Is This a Joke? British Police Push for Ban on Pointy KnivesJoshua Krause Except its not a joke anymore. You only need to take a look at the headlines in Britain to witness the absurdity of knife control at its best. The new Save a Life Surrender Your Knife program is in full swing and police are telling us that they have joined forces with an already growing trend in the United Kingdom to banpointy knives. Lancashire Policetell us that an amnesty program began at the end of August, and more than 800 knives have been handed in across the county including swords, machetes and commando knives. The amnesty was extended for a further week owing to its success, Lancashire Police representatives explained. The Lancashire department explains that their officers have now given their backing to a national initiative designed to raise awareness of knife crime and encourage the surrender of dangerous weapons. In spite ofthe amnesty ending this week, police tell us thatpeople can continue to hand in any knife at any police station with a front counter as well being able to drop them into the designated bins. In the United States, the gun buyback program is a classic example of a nanny state successfully cowing members of the population into giving up their weapons. Only a completely lobotomized population would stand in line all day for the privilege of being disarmed by the local police. Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed that someday a similar program would be used to collect knives as well. Unfortunately, the absurdity of the situation doesnt end there. Weve been delighted with the response so far, but our communities have told us that they want an end to knife crime and that they want to work with us to make that happen. A call from the British Medical Journal was published several years ago, arguing that many assaults are committed impulsively, prompted by alcohol and drugs, and a kitchen knife often makes an all too available weapon, according to the BBC. Knife crime? Is that what theyre calling it? You cant just refer to it as a violent crime, or a crime of passion. Apparently knives are special and scary. I had no idea that there was such a big difference between being murdered with a knife and being murdered with a cricket bat, or a crowbar. What if in another 20 years, theyre asking you to turn in all blunt objects that are capable of bludgeoning someone? After that theyll ask you to turn in your shoelaces so you dont hang yourself. I imagine most people wouldnt want to live in a world where literally everything can be dangerous, therefore, everything is illegal. If you think Im exaggerating, take a look at the Facebook page for the Lancashire Police Department. They subtly hint at their true intentions. While projects encouraging the surrender of knives are not a single solution to violence, they have an important role to play in inspiring communities to get behind education and preventative measures. You cant laugh about it. Its not a joke anymore. There is no longer any limit to what can be controlled and regulated. Most people would have laughed hysterically if you told them there would be calls for knife control someday. And not just butterfly knives and switchblades, but apparently, anything that is pointy. Researchers consulted 10 top chefs from around the UK, and found such knives have little practical value in the kitchen. None of the chefs felt such knives were essential, since the point of a short blade was just as useful when a sharp end was needed. I just I dont know what to say. Should I laugh or should I cry? OK Britain, we need to talk. Lets call it an intervention. I know Americans arent perfect, and sometimes people from other countries with different perspectives can look at our culture and tell us hey, what youre doing there is pretty bad. The rampant prescription drug abuse, the overflowing prisons, the income inequality all that stuff. We certainly have problems, and sometimes it takes someone from the outside to look at it and tell us how bad it is. But in this case, I think we know what were talking about. Youve got a serious problem. Youre no longer trying to make people safer. Youre building a prison around them, and youre out of control. Once you ran out of guns to confiscate, you started taking away the cutlery. Are you insane? Do you have some impulsive desire to be disarmed? Do your people feel the need to embrace weakness and collectivism? Whatever it is, I hope you find help soon. Because as an American looking at this from the outside, you look and sound completely mad. I know theres still a lot of awesome freedom loving Brits out there. If youre reading this, tell us what you think in the comments. Joshua Krause is a reporter, writer and researcher at The Daily Sheeple, where this first appeared. He was born and raised in the Bay Area and is a freelance writer and author. You can follow Joshuas reports at Facebook or on his personal Twitter. Joshuas website is Strange Danger. 