AKTI, unique in the history of the knife industry, has taken on a very large mission. That mission is to represent the entire knife industry ... manufacturers, distributors, retailers and yes, end users whom we believe have the right to possess, carry and use knives in a responsible fashion.
If AKTI had not stepped forward in California to respond to a threat to take away the current exemption for one-hand opening knives in the switchblade law, we would currently be hearing a lot more weaping and knashing of teeth about the future of our industry and our rights as citizens. A lot of companies would be in the process of losing that market. And a lot of knife users would be de-facto criminals.
CJ Buck is right. We need to stop looking for defeats in our victories. California is shaping up to be a clear victory. If you want an update, please go to my new post on the SB274 thread.
Will this victory be static? Probably not. At some time in the future a lawmaker or prosecutor might decide their interpretation of what's good for society needs to be pressed. And AKTI will step forward again to address the issue with a new vision, new information, and a new sense of the then-public mood.
A.G. Russell has also clearly suggested where we believe we can be most effective (translation ... get the most done with the fewest dollars and man/woman hours). That direction is to make contact with, develop dialogue with, and offer AKTI resources to, lawmakers across the country on a state-by-state basis. We call that our AKTI Legislative Action Plan. It is sensible, practical, workable, fiscally responsible and very likely to succeed as a long-term strategy.
Is it static? No. If we get support from certain lawmakers, they could very well be voted out of office and we will have to start all over again in that state. Yes, that's frustrating. But that's reality. Kind of like having to wash the dishes every day if you want to eat off of clean dishes.
The dialogue with lawmakers that we have in California over SB274 is one part of that process. So was the meeting AKTI representatives set up with U.S. Representative Barbara Hooley in Oregon in May 2000 ... some five months before Columbia River Knife and Tool asked her and Senator Gordon Smith to come to their aid when U.S. Customs seized 50 models of their one-hand opening knives. Here's the short story: Hooley and Smith wrote and emailed a letter supporting CRKT to the Commissioner of Customs on a Wednesday; two days later, on Friday, they had their knives back.
And another thing A.G. didn't mention is that he recently initiated a meeting with his representative in Arkansas, Asa Hutchinson, that promises to give us another ally in our AKTI goal of "Keeping Knives in American Lives."
In early April of this year, I was also in Colorado meeting with key manufacturers about setting up meetings with their local and national lawmakers.
This is a slow, steady, non-glamorous, non-sexy process of writing letters, having meetings, and offering and asking for support. It's American politics at the grassroots level.
It's not about wild words, unfounded accusations and bonfires in the street. The AKTI Executive Committee has clearly espoused that moderate and reasonable approach. We don't believe fiery rhetoric is the way to get cooperation from lawmakers and the law enforcement community, as we clearly did in getting SB274 to this stage.
I would also invite all of you to check another new post on this forum ... AKTI Wants Your Suggestions.
If you want us to consider your views about the direction of AKTI, please take some time to research the implications (in terms of time, money and public perception) of your strategy.
For example, from my 20 years in publishing, I can tell you that a national advertising campaign that has any hope of getting "share of voice" and influencing broad public opinion would cost AKTI anwhere from $6-10 million. Why? Because we'd have to buy TV time to compete with all the money that McDonalds, Cadillac and all the dot-coms now spend to get people to see and retain their messages.
We can all sit back and craft glorious projects and grand scenarios for AKTI, but somebody has to pay for them and (short of a huge volunteer effort) somebody has to pay the lobbyists, PR agencies, advertising agencies and the most influential broad consumer publications to carry our repeated, constant, never-ending messages.
But let's not get discouraged. The turtles who keep moving slowly forward will outlast the hares who are here today and gone tomorrow. The founding Board of Regents of AKTI have been in this business a long time. AKTI is now officially 3 1/2 years old. And any credible business consultant will tell you that a business that lasts for three years has a darn good chance of surviving long-term.
That's the AKTI goal ... surviving long-term so we can help this industry and the consumers that support it both long-term and short-term.
AKTI is moving forward. We have new programs, new corporate and individual members, and even a new website in the works that we plan to update on a more regular basis.
We invite vigorous dialogue, reasoned input, financial contributions and enthusiastic volunteers.
We do not have the money to give you lots of fancy bells and whistles. Your $35 individual (Ambassador) membership will get you two newsletters per year. And our promise that your membership dollars are not being spent on frivolous items.
Did you know, for example, that every AKTI Board member pays their own expenses to attend our board meetings? And takes valuable time away from their business to do so?
They're working for you. They're working for the entire industry. Support them! Support AKTI! Join AKTI by going to our website at
www.akti.org or visiting us at our booth at the upcoming Blade Show.
Sincerely,
David Kowalski
AKTI Cmmunications Coordinator
