Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

UN Gun Grab: It's Back
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"'We must not relax our efforts to combat the scourge of illicit small arms and light weapons, which continue to kill, maim and displace scores of thousands of innocent people every year.'"

"So declared UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on July 11, 2005, at the conclusion of the UN's Second Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. That declaration of Mr. Annan's is now emblazoned like holy writ across the opening Web page of the UN's 2006 Small Arms Review Conference, scheduled for June 26-July 7 at the UN headquarters in New York City." ...

H.R. 1384: The 'Firearms Commerce Modernization Act' (NRA-ILA)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"H.R. 1384, introduced by Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), would remove several antiquated and unnecessary restrictions imposed on interstate firearms business since 1968:"

"Virtually all interstate transfers directly between private citizens are banned; so are nearly all interstate handgun sales by licensed dealers."

"Firearms dealers may only do business at their licensed premises or (since 1986) at gun shows in their own state."

"Dealers may not even transfer firearms to one another face to face, away from their business premises."

"These restrictions originated with the Gun Control Act of 1968, which only allowed licensed dealers to sell rifles and shotguns to residents of a different state under a lengthy series of conditions. ..." ...

Congressional CYA (blog)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "My message to Rep. Sensenbrenner:"

"You are a corrupt, sleazy fool. You are impeding an investigation into the corrupt activities of a criminal. You are a disgrace to the very Constitution you swore to uphold. I'd like to know what you are hiding -- what kind of fraud, abuse of powers and corruption of your own you are desperately trying to cover up. Is it so horrifying that you would literally spit on the principles of justice? Is your corruption so deep that you would betray the very constituents who put you into what you claim is a 'privileged' position, while condoning blatant violations of their rights at the hands of the very FBI that raided the offices of your corrupt colleague?" ...

The Name's Boom, James Boom
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"DANIEL Craig packs a bigger one than any other James Bond... but it is the last thing he wants to brag about."

"The latest weapon sported by Britain's legendary agent is FIVE times the size of the famous Walther PPKs carried by previous 007s." ...

"It's sure to mean there is plenty of action in his first outing as a new harder 007 in Casino Royale, due out in November. However, in real life hunk Daniel - who played a gangster in hit flick Layer Cake - is no fan of firearms. He admitted recently: 'I hate handguns. As long as they are around, people will shoot each other.'" [emphasis added]

"You could say they leave him shaken, not stirred."

House Moves McCarthy Bill To Give FBI Access To Billions Of Your Personal Records -- In Order To Seize Your Guns (GOA)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Anti-gun zealot Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) has launched her most recent effort to use Orwellian Big Government in order to seize your guns. In fact, her anti-gun bill was recently reported out of a House subcommittee." ...

"HR 1415 -- the McCarthy bill -- would require states to 'make electronically available to the Attorney General records relevant to a determination of whether a person is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm ..."

"... Already, millions of Americans have been disarmed by the Lautenberg Gun Ban which President Bill Clinton signed in 1996."

"Because of the Lautenberg ban, people who have committed very minor offenses ... have discovered that they can no longer own a firearm for self-defense. ..." ...

NC: Sampson sheriff says intruder shot
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

A Sampson County man shot an intruder who broke into his home over the weekend, Sheriff Jimmy Thornton said.

Thornton said the intruder kicked in the door to William McPhails home and tried to assault a woman who had been visiting McPhail. The incident happened about 2 a.m. Saturday at the home on Carrolls Store Road near Autryville.

McPhail shot Wesley Craig Hickman in the leg, the sheriff said. McPhail will not be charged, Thornton said.

Hickman, 22, of Dunn, is being treated at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill.

He will be charged with first-degree burglary when he is released, Thornton said.

TX: Abducted man shoots carjackers, police say
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Two teenagers who police said tried to steal a Rosenberg man's luxury car picked the wrong person, the wrong place and the wrong time."

"After abducting the man, who was able to stash his own pistol in a pocket, the teens drove him to a vacant lot Friday that just happened to be a few hundred feet from the Richmond police station, where officers were changing shifts."

"When McRon Thompson, 23, opened fire on the would-be car thieves, police heard the shots and came running. The teens, who were both wounded, were captured." ...

