The Sunday Times - Scotland
February 12, 2006
Katie Grant: Let’s cut to the chase: blades must be banned

As you walked down the street this morning to buy this paper, did you stop to wonder whether any of those you passed were carrying a knife? If you live in the west of Scotland, chances are that if you passed 20 young men aged between 15 and 25, almost all would have been carrying a “blade”, as the cool call them, for “protection”. Glasgow is more like The Sopranos than The Simpsons.

Knowing this, Cathy Jamieson, the justice minister, has announced that there is to be a nationwide knife amnesty running for a month, beginning in May. The aim is to reduce knife crime in Scotland, which is double that of London, and rising.

This is not the first time such an amnesty has been declared, During Operation Blade in 1993 more than 4,500 weapons were surrendered in only four weeks. The police hailed it a success when in the subsequent 12 months murder rates fell by 26% and attempted murder by 19%.

The success, however, was shortlived. In 1996, 227 people were convicted for crimes involving offensive weapons. In 2000 it was 1,137. In 2004-2005 there were 9,545 reported instances of “handling a weapon”, and this after the launch of dozens of well-intentioned initiatives, both national and local, to try to reduce this Scottish scourge.

Nobody is complacent. Last November, Jack McConnell, the first minister, announced a five-point plan for reducing knife crime, which included banning the sale of samurai swords, longer jail terms, more powers of search and arrest, a tighter licensing scheme and increasing the age at which you can buy a knife from 16 to 18.

This latest amnesty, during which knife-carriers can, without fear of prosecution, hand over their weapons in designated safe spots for the police to destroy, does not arrive in a vacuum: one of its purposes is to kick-start a year-long Safer Scotland anti-violence campaign.

Nobody could possibly wish such a campaign ill, particularly when we learnt recently that there are 170 knife-wielding gangs in Glasgow looking for a share of the action on a Saturday night. That is a lot of blades. Add booze and drugs to the knives and it is no wonder that Glasgow, and therefore Scotland, gets such a bad name. Compared with what is going on now, the infamous ice-cream wars look both tame and contained.

I am not, therefore, criticising the latest amnesty in itself. I simply worry that it is of far less use than police and politicians like to assert. One outstanding and immediate problem, which hasn’t been addressed, is how ridiculously easy it is to buy a “battle-ready” sword and have it delivered to your Scottish doorstep. So easy is it that swords are, apparently, a weapon of choice for Glasgow gangs.

I logged onto a website called Glasgow Weapons, a Guide to Surviving Your Trip to Glasgow, Scotland, and found other useful pieces of information, including the correct gangland terminology. A “chib” is for cutting and slicing; a “cosh” or “tool” is for bashing; a “stakey” is a long, stabbing blade and a “spike” is a screwdriver or other thin implement. “It is essential to get the nomenclature correct as a mugger with a stakey may well be slightly offended if he was accused of chibbing you,” I was informed with ironic cheeriness.

Then I clicked the mouse to buy a 27in high-tension carbon steel blade described as “very sharp” from “China’s pre-eminent custom knifemaker, Paul Chen”. I had to tick a box saying I was over 16 and that I should understand that age verification checks might be carried out. I hardly think this rather pathetic stricture would put off any gang member.

Also, nobody during an amnesty gives up a weapon they are intending to use. If a profile were to be drawn up of those taking advantage of this official “blind eye”, I suspect it would mainly be men who have grown out of their gang habit or younger men handing over something to please wives, mothers or girlfriends. In the latter case, I doubt that the weapon they hand over is the only one they have. Indeed, it can’t be since we know that the number of illegal blades in circulation in some parts of Scotland is still on the rise. So while, directly after an amnesty, murder and attempted murder rates may fall, when knife-carrying men don’t hand in their attitude at the same time as their weapons, the benefits are very short-term.

Given what we know about the profile of blade-carriers, another thing that surprises me is that our politicians don’t take the bull by the horns and legislate to ban the sale of knives to anybody under 25, rather than 18. Holyrood has banned smoking, hunting and even fur farming, although there are no fur farms in Scotland. Why not get behind a proper ban that nobody in their right mind would oppose? Eighteen-year-olds have no “right” to carry a knife in a society thatis no longer formed from hunter- gatherers living in caves.

