Scotland to go ahead with sword ban

As I reported last year, the Scottish parliament is going ahead with a plan to ban swords, knives, and machetes:

Swords will be banned from sale in Scotland in a new effort to tackle the country's "booze and blades" culture.

Cathy Jamieson, the justice minister, will announce the move today.

However, it is understood that exceptions will be made for weapons required for religious, cultural or sporting purposes.

Retailers yesterday claimed the move was an over-reaction, as swords constitute just 1 per cent of knife crime.

Ms Jamieson, who has the backing of the police, will also launch a range of measures to restrict the sale of non-domestic knives, including hunting knives, bowie knives and machetes.

The usual reasons are trotted out for this nonsensical ban: "if it saves one life or permanent disfigurement it is worthwhile." If that is the standard by which government action will be judged, then most human activities are dangerous and could be curtailed.

At least in the initial draft, kitchen knives are not included, but as Theodore Dalrymple has observed, cooking is a rare activity in the modern British home. There might be relatively little outcry if kitchen knives were the next thing to be banned.

Of course, swords and knives are trivial contributors to the death and injury rate in Scotland . . . but that sort of thing is rarely taken into account by those who feel that the only way to improve things is by passing laws.

Hat tip to Elizabeth for the current URL.