MI: Proof's shooting acted in defence
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The security guard who allegedly shot D-12 rapper Proof in a Detroit nightclub will not face any additional charges for his murder - prosecutors say."

"When Mario Etheridge shot Eminems friend and bandmate Proof ... he did so to protect his cousin - Keith Bender - and therefore acted within the law."

"The fact that Etheridge fired twice at the ceiling in an attempt to stop Proof from continuing his attack on his cousin before aiming the gun at him was used to support the security guard's defence claim." ...

"However, Etheridge still faces charges of carrying a concealed weapon and unlawfully firing a gun during the April 2006 incident in which his cousin was shot dead by Proof." [emphasis added ...

TX: The key to personal safety
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"If you're strong enough to use a key to open a UPS box, then you are strong enough to use the best self defense weapon available against an assailant."

"'The top weapon of choice for personal protection for women is keys,' said Bill Aycock, owner and chief instructor for Shadow Defense Systems. 'They don't look out of the ordinary. So, when you're walking to your car, when youre walking to your house, have your key ready in your hand.'" ...
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Submitter's Note: According to the British Home Office (quoted in Gun Facts ver. 4.0), injury/defense rates are:

Resisting with a gun 6%
Did nothing at all 25%
Resisted with a knife 40%
Non-violent resistance 45%

So the safest defense is a gun.

AL: Deadly force law goes into effect
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"A new state law dubbed the 'Castle Doctrine' takes effect today, guaranteeing Alabamians immunity from civil and criminal prosecution if they shoot intruders in their homes, vehicles or offices."

"The law, backed by the National Rifle Association and opposed by most black lawmakers, was approved by the 2006 Alabama Legislature. Ten other states have similar statues."

"Immunity is not extended, however, to someone if they shoot their spouses, bosses or others who have a right to be in the home, car or office in question. Individuals also don't have immunity if they shoot law enforcement officers."

"Police officials say they don't expect the new law to have much of an impact." ...

MI: Police arrest student after BB gun aimed at school bus
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A high school student is in trouble after police said he pointed a BB gun at a passing school bus."

"Swartz Creek bus driver George Miller told police he was driving along ... when he saw the boy run into his garage and return with a gun."

"Miller was alarmed when the boy aimed it at the bus, which was on its way to Dieck Elementary School."

"The gun resembled a stainless steel Beretta 9mm pistol but shot only pellets, township Police Chief Chuck Melki said." ...

"Officers arrested the 15-year-old Flushing High School student about 10 minutes later at his house."

"The boy told police he was just playing around, but Melki said he will be petitioned into Probate Court, where he could face felonious assault charges." ...

CA: Student arrested in pellet gun shootings
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A Mt. Carmel High School student was arrested after three students were shot with an airsoft pellet pistol on Westview campus yesterday afternoon."

"San Diego Police Capt. Jim Collins said the 16-year-old, a former Westview student, came on campus looking for his girlfriend but was told to leave. He then started driving recklessly around the school parking lot and shot the pellet gun, hitting students in the leg, back and stomach, he said. None of the shots broke the skin and none of the students required medical attention."

"... Collins said the teenager is charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of possession of a replica firearm on a school campus and one count of vandalism."

OR: Group targets campus gun rule
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Second Amendment states that 'a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.'"

"This week, the OSU College Republicans claimed space in the MU Quad to inform students of OSU policies regarding the Second Amendment."

"'We just want to make people aware of their rights,' said Michael Kempton, president of the OSU College Republicans."

"According to Kempton and OSU College Republican Andrew Wicks, OSU is violating the constitutional right for students of legal age to carry concealed weapons under permit." ...

AL: Student Suspended For Belt Buckle
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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ools have transferred a student out of his school and into an alternative high school because of the belt buckle he wore to class."

"It wasnt just any belt buckle some people say the buckle looks like one that can kill."

"From one angle, it could be a cookie cutter, but on the side that shows when you wear it, it looks like a gun, and a high school freshman wore it to school."

"'This is a belt buckle that I bought at the mall,' says Mill Creek High School student, Sabri Kahled."

"It was the last day at Mill Creek and Sabri was walking from one final to the next, wearing the belt buckle so that it showed. School administrators say some people thought it looked like a real semi-automatic pistol and reported it." ...