A ban on buying a knife until you were 25 would not solve the problem of illegal sales to younger people, but it would surely be a useful adjunct to an amnesty and the effect rather more long- lasting.

In those parts of Scotland in which badger- or bear-baiting has been replaced by people-baiting and in which drink, substance abuse and the kind of illiteracy that makes thumping somebody the preferred method of communication, we need to make it far more difficult for young men to turn themselves into extras for Kill Bill.

Yet it is at least some cause for optimism that everybody seems to agree that the level of knife crime in Scotland is a scandal. Even Tommy Sheridan, in a rare outbreak of good sense, wants mandatory sentences for young people who carry blades.

However, while I welcome the amnesty, it needs to be accompanied by more radical measures. Come on, politicians, stop pussy-footing about and really get a grip.


www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2033912,00.html

Coming, soon after knife ban....THE 2x4 BAN...and the hammer ban.

"The escalation of hammer violence shows that we must ban hammers. With the advent of new "miracle" adhesives, there is no reason for anyone to need a hammer anymore" said town councilwoman Eleanor McCuntbag....

"...not particularly suited for eating purposes."

Suppose someone comes at you with a pointed stick?

"...offensive weapons..."

I find legislation offensive, will the politicians stop that?

ETA: lets see who notices it.

Just wait 'till the Clan MacLeod hears about this BS.

Quoted: Coming, soon after knife ban....THE 2x4 BAN...and the hammer ban. "The escalation of hammer violence shows that we must ban hammers. With the advent of new "miracle" adhesives, there is no reason for anyone to need a hammer anymore" said town councilwoman Eleanor McCuntbag....

I carry 2 knives on me almost everywhere I go, so I would be a double-naught gangsta in Scotland?

Quoted: i10.photobucket.com/albums/a103/thedoctors308/motivator59c0ed2b1343ad0dc53b883f12.jpg ETA: lets see who notices it.

"knives"

They have already taken the freedom


On a lighter note-"Holyrood?Reminds me of the jap sailor in "1941"

Because we all know you don't need a knife to cut your steak!

Pureed food for the lot of you!


ETA: The British Isles appear to be having a neurotic meltdown.
Maybe fungus in the grain or something.  

Nobody could possibly wish such a campaign ill

Hi, I'm nobody.

bunch of idiots...

They should set up a knife buy back program. People could turn in their knives and the .gov would give them a shiny new 1911.

I think that'd be a fair trade.

Quoted: The Sunday Times - Scotland February 12, 2006 Katie Grant: Let’s cut to the chase: blades must be banned As you walked down the street this morning to buy this paper, did you stop to wonder whether any of those [houses] you passed [contained] a knife? If you live in the west of Scotland, chances are that if you passed 20 [houses], almost all would have been [stocked with] a “blade”, as the cool call them, for “[cooking]”. Glasgow is more like The Sopranos than [Emeril Live].

I was actually thinking about going to Scotland this summer......

Sounds like a shitty place to reside, and I think regular unleaded is around $8/gallon.

Yes! We must ban the evil assault knifes! The citizens of Scotland aren’t guilty of crime it’s the dam knives! Do you walk down the street wondering if people have stones? Let’s ban rocks, sticks, cars, and paperclips! I won’t feel safe till I’m in my padded room with a jacket that ties in the back.

Talk about you paranoid! If every body hates each other so much you need to move!

Quoted: Coming, soon after knife ban....THE 2x4 BAN...and the hammer ban. "The escalation of hammer violence shows that we must ban hammers. With the advent of new "miracle" adhesives, there is no reason for anyone to need a hammer anymore" said town councilwoman Eleanor McCuntbag....

Yeah, and the article already mentions the misuse of screwdrivers as weapons. Guess there won't be anyway to do simple household repairs after the knives hammers and screwdriver ban of 06

Here's the site She was "wankn'" on-  

What they call "neds", we call "bangers" -same shit, though!

