Weapon sales ban in Tacoma

[Mythsaje]

City plans compromise on weapons

JASON HAGEY; The News Tribune
Published: July 19th, 2006 01:00 AM



Butterfly knives, stun guns and spiked ball flails would be banned from Tacoma stores under an ordinance the City Council is considering.
Samurai swords, daggers and hatchets would not.

That’s the compromise officials made after struggling for more than a year to figure out how to stop the sale of some weapons without also banning the sale of kitchen knives.

The issue arose out of neighborhood complaints about convenience stores selling swords, daggers and other weapons.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/5962694p-5245557c.html



You know what really gets me about this? It's not because these weapons have proved to be some kind of a problem, but because people complained. Of course, I've never understood why stores could sell weapons that people couldn't legally carry, but I'm not sure why anyone even thought the ban was necessary. It's not as though there has been a rash of spiked flail assaults.

People are such scaredy-cats.

[Solo_in_MD]

1. I am surprised those radical in the SCA let this get passed

You can have my flail when you pry it from my cold dead fingers...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flail_%28weapon%29

[Mythsaje]

2. Pisses off martial artists too...

It's one thing when you have a rash of people using a certain weapon in violent confrontation. But, for the most part, these things are used as a form of exercise (like I used to use my nunchaku) and almost as an art form.

I'd like to see some statistics suggesting the availability of these weapons was, in itself, leading to specific kinds of violence. Since there are no such details available, that suggests the whole thing is totally unnecessary.

The one weapon they'll have a hard time eliminating, on the other hand, is one they'd find it impossible to ban.

Sticks are my friends.

[Cerridwen]

5. Most of us radicals in the SCA...

make our own weapons or buy them from vendors at SCA events who make their own stock of weapons. Most of the "store bought" stuff is "crap."




:evilgrin:

[Mythsaje]

8. Good point...

Most of them are intended as showpieces, not to really be used as weapons.

[Cerridwen]

10. True. What's funny about that is...

these implements are rarely used for SCA fighting as SCA fighting takes as its first doctrine, safety. Even so, most in the SCA won't purchase showpiece grade weapons and instead insist on weapons quality weapons; just in case we ever really have to use the, I guess.



:rofl:

[Solo_in_MD]

14. As a martial artist I remember when they banned the open sale

of several traditional weapons, including nunchaku. Then they restricited them just to the martial arts school. Now is some areas its illegal to possess. Gives some credence to the NRA slippery slope theory.

"They can have my Sai and Shuang-Gao when they pry them from my cold dead hands"

[Solo_in_MD]

15. I have a mix of wall hangers and a couple of serious weapons

Raid on my home would make great copy for the 6:00 PM news...

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. convenience stores?

I've seen the cutlery stores in the mall selling knives and swords, but convenience stores?

I'm going to run down to 7-11 for a cherry coke slushy and a Scottish claymore.

[Ariana Celeste]

4. A lot of convenience store in Tacoma have

glass counters with little trinkets behind them... I've seen plenty of (cheaply made) daggers and butterfly knives behind them.... along with belt buckles and other such things.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

6. Oh, yeah I've seen those.

Eh.

[Ariana Celeste]

9. Used to crack me up when I'd go in for cigarettes or whatever

Right next to the knives and daggers would be glass roses you can get for Ma or your girlfriend.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

11. Eh.

Its kind of like going into an older convenience store and getting a half pound of roast beef cold cuts and some fishing bait.

They don't make convenience stores like they used to.

[titoresque]

16. funny you mention "crack"

the small glass vials with the tiny roses in them are used for smoking it. Usually located right on the counter next to lighters.

[Ariana Celeste]

17. heh

I shoulda realized that- but I didn't. Oh, man! There were a couple of convenience stores I went to that sold these tiny keychain pipes- they worked alright as one hitters.

[Ariana Celeste]

7. Absolutely ridiculous

Words just fail, you know? Anyone can hop on a bus and go down to Puyallup if they can no longer buy them in Tacoma. Jesus.

[Generic Other]

12. What will they sell in Asian mini marts?

What next? No more corndogs on sticks at the fair?

[Ariana Celeste]

13. Hey, you can poke someone's eye out with those sticks!

;)