Should knives with points be banned?

[OonaStubbs]

All the recent attacks have been through stabbing, why not ban pointy knives and just sell knives with rounded ends? Or at least heavily, heavily restrict the sale of pointy knives to those who have a legitimate need for them, have them branded with serial numbers and prevent re-sale etc?

Well you could make the same argument against banning guns. "If you ban guns they'll just carry knives, so why ban guns"?

But ordinary people don't need guns like they need knives, and those that do need guns (hunters etc.) can get them. So very different to knives.

Because the vast majority of people do not need to use guns in their everyday lives, whereas most, if not all of us do use sharp kitchen knives, @OonaStubbs.

Because guns serve one purpose, well two. Killing and sport.
Knives are much more widely used

That's the first thing you've said that's made me stop and think for a moment, because it's true that similar conversations to this one take place in the USA when people propose tougher gun control. NRA types all trot out the same arguments:
"But they're an essential tool."
"I've owned six guns for half a century and never killed anyone."
"What about all the existing guns, they'd still be out there."
"Guns don't kill people, people kill people."
"Criminals would just use something else instead."

So yes, I did think for a moment. Then I realised banning everything pointy is still a really silly idea!

Classic Mumsnet.
"Let's ban this, let's ban that!!!!!!!"
I say, let's ban Mumsnet.

In the story "The Marvellous Land of Oz" (sequel to the Wizard of Oz), the Emerald City was overthrown by an army composed entirely of girls, led by General Jinjur, who all objected to the "stay in the kitchen" mentality, and overcame the Scarecrow's army with knitting needles. Seriously, that is the plot of the story, it's in print for everyone to read!

The stinger: they grew up to become Mumsnetters.

Watching the TV show Cluedo in the 90s, it was interesting to see what everyday objects were chosen as the weapons. A few sillier examples were: a glass decanter stopper, a toilet chain, a battery charger, the victim's own bow tie, the tail from a dragon's costume.

I'm walking round with a massive sharp metal spike in my bag ATM. I could murder at least one ,if not two people with it.

But knives in public are already banned. Banning pointy ones from even being in someone's dwelling will do nothing.

Incidentally, my old school year 3 teacher used a Stanley knife to sharpen pencils. Was she putting us all in danger, by having one around?

More recently, I saw a year 3 teacher giving the children a lesson on knife safety, when they were using craft knives. He said “this is a k-niff, it is S-H-A-R-P”, before moving on to the more serious stuff. When these children become the felons that the right wing thinks they will, will they be repeating this line to their victims when threatening them with a knife?