ANSWERS: 60
  • a knife as a concealed weapon is banned in lots of countries. And lots of countries do not have strict enough gun control policies either. Its a shame but really we cannot go around banning all knives or we would have nothing to cook with.
  • Cos we'd find it tricky to eat diner without knives.
  • Simple. The majority of people are stupid.
  • Because those people are retarded.
  • Let's put it this way, which do you think is likely to do more damage?
    • Hardcore Conservative
      Handguns. But not a lot of talk about banning those.
  • Because people think guns are evil & if they were abolished, we would all live in Utopia!
    • Hardcore Conservative
      Let's just make a law banning murder. That'll solve the problem. And we can even post signs that say "Murder Free Zone."
  • Go count up how many you can kill with a knive in a few minutes versus how many you can kill with a gun in the same amount of time. Get the difference?????????????????
  • 1. Because knives have practical every day uses that would make it impractical to ban. People would live just fine without guns, but life would be very difficult without knives. 2. Although knives can be a deadly weapon, they are not nearly as effective or capable of committing sudden mass murders.
    • mushroom
      Same with cars, trucks or airplanes, all of which have been used to kill people, and which are somewhat effective.
  • That's an excellent question. Without knives we wouldn't be able to cut our meat. That said, I have no idea why John Bobbit didn't push for a total ban.
  • I have always considered using a knife on another human being a very intimate and close quartered reactory horror! Using a knife, takes a certain kind of personality that in my opinion, is far more degenerative than using a gun. A gun is just as wrong, dont misunderstand what I am trying to say, of course it is... But a knife is very personal and takes a more cold and cruel human being to weild one. It is bloody, and the pain felt by tye victim is right there... close up and very personal and I feel that just pulling a little trigger, makes the perp a less involved indivisual in his own crime... Almost somewhat removed from the instant consequences of his actions. I feel that a gun, is more humane... A person that can stab another person. TO me, is therefore a far more disturbed and dangerous indivisual.
  • In my state, you can carry a pocket knife with a blade up to 4 inches long. Anything over that is considered a concealed weapon. Laws will vary from state to state but most consider switchblades (spring loaded) knives to be illegal. Let's not forget the OJ Simpson trial and the fact that the victims were virtually beheaded with a knife. I don't own a handgun, but I can if I wanted to by current law and I like having the choice. I currently own a 22 caliber semi-automatic long rifle with a scope. That doesn't even require a permit. So I could take it up to the clock tower and shoot... uh pigeons. Most people don't care about gun laws and politicians just use them to get elected. What I find more surprising than politicians wanting to ban guns. Is the fact that most retail stores that sell rifles keep them locked up behind a counter while you can pick up a box of ammo off a shelf and open it. Last month I went to the mall and bought a short sword with an 18 inch blade. In the end, the people who preach outlawing weapons are under the belief that removing the weapon will end the violence. This is sadly untrue, people will always kill people even if they have to do it with clubs and stones.
  • Because our political agendas try to dictate what we can and can not have. Knives can do as much damage as a gun. I believe it is the person who is holding the weapon that should be blamed. Do not ban an object just because a bad person can use it as a weapon.
  • because the suicide with guns is not the issue, it is a scapegoat ploy for outlawing weapons and taking away our rights as citizens. Anyone knows banning guns only takes guns away fromt he law abiding citizens. Criminals will STILL continue to get guns illegally..so then we end up with bad guys with guns and citizens with absolutely no way to protect themselves. So you ask why would the government want to take away our right to have guns? Just one more step towards a fascist military state. LEave the people helpless and dependent upon an already failing police and military system. My solution: put a ban on stupid people and stupid people breeding.
  • A knife is up close and personal. A lot of people dont have the courage to do that. They would rather pull the trigger and run. Cowards that they are.
  • Because gun can be used from far away to kill some one, but knife is hand to hand killing and is not that easy, guns should be taken away from the black market, but should be allowed for good citizen for their own safety.
  • People kill people with baseball bats. why not ban baseball? People kill others with forks. why not ban silverware? what people need to realize banning isn't the answer its part of the problem. where im from everyone has a knife or a gun.. Guess what? We don't have a crime problem here. Not unless you go to the city where people are afraid to have a gun. so think about it we have guns and knives, nothing happens here. in the city people are scared to own them... they have crime problems... hmmm... i don't know but i think somethings up (sarcasm)
  • Because knives have uses other than threatening and/or killing, whereas guns do not.
    • Hardcore Conservative
      How about defending yourself from someone else with a gun? Or a knife?
  • Because they know damn well that moon needs to peel her veggies
  • Guns are tools used for killing, and nothing else. Knives, however, are multi-purpose and well-known tools that people grow up using, like how one is accustomed to using pencils, or a keyboard,, etc. However, most people have not ever fired a gun before, and the fear of these tools of destruction drives people to put the blame on them. This is not only true for guns, but many things as well.
