>>to promote a public awareness of knives as tools and not as weapons. if we outlawed everything that could be used as a weapon you can see how ridiculous that would be. we want to play a part in decided where that line will be drawn.
If we are going to ban anything at all, then it is rather simple as to what should and what should not be banned. If a knife has any usefullness at all, as a tool, then we do not, as a society have any right to ban it, because we then put a restriction on something that people need to survive. As you say, we can not restrict something, JUST becasue it can be used as a weapon, rather if we are going to place restrictions, then we should limit it to items that can ONLY be used as a weapon.
I believe we need to educate people, esp. our young people that a tool can be used to build, create, even to bring about healing. We should not tear down, or destroy in anyway. Nor should we do harm to others, rather, we should do good all the days of our lives, and learn how good can and does always overcome evil intent.
The problem about the education of our young people in the right and proper use of a knife or any sharp tool, is that a lot of adults are pretty stupid about how to go about educating them. We live in a society where there is a great deal of wealth, and the result is, many people depend upon their money for survival. They do not learn how to use a knife, but they hire people to use a knife for them. To butcher their meat, or to build their home, make their clothing and so on. So, they do not know how to begin to train the young people in how to properly use a tool we need for survival, because the only survival they know is to hire someone to do everything for them.
The problem is, the people who are being hired to do the work, need tools to get the job done, and the people who have the money to hire them, are to stupid to realize that they need the right tool to get the job done. They want a paramedic to be there for them, when they get into a accident, but they do not want him to carry the knife he needs to cut the seat belt to rescue them.
Young people need to learn that a tool can be used to build, create, rescue, save, heal and deliver people from danger. We need to teach our young people that they are not to do any harm to others in anyway. In fact, those who tear down and destroy, will in the end, be destroyed themselves. We can not do this by banning knives. What we need to do, is ban ignorance. We need to begin with the ignorance, of those who are creating laws. People who are ignorant of tool in general, and see everything as a potential weapon. Because if they view it as a weapon, then that is the message they are sending our young people, that it's a weapon, and in effect, they do more harm, by putting a ban on it. Rather they need to promote programs showing our young people the proper and safe use of a knife.
The court system spends so much time trying to establish if they were guilty of ownership of a illegal item, so they spend no time dealing with the improper use of that item, and the ignorance the young person used in the improper use of the item. Ignorance generated by a legal system, that promotes these knives as being evil, and does nothing to educate people in their proper use.
So, the bottom line is, don't ban tools that we need for survival. Rather ban ignorance, stupidity, and evil intent. Institute programs to teach our young people their proper use, and how to use them for good.
Thanks, JohnR7
WWW.BalisongKnife.Com
