Anyone out there think I get a little paranoid sometimes, should remember I
live
under the jurisdiction of Hampshire Police.
Kit Lewis
POLICE have apologised to outraged Sikhs after officers confiscated
ceremonial knives from two religious leaders.
The temple priests had been forced to hand over their kirpans - short,
curved daggers worn as religious symbols: - after they were mistaken for
offensive weapons.
The move triggered a furious reaction among Sikhs in Southampton,
who saw it as an insult to their faith.
Angry community leaders held talks with police chiefs to demand an
explanation and an apology.
Inspector John Kenna later removed his shoes and covered the top of
his head - to demonstrate his humility - before entering a temple to take
part in a special ceremony to hand the knives back.
He told priests he was sorry and promised that officers across the city
would be better educated about Sikhtraditions in future.
The kirpans had been seized from Tajinder Singh, 23, and 25-year-old
Tarlok Singh as they strolled through the centre of Southampton wearing
traditional robes and turbans.
Hariap Singh, general secretary of the Gurdwara Nanaksar temple, said:
'This incident was an attack on the Sikh religion.
'As far as I know this is the first time this has ever happened in
Southampton.
'The priests were shocked and almost in tears when they returned
to the temple.
'The kirpan is a sacred symbol of our faith and to take one off any Sikh
is an insult.
'I am sure Sikhs all over the country will be shocked by what has happened.'
Hampshire police authority spokesman Ken Thornber said last night:
'I think the police officers involved did what they considered to be the
right thing.
'They were very conscious that knives can be dangerous weapons.
But in a multi-cultural society we have to be very careful.'
Inspector Brian Hills also apologised but said public safety had been
the overriding concern.
He said: 'We will give officers instructions about the different religions
among the community. No harm was intended. But the kirpans were
at the time seen by the officers as offensive weapons and in the interest
of public safety the officers confiscated them.
'Perhaps if they had known about their religious symbolism, they may
not have acted in this way.'
All baptised Sikhs have the right to carry the ceremonial kirpans,
which are worn to remind the wearer of the need to defend the weak
and oppressed.
A police spokesman said: 'Anyone can carry a knife if they can prove
the intent is legal - a painter and decorator can have a knife if he can
prove he's just about to use it for work.
'The law states that for it not to be an offensive weapon you have to have
it for a particular purpose.
'You have to justify why you've got it."
<ends>
Police commissioner Dick Twadle was heard to say, "At this rate the
whole of the countryside, and yea, even the Parliament may be overrun
by such as these before the turn of the century. Yea, gods, what have
you let us in for?"
Church of England inside sources are said to be reconsidering a long
forgotten tome supposedly written by Anne Boleyn, but hidden by
coherts of Wolsley which might indicate that ritual carrying of knives
is indeed symbolic of breaking away from the overreaching,
overbearing, grasping hands of Rome.
***************************
ROTFLOL!!!
MPS
When have the English ever been concerned
about anybody's human rights?
TW
And my Boker is MY ritual knife... when I'm not carrying my Gerber Mk I.
Gimme that old time religion!
--
Rev. Jihad Frenzy
"Take my advice, or I'll spank you without pants!"
> Anyone out there think I get a little paranoid sometimes, should
> remember I
> live
> under the jurisdiction of Hampshire Police.
>
I'm under the jurisdiction of Kent Police.I was told on Thursday, by a
police officer, that the 2.5 inch Spyderco Dragonfly in my pocket was
illegal - but that he wouldn't arrest me for it this time. Although
under the 3 inch legal limit - it "locks". It is criminal offense for
me to carry a locking knife no matter how short it is - unless I am out
hunting or fishing etc.
After seeing the old scars from non-locking opinals on my forefinger he
agreed that it was a stupid Law.
Mike - learning to be Sikh - McDonnell
>
>
> "Take my advice, or I'll spank you without pants!"
Carefull there, Reverend, Child Welfare is starting to investigate
that stuff! :)
Carl.
Thus, union gardeners could carry pruning knives, saws, machetes,
scythes and battery-powered hedge trimmers. Union carpenters could
carry hammers, crowbars and wrecking bars, adzes, froes, battery-
powered drills and nail guns. Plumbers could carry pipe and wrenches,
paramedics, laborers, teamsters, farmers each carried some semi-lethal
tool, sports-team auxiliaries carried bats, poles, sticks and
weighted gloves. Crime nearly disappeared. The Times increased its
letter page to a full section with protests from "concerned citizens".
You could walk in Central Park again at night.
Of course, it lasted only until lawmakers could declare self-
protection illegal again...