  • Prisoners in American jails use tooth brushes too as a weapon so why aren't they banned. The logic is quite simple that the gun is specified for harming others while knife or brush (what ever it is) are useful equipments too! Would you like to eat the water melon without cutting it?
  • Yeah that's right !! Let's talk about banning scissors and tire irons too !! Fair is fair, equal rights and all !! Now let's get everyone in a circle and sing Coombya. LOL :) (I know, I'm bad :)
  • because knives don't kill people...guns do...not really...i have no clue
  • Because guns are a lot more deadlier than knifes. And banning knives would mean we won't have any more knifes in our kitchens. We can do without guns but not withut knifes.
  • Knives have purposes other than causing death. Guns do not. Their sole purpose is to make things dead.
  • I think it's because people fear what they don't understand. -- And the media does absolutely nothing to show that there are hundreds of thousands of responsible gun owners - people who thwart crime every day. I live in an area where violent crime is virtually non-existent. Not only do we have guns at home, some of us are permitted concealed carry. Our neighbors (citizens living throughout this area) are all very polite, honest people. The only time we seem to have trouble is when some punk ass from the city comes down and starts bullying. The cops usually snatch them up and haul them off to jail for their own protection. Our local Law enforcement enjoys the fact that we are armed and honest.
  • People should realize the answer is more guns not fewer guns. If everyone was armed there might be a spike in killings to get rid of the a$$holes but after that the result would be a safer and more polite society
  • First of all, except for a very lunatic fringe, almost no one talks about 'banning guns'. That's a straw man. Now, as to why we apply different legal and psychological standards to guns versus knives, polearms, crossbows, etc., it is because they ARE different. They are a transformational technology. Prior to the invention of firearms, ones ability to attack (or defend oneself from attack from) ones fellow man was largely dependent upon size, strength, and military training. That meant that bigger, stronger, more highly trained people could always oppress those who had the bad fortune to be small, weak, and not able to devote time to learning how to kill people. The gun changed all that. Once loaded, killing someone (or, at least, severely wounding him/her) is simply point and press a button/trigger. With guns in society, 5'0" 98-lb weakling Murphy McMilquetoast is no longer in terror of 6'5" 280-lb Gerald McGiant. They are both (more or less) equally able to inflict deadly force upon each other. Furthermore, prior to firearms, people had to kill each other one at a time. That took time and there was always the chance that the intended victim(s) would run away. With firearms (and especially modern guns and ammunition), one person can hurt a whole slew of people before they can move three steps. Naturally, society has some interest in preventing this from happening. Hence, private citizens do not get access to tanks, missiles, bombers, nuclear warheads, etc. And, yes, to a certain extent, this includes guns. If someone is standing 2 meters away from me wielding a knife, there's a good chance I can run away. If I have 2 or 3 buddies with me, there's a good chance we can disarm the knife-holder. If someone is standing 2 meters away from me with an AK-47, I (and any small number of buddies I have with me) are essentially at the gun holder's mercy. The two situations are different, and the laws addressing them need to be different.
  • A gun can kill more than one person at a time A gun is a coward's weapon.. knives bring death up close and personal Knives have a beneficial use in cooking..there is no beneficial use to guns..they are only used to kill I know of no knife comparable to an AK-47
  • Knives, while potentially lethal, have a utilitarian purpose. Guns have only one purpose, that is, to kill. Theoretically, I could beat you to death with my toilet plunger, but would that then alert people to the necessity of banning plungers as potential lethal weapons?
  • Because they're idiots that have no respect for other people that value their right to own guns. Guns don't kill people, people kill people. It takes a person to fire a gun. Guns don't fire on their own. Guns are good too: We hunt with them, they're protection, you can use them for recreational purposes, such as shooting clay pigeons, etc... I know that I'm going to get DR'd like hell for this answer, but guess what? The TRUTH strikes again! *~TRUTH~*
    • mushroom
      The problem is that there are too many irresponsible gun owners who do not keep their firearms secured. They are the ones making it bad for everyone else.
  • Because knives have been around longer than guns and there are probably more people who think a knife is more essential than a gun. We are not allowed guns here in Australia they banned them for the majority of people years ago.
