Samurai swords banned in Ireland

[ensho]

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Samurai-Swords-banned-in-Ireland--56714287.html


Huge hike in sword and knife crime leads to gov’t decision to ban Japanese weapon


The Irish Government has banned samurai swords in Ireland, and anyone caught importing or selling the weapons could face a jail sentence of seven years.

Crimes involving Samurai swords have risen in recent years, and the fact that some of the swords are available to buy on the street for about $90 dollars has raised concern in government circles.

On January 13, 2008, Charles Russell sliced off the hand of Peter Rogers with a Samurai sword at the Deputy Mayor Pub, Meekstown, Dublin and incidents of young men wielding the dangerous weapon in the country have surfaced.

-snip-

“One of the things that we promised back in February is that we would increase the maximum prison sentence for possession of a knife from one year to five years, and also that we would give the Gardai extended powers of search without warrant when the guard has reasonable ground to suspect that a person is carrying a knife.
-snip-
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cripe. and we can't even ban automatic assult rifles. just the thought of it sends many american men into hysterics.

[gmoney]

1. Wonder if Kill Bill is also banned there?

When Samurai swords are outlawed, only outlaws will be Samurai...

http://www.ica.org.uk/thumbnail.php?max=408&id=1407

[Johonny]

17. but crappy movies live forever

[havocmom]

2. In Ireland, men used to kill with wooden clubs.

If enough weaponry is banned, they will do so again. Problem is human nature, not so much the weapon de jour.

Ban guns, knifings and sword violence needs to be address. Address that, and violent people will still find a tool. The problem is a bit more troublesome than banning devices. Murder is also banned. The problem persists.

[ensho]

3. is it human nature or male nature?

nt

[The Straight Story]

5. I dunno, ever work in a female prison?

:)

[havocmom]

6. There have been some pretty violent women folk through time

But, mostly it was males swinging clubs, I believe. Physical power does enforce some limits

[armyowalgreens]

24. Thanks for the sexism. Much appreciated.

[proteus_lives]

25. Wow.

Really can't hide that misandry can you?

[KatyMan]

10. people will still find a tool

When we lived there in 2000/01, somebody robbed a video store using a hammer. I thought it was kind of funny. All you have to do is stay out of his reach!

[The Straight Story]

4. Bans work so well. I thought all their crime problems went away with guns?

Cause we all know guns cause crime, not people.

[Chef Eric]

23. Right, so let's eliminate bans altogether.

Let's allow private citizens to drive around in tanks, and carry shoulder-launched anti-aircraft rockets. Cause the last thing we should do is infringe on people's "rights."

Or maybe, just maybe, we can admit that in each country, a line needs to drawn SOMEWHERE. And maybe the elected officials in Ireland know best where the line in Ireland ought to be drawn.

[juno jones]

7. Seems like a country steeped in tradition like Ireland

Would have plenty of broadswords and hand-and-a-half bastards to do any amount of pillage.

If that fails there's always the shelleighlie (how ever that's spelled).

[ashling]

8. Ireland needs a strong NRA, er, NSSA

to stand up for every Irishmans right to bear Samurai Swords :sarcasm:

As Mr. Dooley put it so well,

"Hey, McShaunisey! Is that a samaurai sword in yer pocket?"

[TexasObserver]

9. Finally! They've done something about Samurai swords in Ireland!

I can scratch that off my list.

[-..__...]

11. I wonder what effect this will have on deli owners in Dublin?

[Rambis]

12. No worries

As long as Hurling is around a good piece of wood is still handy

[datasuspect]

13. irish soccer hooligans, hoodies, and chavs (do they have chavs in ireland?) will just have to settle

for machetes, knives, blunt instruments, and beer bottles.

[Posteritatis]

14. "Crimes involving Samurai swords have risen.." followed by one(1) example

Very nice. There oughta be a law!

And, of course, for those of us interested in playing games with statistics, if that one instance was the first such one, then it qualifies as "incidents of young men wielding ... have surfaced."

Now, if there were enough of these to be a real problem, that might be one thing, but I've always thought that using one or two incidents as grounds for federal legislation tends to be a bit of an overreaction.

[Chef Eric]

19. Other examples are mentioned here.

<http://www.independent.ie/national-news/crackdown-on-samurai-swords-1874325.html>

[Posteritatis]

21. One. Meh.

One instance of people attacking someone with a weapon, which is traditionally illegal anyway. A second is the same one mentioned in the OP's article, and the third is a judge confiscating something purchased legally for decorative purposes despite charges against the defendant being dismissed.

Nope, sorry, this is just an overreaction, similar to the one in Britain that's led to those ridiculous "stab-proof knives" some dolts are trying to market.

[Chef Eric]

27. Or maybe it's not an overreaction.

Maybe the elected officials in Ireland know a little more than we do about how to deal with problems in Ireland.

[Posteritatis]

28. Nah, I'm gonna stick with overreaction

Any new "gotta ban it!" law based on a handful of incidents is a kneejerk law and therefore bad, IMNSHO. It's the exact same kind of "thinking" that would ban bicycles if they were invented last week.

[Dappleganger]

15. Before you know it they'll ban the suds...

bring back the snakes and begin planting rice patties everywhere.

:hangover:

[arbusto_baboso]

16. Are there a lot of Irish Samurai? I remember once meeting a Seamus Tomonaga, but he seemed

the exception rather than the rule.

[Posteritatis]

18. There's always...

...the McNinja clan.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

20. Automatic assault rifes are heavily controlled at a Federal level and banned in

many states.

[armyowalgreens]

22. uuhh Assault Rifles are banned in the US unless you are part of law enforcement or the military.

[proteus_lives]

26. You need some facts.

Assault rifles are banned/heavily controlled/monitored.

And the other thing is that you're a sexist and one of the biggest jokes on DU.

[WildEyedLiberal]

29. They should ban murder

Wait...