Good story. Don't remember the name or where I saw it.
Tom Faller
--
Thomas Faller fal...@peachtree.sgi.com
Customer Support Center Voice: (770) 631-2258
Silicon Graphics, Inc. FAX: (770) 486-4206
Hell, when has ANY government been concerned with human rights.
U.S. Gov talks tough about human rights violations all over the
world while continuing to restrict those of it's own citizens.
Most governments believe their citizens are too stupid and incompetent
to be trusted, so they treat them like children.
Unfortunately just enough are living down to their expectations...
greg
In article <66vo03$m...@bgtnsc02.worldnet.att.net>, "Thomas Wilkinson"
<tamr...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
--
Remove the * from the email address to reply.
This puts me in mind of the situation in the German states up until, well,
at least the eighteenth century. Only certain classes of people were
allowed to go armed. But various tradesmen were allowed to carry their
tools by ancient custom. Journeyman millers were allowed to carry
hatchets. Smiths could keep their hammers with them. And so on.
Obviously, there was symbolic value in these. And of course it was
necessary to have the tools around - If something goes wrong in a water
mill you might have to start chopping right away or lose important parts
of the mill (and your colleagues). But it seems pretty obvious that it
was also a legal way for craftsment to go armed in a way which identiifed
them as solid honest citizens.
According to the redoubtable Chas Clements who often posts here the same
sort of thing has happened in Denver. "Going forth armed" is illegal there.
Lots of cooks carry their prize chefs knives, and you wouldn't believe the
number of dry wall installers and roofers there are in that city....
Regards,
Todd
--
Todd Ellner | The selfish, smiling fool, and the sullen, frowning fool
tel...@cs.pdx.edu | shall be both thought wise, that they may be a rod.
(503)557-1572 | --William Blake "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell"
> When have the English ever been concerned
> about anybody's human rights?
> TW
Seems to me that England has assured itself of setting all records
for increased crime on it's citizens. What the H**L is this country
thinking about? Talk about wolves in the hen house!!!
HELLO! ANYONE HOME?,,,, dub
Perhaps they need to Sikh legal advice about what to do afTUR BANNED
knives are taken away.
;)JOhn.
Anyone over 21 years of age in New York City can obtain a permit to own a
handgun if they have a clean criminal record. Anyone who obtains a
handgun without a permit goes to jail. If you want to live in one of
those »crime free zones« where everyone carries weapons try to Sarajevo
or Afganistan or Israel or a number of other fun places... just watch out
for those land mines, most of them are not designed to kill you, just
blow off a leg or a foot...
Thomas H. Faller wrote:
> Sounds like the only groups which have an "excuse" to carry are pretty
> well organized and represented..
> There was a story awhile ago, set
> in New York City, in which a
> similar restriction on weapons (and its resulting explosion of crime)
> was circumvented by letting tradespeople carry the tools of their
> trade. The protagonists decided that a little creative thinking
> would allow the carry of necessary defensive weapons, and got a
> city-wide program where ciizens who wanted to protect themselves
> could join the appropriate union and then pick from the "tools of
> the trade".
>
> Thus, union gardeners could carry pruning knives, saws, machetes,
> scythes and battery-powered hedge trimmers. Union carpenters could
> carry hammers, crowbars and wrecking bars, adzes, froes, battery-
> powered drills and nail guns. Plumbers could carry pipe and wrenches,
> paramedics, laborers, teamsters, farmers each carried some semi-lethal
> tool, sports-team auxiliaries carried bats, poles, sticks and
> weighted gloves. Crime nearly disappeared. The Times increased its
> letter page to a full section with protests from "concerned citizens".
> You could walk in Central Park again at night.
> Of course, it lasted only until lawmakers could declare self-
> protection illegal again...
> Good story. Don't remember the name or where I saw it.
>
> Tom Faller
>
> --
> Thomas Faller fal...@peachtree.sgi.com
> Customer Support Center Voice: (770) 631-2258
> Silicon Graphics, Inc. FAX: (770) 486-4206
--
until such time / bis die Tage
Kevin Wilkins
What scares me most is that he actually wrote the statement below and appears
to believe it.
> How's that saying go? "Better to be silent and be thought a fool than
> to speak
> up and prove it?"
>
...and he wrote it in response to the following idiocy uttered by some
other individual:
> Are you talking about the New York City where crime is now down more
> than
> 50%? The New York City which is one of the safest big cities in
> America?
