When I was about fourteen or fifteen, my parents bought me a sheath knife. It was a birthday present. A six inch blade with a leather bound handle, it came with a nice leather sheath. It was a part of my scout uniform and I wore it as such. It was a useful tool – on one occasion I used it to construct a shelter when camping at Hamlet Wood. Woodcraft was very much a part of scouting and the sheath knife was not mere decoration, it was a tool and we were expected to use it as such.
Nowadays, though, it seems that scouts are not to be trusted to wear this valuable and useful tool on their belts.
It is illegal to sell knives to anyone under 18 in England and Wales, and anyone under 16 in Scotland.
The Scout Association, which begins a new season with a recently crowned Chief Scout, Bear Grylls, has now supplemented that with its own advice. It includes recommendations that knives should be carried to and from meetings by an adult, and must not be carried around campsites, which are considered public places.
This says more about modern Britain than I ever could.
The emasculation of the responsible carries on apace, while the excusing of the irresponsible does likewise…
And it says a lot about modern Britain that this man is taken seriously:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7492758.stm
And that most people actually hold opinions like this:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/4223377/Six-in-ten-people-say-knife-carriers-should-face-automatic-jail.html
.-= My last blog ..Entitled to nothing? =-.
Quite.
Over here in The Other Pisshouse Of Former Constitutional Liberty, if you go through The Works to see some OTHER sonofabitch on their way at the airport, Christ, they’ll take away your God-damn Swiss Army knife!
It is indeed a good summary of modern Britain, just not quite for the reasons you list.
The story is completely made up; it was fabricated by the Mail, and blindly reproduced by the other papers. And then believed by gullible people nationwide, fed on their paranoid Littlejohnish diets of Political Correctness Gawn Mad, etc. And that merry-go-round of lies, propaganda and lazyness is how most people acquire most of their political beliefs; and that’s why most people’s political beliefs are quite so gibberingly stupid.
Here’s a good demolition of the piece and explanation of how the lie was spread from an actual, real-life scoutmaster.
.-= My last blog ..As usual, David Mitchell is spot on =-.
Here is the page from Scouting that carries the advice quoted.
My knife was not required to be carried to and from a meeting by an adult – I wore it on my belt as part of my uniform – openly in the streets when in uniform as well. It was always taken as a tool for use when camping.
So, what did the Times mention that is “made up”?
Knives should be carried to and from meetings by an adult
Check.
Campsites are considered public places (when used for a camp) and so knives are not to be carried.
Check.
Except for reasons of religion, knives may not be worn with uniform.
Check
So, taking the advice from Scouting, the Times piece is substantially correct and the advice therein represents a significant change from the advice from my scouting days. Not made up at all, in fact…