Thread: Pro-knife/Anti-knife?

Originally Posted by Syme

Yet another example of weapons legislation being driven by ignorant perception rather than fact. Switchblades have been perceived as being associated with gang violence and criminality, largely due to media imagery depicting them in this way and the popular image of the leather-jacketed switchblade-wielding thug, so they get regulated more heavily than other knives, without any consideration of whether they are actually more dangerous than other types of knives. It's the exact same thing that drives AWBs and similar gun legislation. People and lawmakers, with no realistic understanding of these issues, form opinions--and laws--based on what looks scary when they see it on the tee-vee. Lawmakers are not going to pass sensible laws about things that they don't understand and can't think about rationally.

Does it really come as a surprise to you that publicly perceived issues are being patched up by publicly appointed politicians? Whether or not you feel (or know) a switchblade is any more dangerous than a boxcutter, or an automatic firearm is any more lethal than a pellet gun, that knowledge has zero impact on the vast majority of the public's impression. That impression is what therefore dictates some or most of the laws, and allows a pseudo sense of security to be achieved. Everybody knows this, and if somebody didn't, they're probably an idiot.

The whole "the public doesn't know shit and politicians are dumb" thing is pretty obnoxious to read simply due to the weird patronizing tones that usually go with it~