What ever happened to common sense? I find myself asking this question more and more these days as ignorance and irrational fears lead to stricter knife laws.
Having grown up in a small rural town, I enjoyed a world where substance takes precedence over image--a world governed by common sense. There, people do not become hysterical at the sight of a blade. Knives are tools, plain and simple. The townsfolk use them daily and somehow manage to avoid the constant eruptions of violence some political lobbyists would suggest as inevitable in a community where knives are commonplace.
Perhaps safety prevails because the majority of people in my home town understand the responsibility that comes with using or carrying a knife, and they teach it to their children. I vividly recall receiving my first pocket knife--a tiny, two-bladed Boker. My father showed me how to open and close it safely. How to sharpen and oil the blade. How to behave when the blade was open. How to cut so that I didn't harm myself or others. I still own that little pen knife, and I've acquired dozens more in the past twenty or so years. But no matter how much time has elapsed, those early lessons are still deeply ingrained, and I will pass them on to my children. Too many kids, however, don't have the benefit of this kind of "common sense" instruction. Education needs to expand beyond the families who already transmit knowledge about the significance of knives and their safe use. For every child who learns to respect knives, dozens of others fail to realize the vast privilege and duty inherent in knife ownership.
The American Knife and Tool Institute (AKTI) is actively engaged in correcting this imbalance. Their credo, "Educate, Promote, Inform," underscores their mission of teaching young and old alike about the history, production, and use of blades. AKTI supports educational programs which not only lead to safer knife owners but also increase public awareness of the tradition and importance of knives in our everyday lives. Sal Glesser, founder of Spyderco, is fond of saying, "All God's critters have knives." True, but most of those critters naturally know how to utilize them. Humans, however, have to be taught, and AKTI is already making great strides in this direction. Thus, by supporting AKTI, you help guarantee the future of responsible knife usage in our country.
In order to maintain our rights to carry and use knives, we must also work diligently to educate our representatives at the local, state, and national levels. Too much knife legislation nowadays goes against common sense. Ill-devised knife laws seem intent on eroding the basic rights that many of us take for granted. AKTI is the best watchdog you can have on your side in this respect. AKTI offers legislative updates and keeps an eye out for laws that are unfair or poorly conceived. To be a responsible citizen is to be an informed citizen, and if you carry or use knives, you should get the facts on current laws and potential laws that affect you. Only then can you convey your approval or dissatisfaction to your elected representatives.
What ever happened to common sense? Well, after doing my homework, I find that it is at least alive and well among AKTI leaders and members. These people understand the significance knives hold in our country. They seek to protect the traditions of knife ownership and use. They recognize knives as powerful tools that require skill and responsibility, and they seek to spread this knowledge in an enthusiastic manner. If you care about knives, you care about AKTI, and you should lend this organization your support. As a new member, I'm proud to be associated with AKTI. You could be too.
Jason, a.k.a. "Guyon"
New AKTI Member
Nashville, Tennessee
[This message has been edited by Guyon (edited 03-31-2000).]
