Current chatter has it the Texas mass knifing was done using an X-acto® knife or, as they must be hoping, some cheap knock-off. (For all lawful purposes, stick to the real thing; they really are better made.) Given that these little knives have no "sporting purpose," are slightly similar to some kinds of knives used by professional surgeons and that readily replaceable blades are sold in handy "magazines" or "clips" of 50 or more, should we be looking out for a push to ban "assault knives?"
Great. Bare shelves at the art-supply stores. You already can't hardly find them at the drafting-supplies stockist.*
...Meanwhile, in Serbia, a country with approximately the same gun laws as New Jersey, there was a mass shooting -- yes, there are guns a-plenty left over from the Late Unpleasantness, but the one used in this was owned in accordance with all the registration, licensing and safe-storage laws they've got. Background checks, testimonials, head-candler's report, ammunition-quantity limits, they've got 'em. And the nutjob kept going until other men-wth-guns arrived to oppose him.
One might almost suppose there was a moral here.
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* Now there's a trade that went digital early, rapidly and often.
What am I going to splice wire with?
ReplyDeleteThe sad part about this whole story, is it is a byline in most news coverage. 14 people attacke for new reason and badly hurt, two critical, never mind, it's just a knife. Back to the story on H.R. Puffinstuff's rehab.
NO reason. . sorry, long day.
ReplyDeleteAFTER A RATHER NASTY KNIFING INCIDENT
ReplyDeleteTHE MAYOR USED THE OPPORTUNITY TO CALL
FOR THE FURTHER BANNING OF FIREARMS GO
FIGURE THE MEDIA ECHOED THIS FOOLISHNESS
There IS a moral:
ReplyDeleteIt's NOT about guns (or knives)
It's about CONTROL!
gfa
In 1998 my son was suspended for having an exacto knife in his backpack at school. The "resource" officer found it while unsuccessfully searching for cigarettes. I told his principal that it was OK to suspend him for stealing it from art class, and that the reason he had it was to make "fatties" for smoking dope, but it was the hallmark of ignorance to believe that he had it to use as a weapon. She was not amused or sympathetic.
ReplyDeleteIt should be noted that the thing I call a "utility knife" is also known in some places as an "exacto knife" or "razor knife." Since the local sheriff called the weapon "a razor knife" and witnesses called it "an exacto knife," I think it's likely that the weapon was something like this.
ReplyDeleteI've had an X-Acto knife around for years. More recently, I added a #8 retractable, which rides in the Maxpedition Versipack. Handy things, for sure.
ReplyDeleteDrafting supplies? Oy. Other than the meager inventory at the big-name office supply and hobby stores, I can think of only one store in the Denver area where you can walk in and find drafting supplies. If I had the money to blow, and a place to put it, I'd be trolling Craigslist for a nice old drafting table, and one of those cool drafting machines.
More KFSZ (Knife Free School Zone) signs could have prevented this senseless tragedy. Pull that aluminum sign off the pole and use it for a shield.
ReplyDeleteFor the generic WFSZ (Weapon Free School Zone) make the signs out of kevlar.
Am I the only person who understands that there IS an effectrive way of preventing these tragedies?
stay safe.