>
> Anyone over 21 years of age in New York City can obtain a permit to
> own a
> handgun if they have a clean criminal record. Anyone who obtains a
> handgun without a permit goes to jail. If you want to live in one of
> those »crime free zones« where everyone carries weapons try to
> Sarajevo
> or Afganistan or Israel or a number of other fun places... just watch
> out
> for those land mines, most of them are not designed to kill you, just
> blow off a leg or a foot...
I'm with you, Razor. Anyone who thinks NYC is a remarkably safe place
to live is a few thermal tiles short of a safe re-entry.
Kevin Wilkins wrote:
> Don't any of you people look at the current FBI crime statistics?
Carl.
Problem is, as I see it, some folks are arguing statistics, and others
are arguing their experiences, or gut reactions.
Sure, according to statistics, the level of "index crimes" such as
murder, rape, assault, etc. is down in New York. Heck, there was a
similar drop in Chicago while I was living there, but everyone with a
grain of sense in their heads knew that as nice as our neighborhood was
during the day, after dark there were some places you just didn't go
unless you wanted to run afoul of drug dealers and gang members
patrolling 'their' turf.
Similarly, that 43% drop in burglaries since 1973 across the country
is mighty cold comfort for us in the little town where I live now.
Burglaries here have been going up the last several years, and nearly
doubled this last year. And, where almost all of them used to be
break-ins of unoccupied lake cabins left empty for the winter, this last
summer saw serveral armed invasions of people's homes in town, including
an incident where two teenagers talked their way into an elderly lady's
home, took her cash, then beat her up when she wouldnt' tell them where
she hid her car keys.
madpoet
Besides you are off topic,this is Rec.Knives. Enough said.
Jerry Holm
In article <349C5E...@wcta.net>, mel sorg <mel...@wcta.net> wrote:
> Carl J. Paulsen wrote:
> >
> > Did anybody check the numbers before starting a fight? I did a quick
> > internet search for stats, and found only one sight, which showed FBI
> > figures listing NY city as being very low on crime compared to other
> > major cities, and much safer than dozens of smaller cities(went back to
> > get url for it, but netscape is screwing up again. just search yahoo
> > for "crime statics cities"). I checked another web page, and found that
> > theft and burglury is about 45% lower all over the country than in 1973
> > (that's where the graph starts). Probably needs to be researched more
> > (violent crime bounces up and down, but stays at roughly the same
> > level.) but obviously everyone needs to reconsider their insults and
> > assertions briefly.
> >
>
> Problem is, as I see it, some folks are arguing statistics, and others
> are arguing their experiences, or gut reactions.
Snip
I
>have the "original" knife that Jim Bowie carried for sale for only $100.00. I
>also have the knife that was used to kill Caesar for sale for only $125.00.
>Yeah, right! <g>
>A.T.
I'll take one of the Bowie's and two of the Caesar's (Et tu). You do
take plastic?
>Sorry for just getting into this thread late, BUT...did someone actually say
>it was safe in New York City? The quote below is "New York City which is
>one of the safest big cities in America"? I must be missing something. Where
>did this fantasy come from?
Have you checked actual numbers or are you using the same research
techniques (hearsay, "common knowledge") that fraidy-cats use to
justify banning knife carry?
The people who think knives are dangerous and scary and only used by
criminals get that idea the same way that they get the idea that New
York City is dangerous and scary and packed with criminals: through
sensationalistic news reports and movies and television shows.
I ran into the same thing with some friends of mine regarding the
silly but entertaining movie Breakdown, which reinforced city
dwellers' fears that the space between the coasts is so full of
rapacious rednecks that it's not even safe to drive through.
One acquaintance of mine casually referred to the "realism" of the
movie, and I was just stunned.
It was about as accurate a portrayal of desert towns as Death Wish was
a portrayal of New York City (now how many of us watched Death Wish
and were convinced that it's JUST LIKE THAT?:-).
How many people on here think that kids getting tossed out of school
for bringing plastic knives for lunch has happened ALL OVER THE PLACE?
How many of us talk and act as if it has? How many know how exactly
how many times that such a thing has actually happened in real life?
We all have our things that we "know" about how the world is, and they
usually add up to "the place where I live is the best, and most places
outside of it (especially ones that I've never been to) are either
dangerous or crazy or boring or some awful combination of all three."
Erik Miller
esmiller at jps dot net
http://www.jps.net/esmiller
header altered to thwart spam-bots
> Have you checked actual numbers or are you using the same research
> techniques (hearsay, "common knowledge") that fraidy-cats use to
> justify banning knife carry?
>
Tried that, Erik, but I don't think anybody got the point. Yes, I
checked the numbers before speaking, and the common attitude of fear was
wrong.
