Quote (HRH @ May 28 2006, 5:01 am)

We don't have the death penalty in this country, and if we don't let a judge and jury hand out that penalty then I don't think an individual officer should have the option of enforcing it.

good point.

Quote (Cobalt60 @ May 29 2006, 5:53 pm)

Quote (HRH @ May 28 2006, 5:01 am) We don't have the death penalty in this country, and if we don't let a judge and jury hand out that penalty then I don't think an individual officer should have the option of enforcing it. good point.

I sensed a lack of cobalt in this thread...and then I remembered.  America's not involved.  

Quote (SteMot @ May 28 2006, 11:43 pm)

It`s not just the fact that a person carrying these knifes could use them for assault, if someone dd smply have these things in his back pocket from finishing work, then there is nothing to stop someone from coming up behind, nabbing the said "innocent" knife, and then either turning it on the user, or using it on someone else. This is the way crime is in our country at the moment.

Thats a sad way of rationalizing such a constricting law.
The law, in my opinion, should not penalize people who are not, and have no intention of, doing anything wrong. The law is blanket targeting everyone with a knife, when it should target only those willing to use a knife as a weapon.

If your carrying a pen, I could come up, steal it and stab you with it. Does that mean pens should be illegal?
If a logger has a chainsaw, someone could steal it and hurt someone. Does that mean chainsaws should be illegal?
If you have a car, someone could steal that car and run someone over in it. Does that mean cars should be illegal?
If a carpenter has a hammer, someone could steal that hammer and bludgeon someone with it. Does that mean hammers should be illegal?

Harley's right.  Just because there's the potential for something to be misused doesn't mean it should be outlawed.  Not only his examples, but morphine, radiation therapy, chemo, tons of other helpful drugs that could be very bad when misused.  Nuclear power plants too.  Don't want another Chernobyl.

Quote (Wheezle @ May 29 2006, 10:44 am)

Quote (Agent007 @ May 30 2006, 12:30 am) That's like saying you don't need seatbelts because you rarely get in car accidents. No it isn't. You can't call in a seatbelt squad in case of an accident. Quote 3.  Just because they don't often fire their weapon in the line of duty doesn't mean they're not well trained.  They go through extensive training/certification. I didn't say they weren't well trained. A lot of the police constables around here are not much older than I am. They're trained, but that doesn't mean they're any different to any other guy. Like you said, they get frightened. Being trained doesn't stop these young officers from panicking and shooting someone. The dedicated armed officers are the more experienced ones, and theirs is the really extensive training.

1.  In the US, a cop walking around certain areas unarmed IS like riding around w/out a seatbelt.  
And either way, just like in a car accident where you don't have time to put on your seatbelt, you don't always have time to call in special armed police... no matter how quickly they arrive.

2.  In the US, cadets don't get their gun until they're able to use it properly... and that means under pressure.  They're not going to give a gun to some 18yr old kid who just joined up.  They're not stupid.  If you and I can see the problem w/ that, so can they.  I've never seen a cop around here that was that young (and not a cadet) or who appeared as inexperienced as you say.  Sounds like the standards of our countries' police forces differ.

Wheezle is correct in saying that a lot of young looking officers in the Australian police force carry a firearm

Quote (Corran Horn @ May 29 2006, 10:34 pm)

I sensed a lack of cobalt in this thread...and then I remembered.  America's not involved.

Zing!

Quote (George W Carver @ May 31 2006, 11:34 am)

Quote (Corran Horn @ May 29 2006, 10:34 pm) I sensed a lack of cobalt in this thread...and then I remembered.  America's not involved.   Zing!

Somehow it feels dirty, coming from you...