FL: Grand jury clears Palm Springs officer in 2005 shooting
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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" Police Officer Douglas Rua has been working firefighter duty with the Palm Springs Public Safety Department since he shot and killed an 18-year-old in September."

"But on Thursday a grand jury helped put Rua, 28, back on the streets with a gun and a badge by deciding not to indict the officer who killed Marc Ariot, 18, of Greenacres."

"'I thought for sure he was going to put me between the car and my car,' Rua said at the scene ... 'He gunned it. I was afraid of getting hit and run over.'" ...

"Two shots hit Ariot, one in the neck and one in the back, according to the report. ..." ...

"There was controversy because bullets struck the side of the vehicle rather than the front." ...

CO: Teen who posed on Internet with guns gets probation
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A former Evergreen High School student who posted photos of himself posing with guns on the popular teen Web site Myspace was sentenced to up to 18 months probation today for possession of a handgun by a juvenile."

"The 16-year-old boy already had spent 62 days in a youth detention facility." ...

"The boy and his parents ... are considering whether to appeal the conviction, which came despite the parents' testimony that they gave their son permission to handle guns in their home without their supervision."

"Colorado law prohibits possession of a handgun by a juvenile but permits parents to give them permission to possess guns in their homes even without supervision."

"Boatright ruled that the boy exceeded the permission granted by the parents when he posed with the guns." ...

IL: Ex-Lake County deputy trainee will go to trial for shooting dog
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Charges against a former Lake County Sheriffs deputy trainee accused of gunning down his neighbors dog will stand after a judge ruled Wednesday that prosecutors did not violate rules about sharing evidence." ...

"A grand jury last year indicted Preston, 50, of Harvard, on charges of aggravated cruelty to animals and criminal damage to property stemming from the May 5, 2005, shooting of his next-door neighbors sheepdog."

"The felony charges allege Preston used an assault rifle to gun down the 96-pound animal without justification."

"At the time, Preston was in training for become a member of the Lake County Sheriffs Departments Marine Unit. The department later dismissed him from the program because of the incident." ...

CT: A Sadistic Sting?
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The latest Taser scandal hit Connecticut three weeks ago, when East Windsor police officer John Scavotto was arrested for shooting a fellow officer with one of the widely used electroshock guns."

"Scavotto was at a police station when he apparently tested the weapon without its darts, saw that it was working, attached a cartridge containing the darts and reportedly shot again, hitting fellow officer Arkadiusz Petlik, an arrest warrant said. The Taser darts hit Petlik's cheek and gums ..." ...

"'The actions of Officer Scavotto ... were without question, done in a deliberate and willful manner,' the warrant said, 'without regard to the safety of Officer Petlik and with extreme indifference to human life.'" ...

FL: Woman accused of shooting a BB gun might sue Port St. Lucie
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"After being arrested for shooting a BB gun in her backyard, a local woman may sue the city, claiming its weapons law conflicts with state law and is invalid."

"Police arrested Leda Foreman, 46, in November for firing an air pistol behind her Zoreta Avenue home. Although state law allows people to shoot firearms for testing or target practice, a Port St. Lucie ordinance prohibits discharging a firearm anywhere within city limits."

"Criminal charges against Foreman were dropped in February. But after spending more than $8,000 on her defense, she and her husband have filed notice they intend to sue the city."

"'It was a violation of her civil rights,' husband Bill Foreman said. 'Too many people let it drop. That's the problem.'" ...

OR: Man with gun sparks false alarm for police
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Salem Police reacted quickly to a report Wednesday afternoon of a man walking in the downtown area with a shotgun."

"Police found Lorne Lupfer, 41, at his residence ... with an unloaded shotgun that he had carried from his car ... a few blocks away, said Cpl. Rob Donahue."

"'He would have been better off if he parked right here at the parking meter,' said Officer Steve Mayberry, pointing to the spot in front of Lupfer's residence. 'Instead, he was walking (with the gun) through downtown.'"

"Salem police swarmed the area ... after callers reported seeing a man take a shotgun out of his car at the mall parking structure and walking in the area ... Lupfer was located within minutes."

"No charges were filed against Lupfer."

