And You Thought Our Gun Control Was Crazy

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by <exile>, Dec 14, 2007.


  1. <exile>

    <exile> Padawan Learner

    Banning samurai swords

    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)

    http://today.reuters.com/news/artic...T152949Z_01_N13193275_RTRUKOC_0_US-SWORDS.xml
     
  2. MbRodge

    MbRodge Monkey+++

    Wow, if only someone had a gun when these sword rampages were taking place.
     
  3. griffin1340

    griffin1340 Monkey+++

    Hey England...lucky you all had swords during the battle of Hastings...or you'd all be speaking French![boozingbuddies]
     
  4. Evenglischatiest

    Evenglischatiest Monkey+++

    Why would swords be exempt? This is the same country that's trying to an KITCHEN KNIVES. I mean... Assault knives.

    http://news.scotsman.com/ViewArticle.aspx?articleid=2630206

    I'm sure they'll say it's the best thing since sliced bread. But of course, they'll never be able to prove it. They won't be able to slice bread anymore.

    [axe] [js]
     
  5. <exile>

    <exile> Padawan Learner

    When you first posted that I was confident it was a site like theONION but alas, these people don't ever seem to see the lunacy of their ways.
     
  6. hartage

    hartage Monkey+++

    Wow, I bet the next time some crime is commited with a fork it would be banned. No more pointed forks that you can poke with spoons only !
     
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