  • Knives, in their many forms, are a universal tool. Everyone comes into contact with a knife almost daily, is well indoctrinated in knife safety procedures, and generally needs to use one at some point during the day. A ban on knives would seriously impair the ability of everyone to go about their daily business, especially in food preparation. Crime aided by the use of a knife as a weapon is an accepted price people pay in order to keep a tool they need. Firearms, on the other hand, are a specialized tool. Very large segments of the US population *never* come into contact with a firearm, seldom see them except on a cop's duty belt or on TV, are generally ignorant of firearm safety procedures, and seldom *need* to use one *ever*. For a large chunk of the US population, a ban on firearm would not affect them personally; they could still go on with their lives. *That* is why they have no problems supporting a firearm ban. It is so easy to support a program that does not affect you in the slightest. They are saying, "I don't care what utility you see in firearms, why you want a firearm, or why you think you need a firearm. I don't want to hear your excuses. I live just fine without one so you should be able to as well." Problem with that line of thought is that these people fail to see that firearms generally fall under the category of emergency equipment. You can go your whole life without using a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a CO2 detector, a set of jumper cables, or a first aid kit. You could go to your grave without ever needing to file an insurance claim for a damaged car or home. You never need those things until your **REALLY** need them. As the LA riots showed, you don't need a firearm until you **REALLY** need one. For those who think that social safety lies with the police department, keep this little fact in mind: The average police department tries to keep an average of 1 cop per 1,000 residents. What are the odds a cop will be there to protect you against an assault? Remember, when seconds count, the police are just minutes away.
  • I agree and if they ban guns then they should ban knives baseball bats and bits of broken glass and sticks and rocks and diseases and car accidents and animal attacks and every other thing that could potentially kill someone or they should regulate all of those things better PEOPLE NEED TO FREAKING WAKE UP! stricter gun control won't solve much A true criminal will always aquire a gun no matter what!
  • Ban meat it kills ur colon
  • BEcause knives are everywhere around us and are an accepted thing in everyday life, whereas guns are scary and people do not like them as they are not used to them and there are no apparent benefits in having them around, whereas knives have an purpose in everyday life.
  • The hand gun is a personal security device, a tool. Those who use tools for criminal activities will do so regardless of the tool and laws governing their use. This is illustrated by the "All in the Family" segment below: ... Gloria said, "Did you know that 65% of the people murdered in the last 10 years were killed by handguns?" Archie replied, "Would it make you feel any better little girl, if they was pushed out windows?"
  • They do ban knives in certain places. You can't have them in public or you get arrested.
  • Because a knife has a purpose other than "make things dead" Guns do not. Their ENTIRE purpose in the world is to cause death. That is all.
  • You cant cut a steak with a gun
  • Guns only have one function: to murder the fuck out of people. Knives have a number of practical functions apart from murder. That's the primary difference.
  • Sadly, people often overlook the useful applications for guns, like chopping vegetables, opening containers, and buttering bread. Hell, in a pinch they can be used to cut hair. Remember: Guns don't kill people, knives kill people. That's the only function knives were built for, and their reign of tyranny has lasted long enough.
  • One of the greatest ways to reduce violent crime is to encourage properly trained, law abiding citizens to carry firearms. Just think about the mass killings that we read about in the press so regularly. How many of those killers would have been stopped cold if a few good people had been armed and able to able to shoot back. That is the funny thing about gun control - the only people who obey laws banning guns are the law abiding citizens, not the outlaws (by definition). Encouraging law abiding citizens to arm themselves will reduce crime.
    • mushroom
      Yeah, I'm going to feel real safe sitting in Starbucks when the gunfight at the OK Corral breaks out.
  • i don't think a gun should be banned but the logic is with a knife you at least have to be face to face so you can defend yourself, with a gun you can be long range and still hit a target. +5
  • The law here prohibits the sale of knives to minors and as far as I know it is still an offence to carry a blade over a certain size luckily there is no sale of handguns here or we'd be screwed
  • Because even a three year old can pull a trigger and kill someone, but it would be much harder for the same little child to stab someone to death.
  • People stupidly believe that there would be less people killed with an unarmed populace. It is however flawed logic, even the thing we drive can be used as a weapon. It also won't get rid of guns, same way the drug war hasn't gotten rid of drugs, just makes the only ones who owns guns be criminals.
