Forget about guns, regulate Machetes

[rep308]

you don't need a license to buy them, oh my!

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1085266&srvc=home&position=0


Machete mayhem
Unregulated weapons used in at least 7 attacks in ’08
By Laura Crimaldi
Sunday, April 6, 2008 - Updated 1m ago

An eruption of machete attacks in cities across the Bay State has law enforcement officials worried about the savage weapons, which can be bought in stores for as little as $25 with no questions asked.

Since the start of 2008, there have been at least seven machete attacks in Boston, Lynn, Springfield and Chicopee, according to police reports and news accounts.

The brazen and bloody assaults include a daytime attack on a 15-year-old on City Hall Plaza in Boston, an after-school brawl that nearly severed the right thumb of a 16-year-old Lynn boy and a nighttime ambush on two people in Springfield. In total, the attacks have sent nine people to the hospital with serious injuries.

Nationally, attacks have been reported against police in New York and in Connecticut, Florida and California.

I missed this article in the original post:
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1085267

 

[K-DUB]

Ugh, the sheeple must be awake & voting. So far:

55% - Absolutely. They are lethal.
11% - No way. People can use almost anything as a weapon.
5% - They look grisly but we have enough regulations.
7% - If cops say yes, then yes, they should be regulated.
23% - This is absurd. What’s next - string trimmers and kitchen knives?

It's odd the way they phrased the questions. The poll has 3 responses that mean no, & 2 responses that mean yes. I tried posting a response, but I don't think it went through. Oh well.

 

[Scrivener]

Anyone care to bet on the correlation of machete attacks to Hispanic gangs like MS-13?

Note also it was the weapon of choice in the Rwanda massacres.

I posit that the increase of machete attacks is both cultural and legal. There is no "Bartley-Fox" for a machete....

 

[strangenh]

Ever wonder why so many states regulate "daggers" and "bowie knives"? Similar hype -- back in the early 1800s. Of course the cause of the odd correlation of the weapons with the most sensational murders was cultural, just as Scriv suggests for the current round. It didn't and doesn't stem from the weapons' mere availability. Nor did banning the weapons stop the violence (nor will it). Only time and a change in other cultural pressures did that. That, by the way, was the origin point of laws banning the carry of concealed weapons in many US states, particularly in the South (See Clayton Cramer's book on the topic).

 

[the jeff]

But where is there sugar cane to cut in Massachusetts?

 

[SKS Ray]

Anyone care to bet on the correlation of machete attacks to Hispanic gangs like MS-13?

Prefered weapon of choice for them.

Plus since they've gotten notoriety for using them, I've been seeing them in people's cars a lot at my shop, more so in cars belonging to Guatemalans.

 

[the jeff]

Prefered weapon of choice for them.

Plus since they've gotten notoriety for using them, I've been seeing them in people's cars a lot at my shop, more so in cars belonging to Guatemalans.

What a shock, call the immagration people. And get them deported.

 

[Garys]

Anyone care to bet on the correlation of machete attacks to Hispanic gangs like MS-13?

It's sort of mentioned in the article. However, machetes are also popular in southeast Asia and ...

Note also it was the weapon of choice in the Rwanda massacres.

Africa. I used one right here in MA when I was younger to clear brush on my father's property. Amazingly, merely holding it didn't cause me to attack my co workers.

I posit that the increase of machete attacks is both cultural and legal. There is no "Bartley-Fox" for a machete....

Yet. I can see this "common sense machete control" law coming down the road. No doubt banning machetes will work as well as banning handgun possession has in reducing crime.

Maybe I should stock up on "pre ban" machetes, just in case.

BTW, in my long career I've seen people seriously hurt or killed with, baseball bats, cinder blocks, golf clubs, filleting knives, nylon stockings, chloroform, carpet knives, and even screw drivers. Maybe we should regulate all of those too.

Gary

 

[Scrivener]

But where is there sugar cane to cut in Massachusetts?

Irrelevant inquiry. I bought mine to clear out the brush and the raspberry bushes that had run amok when we bought our first house. Very useful tool.

 

[ARowley]

Maybe I should stock up on "pre ban" machetes, just in case.


Gary

All the post ban Machetes will be dull on both sides and look more like a cricket bat (for safety of course)

 

[ramx50]

WOW they are really stretching on this one!!

