when I read the editorial I found the proposition to ban sharp
pointed kitchen knives simply ludicrous. I will not repeat all arguments
for the use of the chef's knife in kitchen use, but cooking a lot in my
spare time, I think this type of knife is indispensible. I do accept the
notion that the whole discussion seems to imitate the arguments pro and
contra the ban of firearms. But there is a grave distinction. Kitchen
Knives though by design appropriate to cause harm to people are utensils
made for kitchen use and usually in most cases absolutely harmless. By
contrast firearm are meant to be weapons, able to cause bodily harm or
death even at a distance. Any other use like sports or hunting is only a
sort of civilized rationalisation for the possession of a deadly weapon.
Keeping this in mind it is wise to restrict the possesion of firearms.
Crime rate in the USA prove that the concept of potential self-defence
does not work. Gunshot wounds are the most common cause of death in young
underprivileged male Americans. Canada on the other hand might prove, that
even without gun laws as restrictive as those in Europe criminal use of
firearms can be much lower than in the US. Nevertheless a stringent ban on
firearms proved to prevent a high number of homicides.
The case is different with everyday contrivances that can be used to
cause injury like sharp pointed kives. If you start to ban these, you
would end up in banning sharp knives with blunted tips (slashing or
cutting wounds), hammers or any other heavy object (bludgeoning),
screwdrives (stabbing, remember Empress Elisabeth of Austria "Sisi"?),
etc.
Yours
Thomas J. Helling
Competing interests:
I use sharp pointed knives for cooking in my kitchen
Rapid Response:
Re: Deja Vu (All Over Again)
Dear Sirs,
when I read the editorial I found the proposition to ban sharp
pointed kitchen knives simply ludicrous. I will not repeat all arguments
for the use of the chef's knife in kitchen use, but cooking a lot in my
spare time, I think this type of knife is indispensible. I do accept the
notion that the whole discussion seems to imitate the arguments pro and
contra the ban of firearms. But there is a grave distinction. Kitchen
Knives though by design appropriate to cause harm to people are utensils
made for kitchen use and usually in most cases absolutely harmless. By
contrast firearm are meant to be weapons, able to cause bodily harm or
death even at a distance. Any other use like sports or hunting is only a
sort of civilized rationalisation for the possession of a deadly weapon.
Keeping this in mind it is wise to restrict the possesion of firearms.
Crime rate in the USA prove that the concept of potential self-defence
does not work. Gunshot wounds are the most common cause of death in young
underprivileged male Americans. Canada on the other hand might prove, that
even without gun laws as restrictive as those in Europe criminal use of
firearms can be much lower than in the US. Nevertheless a stringent ban on
firearms proved to prevent a high number of homicides.
The case is different with everyday contrivances that can be used to
cause injury like sharp pointed kives. If you start to ban these, you
would end up in banning sharp knives with blunted tips (slashing or
cutting wounds), hammers or any other heavy object (bludgeoning),
screwdrives (stabbing, remember Empress Elisabeth of Austria "Sisi"?),
etc.
Yours
Thomas J. Helling
Competing interests:
I use sharp pointed knives for cooking in my kitchen
Competing interests: No competing interests