an individual to
pay back the borrowed sum necessary to pay for the trip to the New
World. As far as I have read there was no criminal or unpleasant
connotation attached to being indentured.
cheers,
Schweik
(goodsoldierschweikatgmaildotcom)
Chilla
My understanding was that the Brits were exploring and colonising the
buggery out of the planet.
Dirk Hartog discovered the west side of Oz (the Aboriginals obviously
discovered it first... meh), and it was literally described as a shit
hole, hell on Earth, pick your favorite insult.
The British were getting a tad screwed with the criminal population, so
a new punishment of transportation was prescribed, better than getting
imprisoned for baked goods theft ;-)
This punishment was abolished when people were committing crimes so that
they "could" be transported, rather than endure a life of extreme poverty.
I didn't correlate an American penal colony ceasing to be a reason for
colonising Oz.
As to slavery, I don't think anyone was really compelled to do it.
My favorite topic is when someone in the states starts rabbiting on
about how the European settlers treated the Aboriginals really badly.
The humanity, the humanity etc. etc. This is true, the Aboriginals were
treated badly, however Native Americans seem to have been treated pretty
badly also.
This does bring up a "knife related" question though.
Were the American indians a stone based culture before white settlement?
Meaning flint knives, stone axes, flint arrow heads etc.?
Regards Charles (I live in Sydney)
Good Soldier Schweik
The American Indians were stone age and had only dogs for
transportation (well, yes the women too, of course) prior to the
arrival of the white men.
Horses were added to the Western Indian's menagerie after the Spanish
exploration and settlement of Mexico and central America. Probably the
earliest the Indians acquired horses was in the late 1500 - early
1600's. Some tribes, notably the Navaho and Apache, from the mountains
of the S.W. never became known for their use of horses unlike the
plains Indians.
The Indians being intelligent, albeit primitive, recognized that iron
tools and weapons were BETTER and the earliest records showed that
edged tools and weapons were highly sought after trade goods.
cheers,
Schweik
(goodsoldierschweikatgmaildotcom)
deowll
"Good Soldier Schweik" <decypher....@sig.line> wrote in message
news:vr49551f2ilb1kf74...@4ax.com...
Not completelty right. There was some use of native copper from around the
Great Lakes that started back in the very early days as in maybe 9,000 year
ago but no evidence for smelting in what became the U.S.
At least one tride in what is now north western Mexico seems to have been in
the bronze age. This may have been one reason the Aztec did not conquer
them.
The Inca were skilled workers of metal but I'm not sure if they were
smelting copper or not. They did some nice work with silver and gold. At the
least they were working copper.
There is also some evidence for the presence of iron among the inut/Eskimo
in the east. Most likely a metorite was the source. Perry snitched a large
iron metorite that they were using as a source of iron and it is a musem the
last I heard.
In Alaska and along the west coast there may have been other sources of
iron. The locals were doing some fancy copper work and drifting wrecks may
have brought iron.
Another option is trade. Direct trade isn't all that likely but the People
living along the Bering strait didn't consider it to be a barrier. You can
walk across in the winter and their boats could easily make the trip so
repeated trades of iron forged in Asia might have resulted in iron objects
being traded for some distance along the coast as in all the way down to
Northern California.
Potlatches may also have allowed valuable items to move long distances among
these people. That is the chiefs threw huge parties for the other chiefs and
gave their guests valuable gifts to gain status. Any failure to be able to
reply in kind cost the person given a gift a lot of face. These people had
large dugout canoes they used to hunt sea mammals with including whales and
they could travel large distances.
It is also claimed that people actually moved to the villages that could
throw the biggest parties and give away the most wealth so these events did
have a selfish side to them. Everybody knew exactly who owed whom what.
I'm starting to ramble. Time to shut up.
Not completelty right. There was some use of native copper from around the
Great Lakes that started back in the very early days as in maybe 9,000 year
ago but no evidence for smelting in what became the U.S.
At least one tride in what is now north western Mexico seems to have been in
the bronze age. This may have been one reason the Aztec did not conquer
them.
The Inca were skilled workers of metal but I'm not sure if they were
smelting copper or not. They did some nice work with silver and gold. At the
least they were working copper.
There is also some evidence for the presence of iron among the inut/Eskimo
in the east. Most likely a metorite was the source. Perry snitched a large
iron metorite that they were using as a source of iron and it is a musem the
last I heard.
In Alaska and along the west coast there may have been other sources of
iron. The locals were doing some fancy copper work and drifting wrecks may
have brought iron.
Another option is trade. Direct trade isn't all that likely but the People
living along the Bering strait didn't consider it to be a barrier. You can
walk across in the winter and their boats could easily make the trip so
repeated trades of iron forged in Asia might have resulted in iron objects
being traded for some distance along the coast as in all the way down to
Northern California.
Potlatches may also have allowed valuable items to move long distances among
these people. That is the chiefs threw huge parties for the other chiefs and
gave their guests valuable gifts to gain status. Any failure to be able to
reply in kind cost the person given a gift a lot of face. These people had
large dugout canoes they used to hunt sea mammals with including whales and
they could travel large distances.
It is also claimed that people actually moved to the villages that could
throw the biggest parties and give away the most wealth so these events did
have a selfish side to them. Everybody knew exactly who owed whom what.
I'm starting to ramble. Time to shut up.
Not completelty right. There was some use of native copper from around the
Great Lakes that started back in the very early days as in maybe 9,000 year
ago but no evidence for smelting in what became the U.S.
At least one tride in what is now north western Mexico seems to have been in
the bronze age. This may have been one reason the Aztec did not conquer
them.
