[soajerwaradaY]

Seems reasonable, but... disturbing?

Swords ban to beat violent crime
A crackdown on the sale of swords has been launched as part of a campaign to tackle knife crime and violence.

Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson announced laws to ban swords unless sold for legitimate reasons.

Shops selling swords will need a licence, as will businesses dealing with non-domestic knives and other bladed weapons such as machetes.

The measures are the latest steps from the Scottish Executive to curb the problem of knife crime.

They come weeks after a nationwide knife amnesty.

A total of 12,645 blades - including lock knives, machetes, swords, meat cleavers, bayonets and axes - were handed in during the five-week amnesty.

People must realise that swords cause horrific injuries when they get into the wrong hands
Det Chief Supt John Carnochan
Violence Reduction Unit

Exemptions to the ban on sword sales include swords that are to be used for Highland dancing, museum displays, historical re-enactments, fencing and martial arts.

Ms Jamieson said: "Knife-carrying is all too prevalent in some communities, particularly in the west of Scotland, and has cut short and scarred too many young lives.

"In these areas police, doctors and law-abiding citizens have seen the damaging effects of swords, including samurai swords, being wielded on the streets.

"It is simply far too easy at present for these weapons to be bought and sold."

Anyone selling swords under the exemptions would have to take "reasonable steps" to establish that the intended use was a legitimate one.

Commercial sellers will have to comply with strict new licensing conditions, including keeping records of all sales.

'Deep-rooted culture'

Ms Jamieson added: "The licensing regime for sales of all non-domestic knives should help weed out unscrupulous traders and help legitimate traders take steps to avoid these dangerous weapons falling into the wrong hands."

The measures will be included in a new Sentencing Bill, which will go before the Scottish Parliament later in the year.

It comes after First Minister Jack McConnell announced a five-point plan to tackle knife crime in November 2004.

Other parts of the plan brought in under the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act doubled the maximum penalty for carrying a knife to four years, gave police the unconditional power to search someone they suspect of carrying a weapon and increased the minimum age for buying a knife from 16 to 18.

Det Ch Supt John Carnochan, head of the police's violence reduction unit, hailed the measures as "another major step forward in the fight against knife crime and violence".

More than half the murders in Scotland each year are carried out with knives or other sharp weapons.

Det Ch Supt Carnochan said a licensing scheme alone would not solve "the deep-rooted culture of violence which is prevalent in parts of Scotland" but added that combined with the other measures it would have a positive impact.

Cultural problem

He added: "People must realise that swords cause horrific injuries when they get into the wrong hands. We routinely see incidents involving swords, which result in appalling injuries."

Kenny MacAskill MSP, justice spokesman for the SNP, said: "We must continue to recognise that knives are as much of a cultural problem in our communities as they are a criminal one.

"We must ensure we tackle the causes as well as the symptoms of this scar on our communities."

Margaret Mitchell, justice spokeswoman for the Scottish Conservatives , said: "I broadly welcome these moves but legislation alone is never going to be enough.

"We have to make sure that anyone who would use any kind of knife or weapon feels the full force of the law and the strongest possible custodial sentence."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/h...st/4788881.stm

[joanbertis]

thank god they will let people buy sword for highland dancing. it would suck to watch sword dance done on plastic ninja sword.

pete

[Bondjrno]

thank god they will let people buy sword for highland dancing. it would suck to watch sword dance done on plastic ninja sword.

And all people with hands will have to wear 6 ounce foam gloves, during all seasons, just in case a rogue individual might strike another. I hear there is also a bill to ban rocks because, if thrown, they can cause horrific injuries. Thank goodness I live in the US or my wife's cooking could also be banned as a potentially dangerous biological contaminent.

[rostpribru]

scottuk came across this earlier
thats just scotland, but the bills going through for the rest of britain too.
(see iai section 'more ban stuff'
it seems more focussed on the sale rather than the use of though...for now.

[Mappaindy]

Nanny State.......too bad.

[BronUVT]

More than half the murders in Scotland each year are carried out with knives or other sharp weapons.

What if he has a pointed stick?

Next up to help address the symptoms as well as the cause: Hunting Knives, Axes, Kitchen Knives, Glass Bottles, Pointed sticks, Hammers, Forks, Metal Pens in excess of 10cm, Bananas, Grapefruit, and another other dangerous pointy objects.

Best wishes to those of you living there at avoiding too much hassle...

[thushioli]

theres only so many with sharp objects because guns are illegal.
and lets face it, a sharp implement isnt just a knife or sword.
it can be a broken bottle, a knitting needle, a screwdriver, anything else thats close to hand and about the right shape...

[Nemerov]

Good gods! Do you realize the number of injuries and fatalities that could occur when someone tries to catch the caber at the Highland Games, or maybe someone falls while trying to break the world record in the Haggis Throw. Quickly, let's ban those activities before the unthinkable occurs!!!!!

Not only that, but what of the errant cricket bat that suddenly ends up in the hands of a sociopath? Oh, let's ban cricket bats except for professional cricket teams - that way, nobody will be able to practice with them and there will be no domestic resource for cricket players. Looks like we'll have to import them, as we do almost everything else these days.

I thought Scotland had a sense of independence, but it's clear that some officials in Scotland have lost sight of that.

Well, if any of you manage to get a license to possess an iaito, I personally congratulate you on winning a minor battle against stupidity in government.
Government exists to serve the people, not to babysit them.

