We’ve known for some time that the United Kingdom’s handgun ban, which doesn’t appear to have lowered the incidence of gun-related violence, has been followed by an increase in violent crimes committed using knives. Now, employing the strategy of doubling down on a bad decision and hoping for the best, British authorities are considering further restricting the lawful use of knives.
The Telegraph reports that Home Secretary Amber Rudd has announced a series of government proposals for tighter knife control. Objects that are already illegal to carry, such as knuckledusters and so-called “zombie knives,” would see a ban on possession that would allow police to seize them from people’s homes. One of the most wide-ranging proposals is to prohibit the delivery of knives to private residences through online sales, instead forcing buyers to pick up their purchases from an establishment that can verify their ID.
None of the proposed measures are likely to ruffle many feathers when taken individually, but they are consistent with an overall British government strategy of dismantling lawful citizens’ self-defense rights piece by piece. We hope to see more clear-thinking politicians who can recognize that the UK’s policy is giving rise to a nation of victims.