<<snip- erik expanding on human tendency to exagerate small
events>>Absolutely. None of that stuff is as common as people think.
But...
> How many people on here think that kids getting tossed out of school
> for bringing plastic knives for lunch has happened ALL OVER THE PLACE?
>
> How many of us talk and act as if it has? How many know how exactly
> how many times that such a thing has actually happened in real life?
...what bothers me is that the schools, cops, etc COULD do those
things legally if they felt like it. While no one that I know has been
arrested for any of the dumb things that are illegal, the fact that a
cop could bothers me. I don't want to live at the mercy of "nice"
master any more than at that of a cruel one. The argument that it
doesn't happen often doesn't make me feel better if the law is still
wrong.
Carl.
Kevin Wilkins <kv...@berlin.snafu.de> wrote in article
<3497A0E0...@berlin.snafu.de>...
> Are you talking about the New York City where crime is now down more than
50%? The New York City which is one of the safest big cities in America?
In 1932 your city had 14 murders, anyone could carry whatever they wanted
in weaponry. With fewer people now than '32, how many murders were there
last year?
Having unexpectedly found myself wandering Times Square at 1:00AM past
gangs, prostitutes and wierdos, and having a scared petite lady in my
care, I would certainly not deem NYC "safe".
not gonna find anything but agreement here. this last summer i found
myself on the streets of NYC with 3 friends. yep, that's right, 4 little
white suburban kids wandering around the streets of New York, because the
next train out wasn't for 6 hours. and no knives of any sort, either, the
Empire State Building has metal detectors. it's amazing how many people
offer you drugs.
Stay Sharp,
Joe
Fool is any city red light district safe at 1am? hey try atlanta or
boston or maybe compton in LA
Peter Sampogna wrote:
: Fool is any city red light district safe at 1am? hey try atlanta or
: boston or maybe compton in LA
Sure enough the criminal element is in control of those areas because
what's going on there is "aggin'th'law" and therefore a black market
situation which means big bucks in a wealthy country like the US! :-)
In about the mid '80s a guy wanted a machine gun $200 tax plus the
manufacturer in Coolidge Az would make it and test the crap outta it for
him for (was it?) $150 any way it was $800 all together for the gun if he
first bought the AR-15 from me through my licence. Cool. A month later
the Gov't had put a stop to "new" machine guns and so those that were
already processed, but not actually manufactured were suddenly $3200.
Free enterprize in action when the supply is limited by outside forces.
I don't know for sure what happened to the class 3? maker/dealer, what do
you suppose?
I -was- a class 6.
I, all ways ben lo class! :-)
Bayonets! (knife content)
Alvin Johnston <--Libertarian
It wasn't foolishness. It was a $#@%^ hotel clerk that denied that me
and my different-race ladyfriend had a reservation. No other hotel had
openings, local friends claimed inability to help, and the next bus back
was leaving 6 hours later. What would _you_ have done? Thank God we
finally found a sleazy but acceptable hotel at about 1:30AM.
The reason I study self-defense is for such situations: through no fault
of our own, we sometimes find ourselves in pretty shitty situations
where someone may very well want to hurt us.
> Peter Sampogna wrote:
> > Fool is any city red light district safe at 1am? hey try atlanta or
> > boston or maybe compton in LA
>
> It wasn't foolishness. It was a $#@%^ hotel clerk that denied that me
> and my different-race ladyfriend had a reservation.
This is why you ALWAYS, _ALWAYS_ get a written confirmation from the hotel
and guarantee it for the night with a credit card.
With these two things done, the hotel MUST give you a room, depite what
any desk clerk thinks.
And if you have a confirmation and have guaranteed it with a credit card,
and the clerk gets shirty, you get the shift manager out there instantly.
Yeah, this doesn't have much to have much to do with knives, but you do
have rights when dealing with hotels. That reservation is a legal contract,
and with that credit card securing the room for the night, you have them by
the short and curlies.
And if you have a checking account and no credit card, the new 'check card"
looks and acts like a credit card from the viewpoint of a merchant.
--
Rev. Jihad Frenzy
"Gadzooks!", quoth I, "But here's a saucy bawd!"
I, Libertine
by Fredrick R. Ewing
Credit card was given. (Yeah, no written confirmation. Never had to.)
"Computer says no reservation".
> With these two things done, the hotel MUST give you a room, depite
> what any desk clerk thinks.
And if he says "no"?
Related point: anyone can get a CCW for NYC. They just have to spend
LOTS of time cutting red tape, playing waiting games, and filing
lawsuits. Moral: sometimes it just ain't worth the games.