"given that the machete is in essence a South American switchblade"

I would love to see anyone pull a machete out of their pocket, push a button and have the 2' bade pop out like a switchblade.

I can see it now...........................

NEXT on news at 11 the recent outbreak of machete attacks has police officials and mumbles menino calling for a BAN on ALL metal objects that COULD be sharpened into DANGEROUS WEAPONS!!!

Mumbles says it's for the children.

 

[Garys]

Irrelevant inquiry. I bought mine to clear out the brush and the raspberry bushes that had run amok when we bought our first house. Very useful tool.

His quote is from the article in the Herald, which was trying to make some point about law abiding citizens not needing dangerous machetes. Or something.

Gary

 

[theGringo]

BTW, in my long career I've seen people seriously hurt or killed with, baseball bats, cinder blocks, golf clubs, filleting knives, nylon stockings, chloroform, carpet knives, and even screw drivers. Maybe we should regulate all of those too.

Gary

My college roommate was beaten to death by his own brother with "The Club", the ironically named automobile anti-theft device.

Some years ago I had jury duty in Worcester. At the door they collected the mini-swiss army knife that was on my keychain. A couple of weeks later I read about a guy who tried to enter the courthouse with a machete taped to his leg. He was there on legitimate business. The guard took the machete, and it was returned to they guy when he left. No law against taping a machete to your leg in Worcester, at least at that time.

Almost anything can be used as a weapon to lethal effect. As a practical matter, I find a gun to be the best all-around defensive weapon.

A wise man once said "sometimes an axe handle just wount do." Same for machetes.

 

[LoginName]

Anyone care to bet on the correlation of machete attacks to Hispanic gangs like MS-13?

Note also it was the weapon of choice in the Rwanda massacres.

I posit that the increase of machete attacks is both cultural and legal. There is no "Bartley-Fox" for a machete....

From a related article...

That divide is manifesting itself in a frightening way among members of the El Salvadoran MS-13 gang and the Hispanic 18th Street gang, which have a foothold in parts of East Boston, Malden, Revere and Chelsea. “These two groups are well-known for gratuitous violence using knives and machetes,” Conley said. “It is a peculiar trend with those two groups.”

Wait for it...

But enforcement of the ordinance can be confusing. If someone caught with a knife claims its use is for hunting, fishing or food preparation, an officer might not be able to confiscate it. With machetes, Linskey said, law enforcement is staring at a cultural divide.

“People involved come from cultures that use machetes like people use hammers and knives,” said Linskey, who described the three machete episodes that unfolded in Boston last month as “isolated incidents.”

“Some come from either South America or tropical islands where machetes are something that is as common as a lawnmower is here,” Linskey said.

What a friggin joke!

One of the top gun banners in the state isn't concerned about the criminal misuse and gang conduct... he's concerned about the "cultural divide" that any legislation would create.

 

[theGringo]

But enforcement of the ordinance can be confusing. If someone caught with a knife claims its use is for hunting, fishing or food preparation, an officer might not be able to confiscate it. With machetes, Linskey said, law enforcement is staring at a cultural divide.

“People involved come from cultures that use machetes like people use hammers and knives,” said Linskey, who described the three machete episodes that unfolded in Boston last month as “isolated incidents.”

“Some come from either South America or tropical islands where machetes are something that is as common as a lawnmower is here,” Linskey said.

Silly, isn't it? American born gun owners are so often perceived, or slandered, as threatening, but "cultural sensitivity" trumps common sense in so many cases. Raising chickens in the kitchen cabinets, slaughtering a goat in the bathtub ... these are some of the practices that have been imported to our urban apartment buildings and which must be judged in the context of the culture of the "newly arrived".

Sure, in some parts of the world it's considered quite normal to be out on the town with a machete. When that custom arrives in our cities, all the more reason, I think, to have a gun handy just in case the guy's intent is other than to do yardwork.

If I'm found in a car dealership after hours with, say, a pair of bolt cutters and a screw driver, I might be considered to be in possession of "burglarious tools". There is the issue of intent to ponder, isn't there? Somehow I'm missing the point of the above captioned reference to lawnmowers.

I dunno. I give up on this crackpot stuff.