NJ: Retired cop indicted in car 'assault'
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A retired Jersey City police sergeant, now a civilian employee of the Police Department, has been indicted on charges of assault by auto for allegedly running down a road worker in April 2005, officials said."

"According to the indictment, handed down Tuesday, Peter Mathus was driving north on Route 1&9 near Communipaw Avenue, where state prisoners were doing a clean-up detail with workers from the state Department of Transportation."

" A DOT flagman stopped Mathus to allow some heavy machinery to be moved. But Mathus allegedly refused to wait and, ignoring the worker's instructions, drove around him and continued through the work area, hitting another DOT employee, according to the indictment." ...

AL: Mobile sheriff launches probe into missing funds
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

An internal investigation has been launched into missing funds at the Mobile County sheriff's office. A Mobile T-V station (WKRG) reports that approximately two-thousand dollars, possibly more, is missing from the office that issues pistol permits.

Acting Sheriff David Evans declined to discuss the investigation, but confirmed that an inquiry began before he took office.

He also said an audit is being conducted by the state Examiners of Public Accounts and several employees have submitted to polygraph testing.

The pistol permit division generates between two-to-three hundred thousand dollars annually in revenue.

AR: Jonesboro police officer reports gun, badge stolen from vehicle while on vacation here
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A Jonesboro Police Department detective reported the theft of his pistol and badge while vacationing in Henderson over the Memorial Day weekend." ...

"Buhrmester said he put his Glock pistol and police badge in the center console of his vehicle after arriving at the vacation cabin. He went to his vehicle Saturday night to listen to a CD and then checked later and found his vehicle unlocked, he said. So he locked it before returning to his cabin, and noticed the CDs, pistol and badge missing the next morning. Thinking he might have left them at home, he returned to Jonesboro after the holiday and found the pistol and badge were not at his home and reported them stolen." ...

NY: Queens soldier sentenced to prison in accidental shooting
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A soldier who pleaded guilty to killing a woman standing at her apartment window when he fired celebratory shots into the air while on holiday leave from the Army was sentenced Wednesday to four to 12 years in prison."

"Danny Carpio, 23, 'should have known better than to aimlessly fire a deadly weapon in a crowded residential area,' Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a news release announcing the sentence."

"Carpio met friends after drinking at a relative's house on Dec. 28 and fired a semiautomatic pistol into the air near Selina Akthela's Queens building, killing her as she stood at the window of her fifth-floor apartment, Brown said."

"He pleaded guilty earlier this month to second-degree manslaughter." ...

MA: Gun buybacks a shot in the dark
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"The sun was bright and the air was rife with good intentions, not to mention hip-hop music imploring the 'hood to 'Start Peace.'"

"Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino was announcing a gun-buyback program, under which people who turn in guns to police will receive $200 in Target gift cards. The goal is to cut street violence by reducing the number of guns on the streets."

"I wanted to believe."

"But as I scrawled notes during Tuesday's press conference ... a man standing nearby offered up this review: 'Good concept. It won't work.' He declined to give his name, but said he did youth outreach work in the community. He doubted that many young people he knew would walk into a police station to turn in weapons." ...

UT: Deadly effect: NRA-backed laws would help criminals, not citizens
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Backers of a National Rifle Association campaign to make it easier to use deadly force in self-defense may well find they are doing more to help criminals than to make gun-toting citizens safer."

"Ten states have passed NRA-supported legislation to remove the widespread statutory requirement that people who are threatened or attacked have a 'duty to retreat' before using a gun or other weapon to defend themselves. Some of these ill-conceived laws would allow anyone who believes they are in danger in any place they have a legal right to be - including public streets, malls, restaurants or churches - to resort to deadly force." ...
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Submitter's Note: That's reasonably believe not that "they are in danger", but that they are going to be the victims of a forcible felony.

NC: Smith & Wesson makes key sale
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. has announced the sale of 5,700 of its new military and police pistols to the North Carolina Department of Correction."

"Smith & Wesson shares were up Tuesday and yesterday on the news."

"The agency that runs North Carolina's prisons employs more than 10,000 officers and had previously purchased Smith & Wesson revolvers for its ranks."

"The agency will receive a credit for trading in the revolvers in exchange for Smith & Wesson's .40-caliber Model M&P40 pistols. The polymer-frame pistols carry a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $624, but officials said the buyers received a volume discount." ...

