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UK is banning samurai swords

rlh2005

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071213/od_nm/swords_dc_2

Banning samurai swords

Thu Dec 13, 10:30 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - The government said Wednesday it would ban the sale of samurai swords because the weapons had been used in a number of serious, high-profile attacks.

The Home Office said the swords would be added to the Offensive Weapons Order from April next year, meaning they could not be imported, sold or hired.

However collectors of genuine Japanese swords and those used by martial arts enthusiasts would be exempt from the ban.

"In the wrong hands, samurai swords are dangerous weapons," Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said.

"We recognize it is the cheap, easily available samurai swords which are being used in crime and not the genuine more expensive samurai swords which are of interest to collectors and martial arts enthusiasts."

The Association of Chief Police Officers said the swords were not a common weapon but they had been used in a number of significant incidents.

In 2000, Robert Ashman murdered a Liberal Democrat councilor at the offices of Cheltenham MP Nigel Jones, who was also seriously hurt in the attack.

A year earlier, Eden Strang seriously wounded 11 people when he went on the rampage with a samurai sword at a Roman Catholic Church near his home in Thornton Heath, south London.

(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Tim Castle)
--------------

How long before straws and spitwads are banned.
 

Decoligny

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Banning rocks and sticks

Thu Dec 13, 2012 10:30 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - The government said Wednesday it would ban rocks and sticks because the weapons had been used in a number of serious, high-profile attacks.

The Home Office saidrocks and sticks would be added to the Offensive Weapons Order from April next year, meaning they could not be imported, sold or hired.

However collectors of rocks and sticks and those used by gardeningenthusiasts would be exempt from the ban.

"In the wrong hands, rocks and sticks are dangerous weapons," Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said.

"We recognize it is the cheap, easily available rocks and stickswhich are being used in crime and not themore expensive rock gardenrocks and stickswhich are of interest to collectors and gardening enthusiasts."

The Association of Chief Police Officers said the rocks and sticks were not a common weapon but they had been used in a number of significant incidents.

In 2009, Ashley Ruttbump using a large stick, murdered a Local Barkeep outside of the Randy Rooster Pub owned by Walter Keegan, who was also seriously hurt in the attack.

A year earlier, Edmund Finsterer seriously wounded 2 people when he went on the rampage with a box of over 20 rocksat a Company Picnic near his home in Thornton Heath, south London.
:banghead::banghead::banghead: When will they ever learn.
 

openryan

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rlh2005 wrote:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071213/od_nm/swords_dc_2


"We recognize it is the cheap, easily available samurai swords which are being used in crime and not the genuine more expensive samurai swords which are of interest to collectors and martial arts enthusiasts."
In other words, just the "Saturday Night Swords"...

Everybody was kung fu fighting...
 

Stealth Potato

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Oh good gravy.

Several "high-profile" attacks are enough to warrant banning of inanimate objects now? Incredible. I can't wait until somebody goes on a rampage with a baseball bat, or a large kitchen knife, or a hatstand. "Hatstands banned in the U.K!" the headlines will cry.

It's funny, because I was just in an argument last night with a Canadian who was telling me that the Revolutionary War was unnecessary! Just seeing things like this should make it quite clear that it was absolutely vital, if only to separate ourselves as forcefully as possible from the ridiculous parody of government the U.K. has become!

And it should serve as a warning to us all to be ever vigilant and increasingly ardent in defending our rights as certain morons among us attempt to steer our own nation down that path...
 

imperialism2024

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openryan wrote:
rlh2005 wrote:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071213/od_nm/swords_dc_2


"We recognize it is the cheap, easily available samurai swords which are being used in crime and not the genuine more expensive samurai swords which are of interest to collectors and martial arts enthusiasts."
In other words, just the "Saturday Night Swords"...
Maybe they could impose a one-sword-per-month limitation, then.

I always joked that "banning guns because they might cause injury is ridiculous... what's next, are they going to ban knives?" Yes, yes they are...