 

[Riverside]

I see my neighbors swinging at all sorts of brush with their machetes. It sure looks like a useful tool to any homeowner with a back yard to maintain. And I'll bet any unarmed thief wandering by would think twice before trying to grab the neighbor's wallet.
The Boston City Ban on knives with a blade longer than 2 inches should discourage citizens from possession of the machete while walking the public streets and using the machete for anything other than gardening. L.O.L.
Come Monday morning, I'm sure the Lawmakers will be tripping over each other trying to be the first to pass another foolish ban on a "potential weapon."

 

[gene]

Anyone care to bet on the correlation of machete attacks to Hispanic gangs like MS-13?

Note also it was the weapon of choice in the Rwanda massacres.

I posit that the increase of machete attacks is both cultural and legal. There is no "Bartley-Fox" for a machete....

+1

A familiar tool to the people's of the jungle nations.

 

[Palladin]

I was at a gun/knife show in Manchester a couple of years ago. they had full auto knives for sale to anyone....supposedly all you had to do if stopped with it was prove that a 'one handed opening knife' was useful in your profession. The guy at the booth told me as an electrician I would qualify. This is for NH only.


can anyone substantiate this?

 

[theGringo]

I was at a gun/knife show in Manchester a couple of years ago. they had full auto knives for sale to anyone....supposedly all you had to do if stopped with it was prove that a 'one handed opening knife' was useful in your profession. The guy at the booth told me as an electrician I would qualify. This is for NH only.


can anyone substantiate this?

I heard this once too, or something similar, in the HazMat trade. A Vac Truck operator in NY told me he could legally have a switchblade knife because if one arm got sucked up that hi-vac hose he'd have only one arm free to puncture the hose and break the vacuum.

I never sought to confirm this, though.

 

[Jedhed]

I'm going to go out tomorrow and buy a machete before they're banned.

 

[Palladin]

I heard this once too, or something similar, in the HazMat trade. A Vac Truck operator in NY told me he could legally have a switchblade knife because if one arm got sucked up that hi-vac hose he'd have only one arm free to puncture the hose and break the vacuum.

I never sought to confirm this, though.

I bought a beautiful Hubertus stag handle leverlok from Germany online....when the Euro was still at $.85, Cost me about $90 delivered.

 

[SKS Ray]

I have a Tramontina one that I bought years ago when I was 15 and into Friday the 13th movies. Its huge and I sharpened it so well it'll shave hair.
I might have to register it soon.

 

[drgrant]

I'm still waiting for the report from my FOIA request to the state on how many recorded "ZOOBOW" and "Kung Fu Klacker" attacks there were in the last 10 years in MA.

I think the state would send me back a letter with the following printed on it:

"WTF?"


-Mike

 

[bfm]

I think there is a bigger problem on the horizon.

I bet we're going to be seeing a lot more of these.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080407/D8VSR9P03.html

 

[jhblaze1]

Anyone care to bet on the correlation of machete attacks to Hispanic gangs like MS-13?

Note also it was the weapon of choice in the Rwanda massacres.

I posit that the increase of machete attacks is both cultural and legal. There is no "Bartley-Fox" for a machete....

First thing I thought when I saw the article title was MS-13

 

[WILDCATT]

knives??big??

Its got to be the water.what brand do they drink.ever since kennedy changed
the emigration laws we have had increasing violence.ofcourse the teaching in school has not helped.as my cousin [retired teacher]admitted they dont teach in school any more,especially in the "inner city"--

 

[In_God_We_Trust]

Is there such a thing as an automatic machete? Do we need a $200 stamp to transfer one?

 

[K-DUB]

Its got to be the water.what brand do they drink.ever since kennedy changed
the emigration laws we have had increasing violence.ofcourse the teaching in school has not helped.as my cousin [retired teacher]admitted they dont teach in school any more,especially in the "inner city"--

I'll agree on this point, the teaching in school has not helped.

 

[Neptune Cat]

I worked my way thorugh college as a land surveyor. Our machetes were the first tool to get strapped on to our belts when we arrived at a job. Sometimes we spent days cutting sight lines with them. We even usually had them strapped on for urban jobs to trim shrubs or anything else that got in our way.

I have a few scars to prove it. Those things are dangerous. But I still always have one handy.

 

[Tiktock]

I have about 200 pre-ban machetes in my basement. They are still in "raw" form, meaning big long bars of steel. So long as I can prove I owned the steel prior to the ban, I should still be allowed to make it into knives.