[margoaroyo]

Guess banning guns didn't stop crime so what's their solution, MORE OF THE SAME! Never mind that it didn't work the last several times. When this doesn't work either I wonder what they'll ban next. The forementioned cricket bat ban wouldn't be a new idea, at one point there was talk of restrictions on baseball bats in some US cities because they'd already banned everything else and still had crime, but they gave it up when people started to realize how ridiculous the reasoning for weapon bans is when they put the less emotionally charged "baseball bat" in place of "assault rifle".

[SiM7W2zi]

Well at least martial arts are considered a reasonable use apparently. Still pretty silly though.

[TolleyBoymn]

This ban might be necessary because Scots are by and large uncivilized animals. No hard objects should be allowed in Scotland at all.

[cinggooft]

"death of law obiding citizens" will be solved easily. make sure EVERYONE has a gun, and knows how too use it.

If everyone had a gun, then robbers would be afraid of stealing, in fear of being shot. same with gang members and all that.

alot of people play the "what if my kids get into it" card, frankly, thats bull $H!#. many of the people who say that have never even chambered a round into a pistol. children from the age of 0-9 cannot pull the slide back, and older children should be tought how to use one too prevent hurting themselfs and there friends.

I shoot. I have fun shooting. I am 13 and i know what a gun can do.

honestly, people try too take MY fun away. there are all these bans EVERYWHERE about how guns are too dangerous, and how the crime levels will go down if no one has them. no, if you take the guns off the streets, then people will atack eachother with swords! we use swords! are you telling me that now we might have too go through the same crap too get a sword with the permits after permits?

time too stop rambling on

[AgJ5mNXM]

They should ban driving on the left side on the road while calling it driving on the right side too, this is plain devious if you ask me.

They are playing with ya mind I tell ya. I was in London and they weren't driving on the right side of the road this whole isle driving on the left side trying to kill you.

It's the wrong side I say, drive on the right side when you say you drive on the right side


*Goes into hiding*

[ugosanchezo]

"death of law obiding citizens" will be solved easily. make sure EVERYONE has a gun, and knows how too use it.

If everyone had a gun, then robbers would be afraid of stealing, in fear of being shot. same with gang members and all that.

alot of people play the "what if my kids get into it" card, frankly, thats bull $H!#. many of the people who say that have never even chambered a round into a pistol. children from the age of 0-9 cannot pull the slide back, and older children should be tought how to use one too prevent hurting themselfs and there friends.

I shoot. I have fun shooting. I am 13 and i know what a gun can do.

honestly, people try too take MY fun away. there are all these bans EVERYWHERE about how guns are too dangerous, and how the crime levels will go down if no one has them. no, if you take the guns off the streets, then people will atack eachother with swords! we use swords! are you telling me that now we might have too go through the same crap too get a sword with the permits after permits?

time too stop rambling on

Throwing a sword from 20 yards may not have the same outcome as a bullet from a gun.

Just a thought.

[Toscoropreark]

This ban might be necessary because Scots are by and large uncivilized animals. No hard objects should be allowed in Scotland at all.

Sad but true.

[vesiasmepay]

Throwing a sword from 20 yards may not have the same outcome as a bullet from a gun.

Just a thought.

I think I'm more acurate with a sword then with a gun

[Xibizopt]

This ban might be necessary because Scots are by and large uncivilized animals. No hard objects should be allowed in Scotland at all.

hey ive got scottish in me..well yeah.. its true
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/69222/...spanish_beach/WARNING NAKEDNESS AND BAD LANGUAGE AND SCOTTISH ACCENTS

[gennickhif]

off topic, but my favorite joke when i was in a pipe band, scottish band at that..

BAND STRUCTURE OF THE ARGYLL & SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS
Drum Major:
Leaps tall buildings in a single bound
Faster than a speeding bullet
More powerful than a locomotive
Walks on Water
Talks to God

Pipers:
Leaps small buildings with a run-up
Is a crack shot
Pulls railway carriages
Fords rivers
Listens to god

Side Drummers:
Vaults over fences
Is allowed his own sidearm
Can read a railway timetable
Knows how to put on fishing gollashes
Believes in God

Tenor Drummers:
Can open and walk through a door
Knows which is the dangerous end of a gun
Has his own train set
Wears Wellington boots
Talks to himself

Bass Drummers:
Trips over matchsticks
Is NEVER allowed near firearms
Says "Look at CHOO-CHOO"
Plays in puddles
Nobody listens to him and finally.

THE PIPE MAJOR:
Lifts tall buildings and walks underneath them
Catches bullets in his teeth and chews them
Kicks locomotives off their tracks
Drinks entire oceans
He IS GOD!!!!

pete

[hablyShappY]

This ban might be necessary because Scots are by and large uncivilized animals. No hard objects should be allowed in Scotland at all.

weeeeeeeeeeeell, we basically wrote your Decleration of Independence, and provided a vast number of educators to you at the embryonic stage of your counties development... so give us that stuff back. Oh, and the phone, tv, paracetemol, modern economic theory... etc etc

Sad but true.

Do you actually do kendo in the area (I mean Osaka, not Kobe)? If you do then we will definetly meet, if you havent seen me already. I'm the only non-Japanese guy that takes part in shiai here. Be sure and say hi... if you dare ..

[Arrecteve]

This ban might be necessary because Scots are by and large uncivilized animals. No hard objects should be allowed in Scotland at all.

And aint America so perfect....one word "GUNS"