:?
 

TrueBrit

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Once more, I am heartily ashamed that the Brits are sinking further into the cesspool of a nanny state that my Motherland has become!

My TrueBrit nephew has one or two of these bits of cutlery, since he has an interest in edged weaponry, much to the derision of his father , who prefers the Bang-Sticks!

Yeah, it makes me wonder what will be banned next!

Let us ensure that this nonsense does not gain ground on THIS side of the Pond!

This crap makes me want to go and bite the heads off a bag of Gummi Bears!

TrueBrit.
 

MetalChris

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TrueBrit wrote:
This crap makes me want to go and bite the heads off a bag of Gummi Bears!

TrueBrit.
Woah man, let's not do anything extreme! :shock:

;)
 

dangerousman

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"In the wrong hands, samurai swords are dangerous weapons," Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said.


And in the right hands, substantially MORE dangerous! So?????

What happened? Did somebody in the UK use one to criminally defend himself? :p
 

DreQo

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Maybe they'll just ban any material hard enough to pass through human flesh. Someday the whole world will just be covered in foam padding. That'll keep everyone safe.

Ya know whats really sad?, that someone could get away with robbing or hurting a group of people with nothing but a sword. Ya know there was that whole big thing where swords became ineffective because I dunno GUNS were invented? They've successfully pushed back their society to the point where swords are again effective weapons...and now they're banning those.
 

MetalChris

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DreQo wrote:
Maybe they'll just ban any material hard enough to pass through human flesh. Someday the whole world will just be covered in foam padding. That'll keep everyone safe.

Ya know whats really sad?, that someone could get away with robbing or hurting a group of people with nothing but a sword. Ya know there was that whole big thing where swords became ineffective because I dunno GUNS were invented? They've successfully pushed back their society to the point where swords are again effective weapons...and now they're banning those.
Have you seen Equilibrium? I fear a scenario much like that is not far off, especially in Europe.

If you haven't seen it, you need to, BTW. :)
 

Legba

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It'll come to the point where I have to get a license or register my bayonet collection some day soon...

-ljp
 

DreQo

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USAF_MetalChris wrote:
DreQo wrote:
Maybe they'll just ban any material hard enough to pass through human flesh. Someday the whole world will just be covered in foam padding. That'll keep everyone safe.

Ya know whats really sad?, that someone could get away with robbing or hurting a group of people with nothing but a sword. Ya know there was that whole big thing where swords became ineffective because I dunno GUNS were invented? They've successfully pushed back their society to the point where swords are again effective weapons...and now they're banning those.
Have you seen Equilibrium? I fear a scenario much like that is not far off, especially in Europe.

If you haven't seen it, you need to, BTW. :)
I haven't...it isn'tgonna tick me off, is it? It's my b-day today, I don't wanna rent a movie that'll put me in a sour mood.:p
 

Tess

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I've been reading another blog (cannot link here; it's on a gov't system) and was actually told:

"Swords are safer than guns. You can't hurt someone by pointing a sword at him."

Needless to say, I had to inform the poster you can't hurt someone by pointing a gun at him either. That whole "firearm physics 101" thing.
 

DreQo

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Tess wrote:
I've been reading another blog (cannot link here; it's on a gov't system) and was actually told:

"Swords are safer than guns. You can't hurt someone by pointing a sword at him."

Needless to say, I had to inform the poster you can't hurt someone by pointing a gun at him either. That whole "firearm physics 101" thing.
lol True, but I think his point (no pun intended) was that with a gun you need only to aim (or point) and pull the trigger, while with a sword, physical contact is necessary. Regardless, a sword out of its sheath seems to be more dangerous than a gun out of its holster. You can't cut yourself just by touching a gun lol.
 

Citizen

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We may have to colonize them and treat them badly so they'll kick us out and set up a free country. :)

We'd be doing them a favor.
 
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