British (non-)Humor

Leave to the land of Monty Python and John Cleese to take matters to absurd conclusions.  For starters, the United Kingdom  

• Has a mayor in London who wanted to prevent children from watching Olympic shooting events.
• Has a pollice force that arrested a man for finding a gun in his yard and turning it over to the police.
• Imposed a prohibition on the use of starting pistols at races lest children get frightened by the noise

Now, the people of a once powerful country are proposing to take the protective cocoon of the Nanny state further by doing Cleese's silly walk toward banning kitchen knives.  Yes, you read correctly: kitchen knives.  According to a report from the BBC quoting research published in the British Medical Journal:

No longer. . .

[The] researchers said there was no reason for long pointed knives to be publicly available at all. ...The researchers say legislation to ban the sale of long pointed knives would be a key step in the fight against violent crime. ...Home Office spokesperson said there were already extensive restrictions in place to control the sale and possession of knives. "The law already prohibits the possession of offensive weapons in a public place, and the possession of knives in public without good reason or lawful authority, with the exception of a folding pocket knife with a blade not exceeding three inches. ...A spokesperson for the Association of Chief Police Officers said: "ACPO supports any move to reduce the number of knife related incidents, however, it is important to consider the practicalities of enforcing such changes."

No starting pistols or kids watching shooting events.  Arrest someone for finding a gun and immediately turning it over to the police.  Now, proposals to ban long, pointy, sharp edged things. . .  Lunacy!

A once proud and defiant nation descends into drivel and meaningless symbolism.  I'll write later about what effect the banning of guns has had on crime in Britain (and could have in the United States).  For now, it is clear that Britannia no longer rules the waves - just the private lives of its citizens.  In a Monty Python sort of way.