strathspey@strathspey.org:52616

Anselm Lingnau

Re: No more sword dances?

June 3, 2008, 12:02 a.m. (Message 52616, in reply to message 52611)

Fiona Grant wrote:

> Banning the purchase and use of these swords is to my
> mind completely ridiculous, as I know of no occasion when such swords have
> been used in violent crime.

This misses the point somewhat, I think. The point is not »doing something 
about the vast numbers of murders etc. being committed using highland 
dancers' (dull) swords«. The point, on the politicians' part, »is being 
perceived to do something dramatic for the public good«, even if the public 
good doesn't really care one way or the other. Fortunately (from the point of 
view of the proposing party), nobody can really be against the new law in 
principle as that would be tantamount to condoning »sword crime«. Any 
objections on the part of the parliamentary opposition would have to be on 
the grounds of the bill not being far-reaching enough (it should, for 
example, also ban kitchen knives -- another ingredient to violent crime if 
there ever was one) or various technicalities of no real consequence (like 
whether dancing counts as a sport where swords should still be allowed, or 
not).

Anyway, never mind swords for the moment, but is HM Government really planning 
to outlaw sticks? Any sticks at all? Exactly what must a stick look like 
and/or be made of to perhaps still be permissible? What about canes or 
crutches? Broom handles? Tent poles? Fence posts? Railway ties? Toothpicks? 
Cheese straws?

Anselm
-- 
Anselm Lingnau, Friedberg, Germany ..................... xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Stop trying to protect me from myself. [...] Plastic knives are for picnics.
Surgery and the like require scalpels.                        -- Eric Herrmann