The Inca were skilled workers of metal but I'm not sure if they were
smelting copper or not. They did some nice work with silver and gold. At the
least they were working copper.
There is also some evidence for the presence of iron among the inut/Eskimo
in the east. Most likely a metorite was the source. Perry snitched a large
iron metorite that they were using as a source of iron and it is a musem the
last I heard.
In Alaska and along the west coast there may have been other sources of
iron. The locals were doing some fancy copper work and drifting wrecks may
have brought iron.
Another option is trade. Direct trade isn't all that likely but the People
living along the Bering strait didn't consider it to be a barrier. You can
walk across in the winter and their boats could easily make the trip so
repeated trades of iron forged in Asia might have resulted in iron objects
being traded for some distance along the coast as in all the way down to
Northern California.
Potlatches may also have allowed valuable items to move long distances among
these people. That is the chiefs threw huge parties for the other chiefs and
gave their guests valuable gifts to gain status. Any failure to be able to
reply in kind cost the person given a gift a lot of face. These people had
large dugout canoes they used to hunt sea mammals with including whales and
they could travel large distances.
It is also claimed that people actually moved to the villages that could
throw the biggest parties and give away the most wealth so these events did
have a selfish side to them. Everybody knew exactly who owed whom what.
I'm starting to ramble. Time to shut up.
Good Soldier Schweik
Probably/possibly true however there is no evidence that metal was in
common use by any group of Indians (to use the old term) that came in
contact with the settlers in N. America. Quite the contrary in fact as
all records of first contacts mention that they used "stone" knives,
arrow heads, etc.
There was obvious extensive trade among the tribes or geographical
areas. Pipe stone, for example, seems to have been traded for quite
surprising distances.
cheers,
Schweik
(goodsoldierschweikatgmaildotcom)
deowll
"Good Soldier Schweik" <decypher....@sig.line> wrote in message
Obsidian seems to have been traded vast distances, some shells, etc.
I'd say they were almost treating copper like gold though in a few places it
was made into fish hooks, celts, and such. Having anything made of copper
marked you as elite.
brianWE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_transportation#British.2FIrish_transportation_to_North_America
Seems convicts were transported to NA over a longer period than they were
shipped to Oz.
This wasn't my original source...I think that was a radio documentary.
Good Soldier Schweik
wrote:
You were correct however....
From, at best, cursory research it appeared that substantial number of
English criminals were shipped to the Americas. Apparently these
people were not shipped as "Convicts" being moved to jails or prisons
in America but were shipped as indentured servants who were obliged to
work for an employer for some period of time.
One reference I found was
scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JOTS/v33/v33n2/snyder.pdf
Which seems to equate indentured servants with apprentices.
It is quite interesting as while we do learn that there were black
slaves present at the battle of Bunker Hill (actually Breed's Hill)
the first real battle of our revolution nothing is mentioned about
indentured servants.
cheers,
Schweik
(goodsoldierschweikatgmaildotcom)
brianWE
A great debating device. I use it myself, on occasion LOL!
I never suggested that the Poms had dedicated jails in North America for
transported felons.
Australia hard large numbers of "free range" convicts,too. They were hired
out to builders, etc. Later, to farmers and such. Jails were, mostly, for
convicts being punished for further offences. Would have been a lot of them
among transported Irish rebels and political dissidents.
I'm guessing that North American transportees who transgressed further
shared accommodation with "free" settlers convicted of crimes.
Also, guessing the "free" population outnumbered the convicts.
Not the case, here in the early days.
The "indentured" tag changes little.
They were all convicted felons serving sentences. Many, unjustly.
As a matter of interest, these days, most Australians have some kind of
pride in our convict past. They achieved much in a shortish time.
Bugs the heck out of yobbo Poms who try to heckle Australian teams and
supporters at, for instance, cricket matches between the two countries. .
They think it is an insult to remind us where we came from.
I remember one English supporter at a game in Oz spent the first day
displaying a sign "Australia. Where all the convicts go".
Next day, an Aussie supporter showed a sign " England. Where all the
convicts come from". Pom sign wasn't seen again.
Good Soldier Schweik
wrote:
>"You were correct however...."
>
>A great debating device. I use it myself, on occasion LOL!
>
Well, granted I was answering from my own prospective. After all, I
never realized that the English shipped convicts out to America. It
certainly is not a major part of our history, as taught in most
schools :-)
However, it might possibly, at least partly, answer a bit of family
legend. According to the old folks, a great aunt once commissioned
someone to research the family history and the researcher got back
into the 15 - 1600's and discovered that an ancestor had been hung for
stealing a pig, on Sunday, somewhere in Scotland. The story was that
the fact that it was on a Sunday that he did the deed was the reason
for the penalty being so severe (my own research seems to indicate
that if the pig was more then a few months old the hanging was
probably for the act itself).
But maybe the rest of the tribe was transported as a method of
clearing some of the nar-do-wells out of the neighborhood.
cheers,
Schweik
(goodsoldierschweikatgmaildotcom)
DaveT
Well said! We all have ignorant sods to put up with. The excuse for many
to be sent to either the US or Australia was just to get rid of 'trouble
makers' be it habitual criminals or folks the state or church were
against. In the later case things were made so tough for them they went a
congregation at a time. The prisons weren't fit for animals so many if
given a choice chose to be sent to the US.
It was not only the UK but in the end half of Europe were sending the
unwanted out of their countries either by intimidation or direct action.
One of the worse was the export of war orphans to Australia after the war
by the church who just wanted rid of them. They were given out to anyone
who were willing to take/use them. The life many ended up with was so bad
it was made into a film.
--
DaveT