Quoted: Quoted: I carry 2 knives on me almost everywhere I go, so I would be a double-naught gangsta in Scotland? You could rule the Edinburgh underworld!

You owe me a keyboard!

Scotland,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,smells like pussy

So much for never taking thier freedom...

They can ban foul language I guess.  Since it assumes a aggresive posture.   Only terms such as I am angry and hurt should be substituted for the F word and S word respectively.

When will people realize is that it is not the instruments that cause crime and violence.  It is people actions.  You cannot legislate the bad out of anyone.

Max

Quoted: I logged onto a website called Glasgow Weapons, a Guide to Surviving Your Trip to Glasgow, Scotland, and found other useful pieces of information, including the correct gangland terminology. A “chib” is for cutting and slicing; a “cosh” or “tool” is for bashing; a “stakey” is a long, stabbing blade and a “spike” is a screwdriver or other thin implement. “It is essential to get the nomenclature correct as a mugger with a stakey may well be slightly offended if he was accused of chibbing you,” I was informed with ironic cheeriness.

So, she gets her information from what could best be described as a parody site...

www.glasgowsurvival.co.uk

Football (soccer) probably should be next.  Seems awful violent.  Has anyone been killed by one of those hurled logs?  "Prolly should just go ahead and ban that, too.  Make sure then when the ROP comes for them, none of the ROP'ers get hurt or offended.

"Guns are for show, knives for a pro."
                                           

Quoted: Football (soccer) probably should be next.  Seems awful violent.  Has anyone been killed by one of those hurled logs?  "Prolly should just go ahead and ban that, too.  Make sure then when the ROP comes for them, none of the ROP'ers get hurt or offended.

I was reading somewhere that the pubs (I forget if it was in Scotland or England), serve drinks in glasses
that shatter into little pieces rather than shards (much like tempered safety glass used in automobiles).

Quoted: Quoted: Football (soccer) probably should be next.  Seems awful violent.  Has anyone been killed by one of those hurled logs?  "Prolly should just go ahead and ban that, too.  Make sure then when the ROP comes for them, none of the ROP'ers get hurt or offended. I was reading somewhere that the pubs (I forget if it was in Scotland or England), serve drinks in glasses that shatter into little pieces rather than shards (much like tempered safety glass used in automobiles).

Probably a good idea in Scotland.

Quoted: Quoted: Football (soccer) probably should be next.  Seems awful violent.  Has anyone been killed by one of those hurled logs?  "Prolly should just go ahead and ban that, too.  Make sure then when the ROP comes for them, none of the ROP'ers get hurt or offended. I was reading somewhere that the pubs (I forget if it was in Scotland or England), serve drinks in glasses that shatter into little pieces rather than shards (much like tempered safety glass used in automobiles).

England (but probably scotland too). Back in the mists of time, when I was young, pubs were pubs and you cound still carry a knife and shoot guns in England a pint of beer (thats a REAL pint, not the anemic wimpy thing you call a pint in the US) came in nice big heavy dimpled beer glasses. Life was good.

Life started to go downhill with the introduction of straight-sided pint glasses, with no handle. These were what the urban 'tards drank their lager in -- urban 'tards wouldn't be seen dead drinking BEER. That is, until the real beer movement started as a backlash to the crap foisted upon the population by the mega-breweries. Now no urban 'tard would be seen dead with lager in a straight-sided glass, it had to be "real beer"TM with a CAMREA (Campaign for real ale) stamp of approval.

Problem was, the urban 'tards couldn't take real beer, and soon got blind drunk and started whacking each other in the face with the big, heavy beer glasses. Of course, urban 'tards elect 'tard governments who same as anywhere hate to blame the thinking, breathing person for their violent acts, and would much rather blame the inanimate object. In this case, the beer glass. So the poor old beer glass was outlawed, and replaced entirely by those straight sided nancy-boy beer glasses.

However, it soon became apparent that these beer glasses were as violent and anti-social as their heavy-featured neandethal predecessors - especially when ramed into someone's face with the heel of the hand on the base.