> And if you have a confirmation and have guaranteed it with a credit
> card, and the clerk gets shirty, you get the shift manager out there
> instantly.
Methinks the clerk was the owner. Even if not, too many possible
delaying tactics at this small hotel.
> Yeah, this doesn't have much to have much to do with knives, but you
> do have rights when dealing with hotels.
OBKnife: Having a Mini-AFCK handy during subsequent wanderings was
somewhat comforting. (A Glock would have been more so.)
> That reservation is a legal contract,
> and with that credit card securing the room for the night, you have
> them by the short and curlies.
They can play too many games, including the one that says there is in
fact no available rooms.
Anyway, that subject is pretty much exhausted. Back to knives...
It was a big hotel - Hyatt. I did the manager number etc
as did a lot of folk. Ended up taking the hotel limo
over to Motel Sleaze.
What happened was that a tornado had shut down the airport to
real late. Thus when we finally got in, the hotel figured they
could rent out rooms at full rate and still make money even
if they had to pay for cheap rooms at the sleaze bag as compared
to honoring the business rate.
So much - for the temper tantrum in the lobby strategy.
You should see tens of folks having the tantrum.
Back to knives - moved a big chair in front of the motel room
door and slept the with CQCK-7 by my head. Unfortunately, I'm
not licensed to carry a gun in GA.
Many other stories about "guaranteed" reservations going belly
up. Just travel somemore.
bye
Happy New Year - got a nice big knife for a holiday present!
Unfortunatly, if they screw you, you have to take them to court to get
satisfaction.
Not worth the effort in most cases.
But enough of this non-knife stuff.
Out of curiosity, I picked up a cheap little ceramic sharpener at
Stoddard's Knife Shop here in Boston.
The damn thing put a damn fine edge back on my woefully dull big blade on
my SAK with a few quick strokes.
I was very impressed!
While not the equal to a half hour with a couple of stones, it's a
perfectly acceptable working edge for a pocket knife.
This one's a keeper.
> Carl Donath wrote:
> >
> > Kevin Wilkins <kv...@berlin.snafu.de> wrote:
> > > Are you talking about the New York City where crime is now down more
> > > than 50%? The New York City which is one of the safest big cities in
> > > America?
> >
> > Having unexpectedly found myself wandering Times Square at 1:00AM past
> > gangs, prostitutes and wierdos, and having a scared petite lady in my
> > care, I would certainly not deem NYC "safe".
>
> Fool is any city red light district safe at 1am? hey try atlanta or
> boston or maybe compton in LA
Timnes Square in NYC is no longer a red light District per se. It's been
cleaned up immensely in recent years by Disney et all
--
Member of the Golden Eagles Rifle and Pistol Club in Brooklyn NY
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/3964
http://nycmetro.com/midgard
http://www.nra.org
When you consider crime in the city as a whole compared to other
cities also considered as wholes, yes, a number of U.S. cities have
higher crime rates than NYC. Crime in reality, of course, is
concentrated in certain areas and not spread uniformly throughout
cities, so certain areas of NYC have quite high crime rates.
>> I checked another web page, and found that
>> theft and burglury is about 45% lower all over the country than in 1973
>> (that's where the graph starts). Probably needs to be researched more
>> (violent crime bounces up and down, but stays at roughly the same
>> level.)
Wrong -- crime in the U.S. has been going down steadily for years. Of
course you won't learn that from listening to politicians explaining
why they have to restrict everybody's rights. The truth is in the
annual FBI reports but it's not publicized.
-Cougar Allen :{)
cou...@elevator-bbs.com
I brought up the 1932 murder rate in NYC - 14 and the 1,400+ murders in
1992. The point was and is - murders went way up and the population is
slightly lower. I was not saying NYC is better or worse than other cities.
I was pointing out this answers a few questions about what DID NOT cause
the jump.
#1. Knives were unregulated in 1932.
#2 Guns were unregulated in 1932.
#3 Poverty was much greater in 1932.
#4 Education was far less available in 1932.
My point is that these four factors DID NOT cause the increased killing of
about 1,400 New Yorkers each year. We celebrate dropping 50 or 500 people
getting violently killed each year? 1,331 people dying violently is still a
problem in my view.
As for the "red light districts", there were likely just as many in 1932 as
there are now. I expect one could walk through a red light district in 1932
and not expect to get murdered. Why should it be different now? What is
this idea - set up areas where murder and violent crime are tolerated? Why
tolerate crime anyway? There always was some, will be some, but not at
these levels! Get a clue about violent crime, it can be reduced a great
deal more.