MA: Women invited to try recreational shooting June 10
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"'Ladies Day at the Range' is an introduction to recreational shooting, sponsored every year by the Woburn Sportsmen's Association in Bedford."

"This year's event is on Saturday morning, June 10. It's open to women and girls over 16 (over 12 if accompanied by an adult). We'll show you the basics of safe shooting: pistol, air pistol, rifle, archery and shotgun."

"You'll also see a demo of Cowboy Action Shooting, the fastest growing shooting sport in America. No experience is necessary, and we'll provide all the equipment you need." ...

NY: No License? No Problem... Not Anymore
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Last week, the NYPD scored a major coup in both boroughs, seizing the inventories of two stores where employees were caught selling guns to unlicensed buyers."

"Cops arrested 40-year-old Jack Togati, who works at DF Brothers Sport Center on New Utrecht Avenue in Brooklyn, and 43-year-old Michael Spallone, who is employed at the Woodhaven Rifle and Pistol Range on Jamaica Avenue in Queens. Following their arrests on misdemeanor charges for failing to require purchasers to produce valid licenses, both men had their handgun and gun dealers' rights suspended." ...

MI: Gun range 'hush money' pushed
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"State Rep. Chris Ward is hoping $500,000 in state money will help silence the arguing over noise from the Island Lake Recreation Area shooting range."

"The Brighton Township Republican attached an amendment to a state budget bill that would provide $500,000 to mitigate the shooting range's noise problem. That bill passed through the House and is now in the Senate."

"'It's a way to show we're serious about (resolving the situation),' Ward said." ...

NY: Cops Close Gun Shops Doors
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Woodhaven Rifle and Pistol Range, located at 74 16 Jamaica Ave., had its license to sell firearms suspended and its inventory of guns and rifles seized during an undercover sting operation last Thursday."

"Michael Spallone, 43, was arrested for making what police call 'straw purchases' in which the person signing a weapons paperwork purchases the gun for someone else."

"Spallone was caught on videotape selling guns to an investigator who handled and purchased the weapons but didn't have a gun permit. Moments earlier a second detective had shown Spallone an expired Suffolk County pistol permit."

"Authorities seized 200 pistols and 34 rifles from the store." ...

UK: Q & A: Knife crime
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Why are knives in the news?"

"There has been a series of high profile fatal stabbings in recent weeks that have highlighted the number of people routinely carrying knives and put pressure on the government to tackle what many believe is a growing knife-culture." ...

"Is knife violence out of control?"

"The spate of stabbings has led to fears in the press that knife crime is spiralling out of control. However, this is difficult to measure because the Home Office keeps no statistics on stabbings. A Home Office spokeswoman said that was because there is no specific offence of stabbing. Instead, attackers are charged with a variety of offences such as murder, wounding or grievous bodily harm." ...

UK: Carrying a knife is no longer the exception - it's the rule
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "Where I work, in the estates of west London, youngsters as young as nine or 10 talk to me about 'shanking' each other over any kind of 'beef'. 'Shanking' is stabbing. 'Beef' means to have a problem or misunderstanding with someone."

"To believe that this knife culture is an isolated issue is mistaken. It is not only a problem of knives: it is also a problem of a violent society. We live in violent times, and people feel increasingly endangered." ...

"Ultimately, this is a cultural problem. Young people today are exposed to violence very early. The perpetrators of such behaviour have become their role models ... " ...
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Submitter's Note: But I thought it was the guns that were the problem?!?

UK: KNIFE AMNESTY: Made to kill
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"GLEAMING and deadly, this 3ft-long samurai sword could decapitate a human being at a stroke.
Someone carefully honed, oiled and sharpened the fearsome martial arts weapon to a razor-sharp edge, and then may have carried it on the streets of Peterborough."

"Today, it was handled with extreme care by Pc Snowy Aga, himself a martial arts and knives expert, after it was surrendered in the first week of a knife amnesty."

"The results of the first few days of the move to tackle a knife culture, which is sweeping the country, delighted police. An array of 70 dangerous weapons, including three samurai swords, two machetes, a bayonet, hunting knives, home-made knives, and even a starter pistol, were dumped in collection bins." ...