The answer was the plastic beer glass (or "Skiff", named after the manufacturer). These were ok for the urban 'tards who were too drunk to notice (still on the CAMERA ales),  but real beer drinkers were anything but pleased. The answer came in the form of the straight-sided beer glass made from tempered glass. Difficult to break, and when it does, it shatters into thousands of tiny pieces.

In dark and secret places in England, its still possible, if you know the bar-staff well enough, to bring along your own private, real beer glass and have then serve your beer in that -- but you get funny looks -- something like you would get open-carrying through any large city in the US.

Every time I go back to what used to be my country, its more and more evident that the urban 'tards have won, and that when they are not blind drunk they do everything in their power to destroy the last vestiges of what was a proud and beautiful country.

[quote
England (but probably scotland too). Back in the mists of time, when I was young, pubs were pubs and you cound still carry a knife and shoot guns in England a pint of beer (thats a REAL pint, not the anemic wimpy thing you call a pint in the US) came in nice big heavy dimpled beer glasses. Life was good.[quote

Philip, don't know how to hot-link, but on eBay right now, item #7744051633, a set of 4 Ravenhead, England Imperial Pint Dimple Mugs is available at the "buy-it-now" price of $22.00.
That would take care of the mugs, still don't know what you could do about Real beer!

Well, some of the micro-brews here in OR come pretty close ....

Hmm... $22 eh ....

ETA: Bought 'em



On the left, the "new-style", on the right, the traditional beer mug.

Quoted: Quoted: Coming, soon after knife ban....THE 2x4 BAN...and the hammer ban. "The escalation of hammer violence shows that we must ban hammers. With the advent of new "miracle" adhesives, there is no reason for anyone to need a hammer anymore" said town councilwoman Eleanor McCuntbag.... Yeah, and the article already mentions the misuse of screwdrivers as weapons. Guess there won't be anyway to do simple household repairs after the knives hammers and screwdriver ban of 06

The author would go catatonic if she knew about the kind of full-auto high-capacity screwdrivers we have on this side of the pond.



Yes sir, it's a portable full-auto machine screwdriver with "gangster" grip!

At the rate they're going, it may soon be easier to buy a .45 in California then it is to buy a steak knife in Scotland. (Not to mention Texas).

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Coming, soon after knife ban....THE 2x4 BAN...and the hammer ban. "The escalation of hammer violence shows that we must ban hammers. With the advent of new "miracle" adhesives, there is no reason for anyone to need a hammer anymore" said town councilwoman Eleanor McCuntbag.... Yeah, and the article already mentions the misuse of screwdrivers as weapons. Guess there won't be anyway to do simple household repairs after the knives hammers and screwdriver ban of 06 The author would go catatonic if she knew about the kind of full-auto high-capacity screwdrivers we have on this side of the pond. www.diy.com/diy/jsp/images/product/smallImage/SP0000005047505_bq1_1_l.jpg Yes sir, it's a portable full-auto machine screwdriver with "gangster" grip!

In Scotland, you need to register that item sir, and it must be submitted for  ballistic fingerprints....its for the children..

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Coming, soon after knife ban....THE 2x4 BAN...and the hammer ban. "The escalation of hammer violence shows that we must ban hammers. With the advent of new "miracle" adhesives, there is no reason for anyone to need a hammer anymore" said town councilwoman Eleanor McCuntbag.... Yeah, and the article already mentions the misuse of screwdrivers as weapons. Guess there won't be anyway to do simple household repairs after the knives hammers and screwdriver ban of 06 The author would go catatonic if she knew about the kind of full-auto high-capacity screwdrivers we have on this side of the pond. www.diy.com/diy/jsp/images/product/smallImage/SP0000005047505_bq1_1_l.jpg Yes sir, it's a portable full-auto machine screwdriver with "gangster" grip! In Scotland, you need to register that item sir, and it must be submitted for  ballistic fingerprints....its for the children..

Would i have to register it if I got it without the evilness of a horizontal foregrip and built-in level?

I saw a knife KIOSK at a mall over Christmas.

All kinds of blades.

At the mall.

Cash and carry.

Perfect for the visiting Scot.