Banning swords

http://heraldsun.com.au/common/story...5E2862,00.html

Zeebee, this seems to be around your area. Yikes! I wonder if this also means sporting equipment.

--
Amy and Joseph Kormann

In rec.sport.fencing on Thu, 18 Mar 2004 19:34:12 -0500
Amy & Joseph Kormann <ajkormann@monmouth.com> wrote:
> http://heraldsun.com.au/common/story...5E2862,00.html
>
> Zeebee, this seems to be around your area. Yikes! I wonder if this also means sporting equipment.


*grin* this is popping up all over!

Yes, it is in the works. It is changing swords from one category to
another. Previously you had to have "lawful excuse".

No, no one knows what are in the regs yet. However, it is likely the
word "Sharp" will appear there.

It is also very likely that sporting and re-enactment groups will get
exemptions.

This is a kneejerk reaction to some high profile gangwar stuff. as what
was done with those swords was *already* illegal, they are trying to
restrict access to suchh weapons. Mainly the cheap "samurai sword"
stuff sold in disposals.

Various re-enactment and sporting groups have put in submissions and
expect to be meeting with the Minister when the regs are drafted.

Zebee

--
Zebee Johnstone (zebee@zip.com.au), proud holder of
aus.motorcycles Poser Permit #1.
"Motorcycles are like peanuts... who can stop at just one?"

On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 19:34:12 -0500, an orbital mind-control laser
caused Amy & Joseph Kormann <ajkormann@monmouth.com> to write:

>http://heraldsun.com.au/common/story...5E2862,00.html
>
>Zeebee, this seems to be around your area. Yikes! I wonder if this also means sporting equipment.


It *shouldn't* include sporting equipment, unless the people writing
the laws are particularly stupid (which, since we're talking about
politicians, is entirely possible. <G>)

I'm reminded of an argument used when folks in the SCA group in
Louisiana were trying to get rapier fighting started: "Oh, you can't
do that here, that's *duelling* which is against the law in
Louisiana." I finally did some investigating, and found out that yes,
duelling had* been banned in Louisiana, as well as in most of the
neighboring states, but it was clear from the text of the law that
they were talking about potentially lethal combat with sharp swords or
guns, not sport combat where a primary objective is to *not* hurt your
opponent.

-Chris Zakes
Texas

*Most of the anti-duelling laws had been declared obsolete and dropped
from the books in the1980s.

Five exclamation marks. A sure sign of a diseased mind.

-Terry Pratchett, "Maskerade"

"Chris Zakes" <moondrgn@austin.rr.com> wrote in message
news:atom5011kpi515m1j0hea9vlioloq0n0np@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 19:34:12 -0500, an orbital mind-control laser
> caused Amy & Joseph Kormann <ajkormann@monmouth.com> to write:
>
> >http://heraldsun.com.au/common/story...5E2862,00.html
> >
> >Zeebee, this seems to be around your area. Yikes! I wonder if this also
means sporting equipment.
>
>
> It *shouldn't* include sporting equipment, unless the people writing
> the laws are particularly stupid (which, since we're talking about
> politicians, is entirely possible. <G>)

In British type systems civil servants write the law, or at least edit it
so it makes sense.

This is why the recent 'combat knife' idiocy in the UK never made the
statute books, it was impossible to define a 'combat knife', and the Home
Office civil servants said so.

The current idiocy is about the current fashion in certain places (including
some UK towns) for people to carry those ghastly cheap reproduction Japanese
swords about and, every now and again, someone gets a hand chopped off...

If they really wanted to kill people they'd carry an axe...

--
William Black
------------------
Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords
is no basis for a system of government

Amy & Joseph Kormann <ajkormann@monmouth.com> wrote in message news:<c3dfer$eb2$1@news.monmouth.com>...
> http://heraldsun.com.au/common/story...5E2862,00.html

An amusing anecdote:


I'm hoping someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but several years ago
California State representative Henry Waxman was running for office on
a "clean up the books" platform. He felt the legal ssystem was
clogged with useless laws such as it being illegal to flog your ox
within 50' of a church on a saturday or sunday or whatever, and "no
motorcars downtown before 11am" or whatever. Old, outdated laws.

Thing is, he was elected. And among the laws he threw out were the
edicts against duelling--but he didn't throw out California's old
Spanish-Law based "Code Duello."

So, it's now legal to duel--with swords, anyway--in California (Or
"KAH-LEE-Fohn-ya," according to our new governor). Thing is, under
the old code--which has been restored withe the removal of the ban,
the victor is encumbered with the debts of the loser (should he be
killed), as well as become responsible for the maintenance of his
family.

Talk about discouragement!

TC