  • Weapons have been around since the beginning of our history as tool using creatures. The Boomer Bible, Book of Apes, Chapter 1 pretty much sums this up: “When he had come upon the earth, the ape was naked and afraid. For comfort he picked up a stick, chewed the end to a point, and stuck it in a nearby living thing. When the living thing died, transfixed by the stick, the ape ate of its flesh and soon conceived a great hunger for the death of other living things. Thereupon the ape made many pointed sticks and stuck them into great multitudes of other living things, including, on occasion, other apes.” Throughout human history, mankind dominated others through what amounts to tactics based upon sheer strength. Big guy beats little guy. Strong guy kills weak guy. Even with rocks, clubs, and sharp objects, this remained true. In fact, even with advances in technology which produced long range weapons like catapults and cannon, because these were NOT weapons which put power into the hands of the individual. Along comes the bow. For the first time in history, man has a weapon which can be fired rapidly, repeatedly, reliably, accurately, and over long distances by a single individual. Now one person has the power to take down many much larger and stronger individuals at a distance. Eventually, along comes the gun. Initially a clumsy, complicated weapon with poor accuracy and a low firing rate, it eventually evolves into a weapon of great accuracy, portability, reliability. Again, a tremendous leap in the ability for a single individual to counter much larger numbers of stronger foes is made. Human history is FULL of weapons, from the thrown stone of the prehistoric era to modern nuclear weapons, or even the high-tech kinetic kill “stones” of the “Brilliant Pebbles” concept. But the advent of the bow and later, even more significantly, the gun caused a paradigm shift in the world of politics and human power: for the first time in human history, it was possible for individuals, no matter what their physical weaknesses to wield power with enough significance to keep the strong from dominating them. It also enabled the weak to more reliably keep his family fed with game than any other method. THIS is what the gun is all about. Take away the gun, and the WEAK suffer far more than the strong and the balance of power shifts as a result. Our constitutional Amendment concerning the right to keep and bear arms was a recognition of this fact. One has only to read the Declaration of Independence and the writings of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, founding fathers who were key players in the writing of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, to understand this. From one website: “The Bill of Rights is comprised of the first ten amendments to the Constitution that set forth the individual rights and responsibilities designed to protect citizens from their own government. In less than 500 words, James Madison set in motion debates, arguments and discussions that still galvanize Americans today.” http://k12subjectguides.suite101.com/article.cfm/understanding_the_bill_of_rights http://hematite.com/dragon/jefferson2nd.html People make a big deal about guns, more so than knives, because of the simple fact that the gun DOES enable people to more easily kill other people. But to take the short sighted view of banning guns to “prevent violent crime” and reduce the number of people killed ignores the historical evidence to the contrary when you look at the entire span of human history. Banning guns would cause a shift in who can kill away from the weak toward the strong, overall. On the personal level, this means individual people are more likely to be victims of violent crimes because they cannot as easily defend themselves. And on the larger scale, this means that societies are denied the one weapon which human history has shown to be capable of preventing the powerful from suppressing the weak. People may argue about this one way or the other all they wish. But that won’t change the evidence presented by human history.
  • It's hard to cut a steak with a spoon.. :P It's more hard to do it with a gun.. The point is the knife are not necessary built to kill, but the gun have been built for that and don't any other use..
  • When the use of guns is controlled, it makes also sense to control the use of alternatives. Many countries who have banned guns have also some restrictions on knifes. Please notice that only knifes which are conceived specifically to kill people are usually banned, not utensils or tools. "Knife legislation is legislation regarding knives. As knives can be used as offensive weapons, carrying knives in public is forbidden by law in many countries and K–12 schools. Exceptions may be made for hunting knives, and for knives used for work-related purposes (e.g. chef's knives). Carrying or possessing automatic knives (switchblades) by civilians is often banned. Butterfly knives (Balisongs) are also frequently restricted due to an impression of connection with gang activity. A notable exception is Austria, where civilian possession of automatic knives including double-edged automatic OTF ("out the front") daggers is legal. New, assisted opening knives where the blade is partially opened manually but the opening is finished by another mechanism (such as a torsion bar) are currently a "grey area" in many countries as the courts and legislature have yet to catch up with development. Most Western European nations are very unfriendly toward all knives other than small pocket knives and similar small tools. Carrying knives on commercial airplanes is subject to many prohibitions which vary too frequently to be listed here. Knives can normally be transported by air travelers if securely packed in hold luggage, where they will be inaccessible during the flight." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knife_legislation
  • Knives have a purpose other than killing.
  • How would you carve the Christmas turkey, without a knife? knives do not contain a projectile, like a handgun. Handguns and long guns were invented for two purposes: to kill game for food and to kill humans. A knife was invented to carve your Christmas turkey. We can do without handguns, but we really need knives for everyday uses.
  • I am a firm believer in "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" I don't own a firearm as of right now, but I do have my FOID card if I ever want to. +3
  • Republicanism is a mental disorder, but I'd lock you all away anyway, because not all liberals give a crap about your 'feelings'.
  • Because liberals are idiots.
  • maybe cause people need knifes to cut up their food
  • You cant spray a crowd of people with multiple death projectiles with a knife.
  • cause guns are more dangerous
  • The people who want to ban guns are foolish tyrants. We can't ban everything that can be used to harm or kill people. Guns are h3e best means of self-defense, so banning them leaves millions defenseless. It's such a foolish idea.
  • probably cause more people use guns than knifes
  • probably cause most people use guns to kill people and not knives

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