Trekmachine 0 Posted May 28, 2006 British police have confiscated a replica Klingon bat'leth during a raid on a home in Gloucester. The Sun Online reported that "this five-foot martial arts sword capable of beheading a man was recovered by shocked cops" and put on display at the start of a national knife amnesty program, encouraging owners to turn in illegally owned blades. "It is a particularly nasty weapon which could easily take someone’s head off," said inspector Mac McGarry of the ritual Klingon weapon, said to be identical those from the Star Trek films (in the photo it appears to have some differences from Worf's weapon of choice) and sharpened to make it possible to kill a combatant. The police in Britain are hoping for tens of thousands of knives, swords and other weapons to cut down on crimes involving blades, though a campaigner from the group Victims of Crime labeled the knife amnesty program a futile publicity stunt and said he expected law-abiding citizens to be punished rather than criminals. It was not reported why the bat'leth was taken, nor whether it was ever used in any sort of combat or criminal activity. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BakulaBabe 2 Posted May 28, 2006 That's ridiculous! Did they actually think the owner would go out and attack someone with it? It's not a very practical weapon to sneak up on someone with. Sheesh. I wonder what prompted the police to raid that home. B) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trekz 7 Posted May 28, 2006 Probably an annonymous tip from a Romulan spy! B) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trekmachine 0 Posted May 28, 2006 That's ridiculous! Did they actually think the owner would go out and attack someone with it? It's not a very practical weapon to sneak up on someone with. Sheesh. B) I know Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capt_Picard 0 Posted May 28, 2006 I really don't see a guy going down a street killing people with it... maybe turkey, but not people. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MANVERU 0 Posted May 28, 2006 Interesting, here in Australia it's legal for ANYONE over 18 to have any type of blade. I myself am 18 and have over 50 swords, knives and axes. I also have a Bat'leth, and one of those klingon ritual knives that worf would have used to commit suicide. I forget the name Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ARMS 0 Posted May 28, 2006 Seen that in the paper. Since I'm the only British person yet to reply to this topic, I'll tell you, there is currently a knife amnesty going on, since blade attacks are way up on the police worry list. Alot of people carry them for protection, and many more for attacks, often unprompted. I'm telling you, someone would use a bat'leth in attack on someone, they'd get out of jail in a couple of years and become feared in their home town. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Angela 1 Posted May 28, 2006 OK I know the police feel they are doing a wonderful thing in taking Knives away from youths and those that carry such implements purely for acts of violence, especially after two teens have been killed or injured outside the school gates, but it has been taken from a persons home! "It is a particularly nasty weapon which could easily take someone’s head off," said inspector Mac McGarry. Well yeah ok, in the series it is supposed to do this, but to my knowledge no Bat'leth on sale is even sharp! If the individual to whom the seized Bat'leth belonged to sharpened it, carried it on the street and waved it around as though he were a Klingon, then fine, no issues with its confiscation, but really in a person's HOME. And is a Knife amnesty really going to do any long term good? No! of course it isn't. If you want something like 14 year olds stabbing each other prevent them from buying dangerous weapons and make sure legislation that is in place is enforced. End of the day though, teens will always be able to access knives, they will always be able to take them out of the home, we buy knives for all sorts of domestic purposes, and I have been known to use not particularly sharp ones for undoing screws when not availed of a screwdriver. So availability is always going to be an issue, 'can't buy a knife, grab your mother's meat cleaver or steak knife, they wound just the same and are accountable for a higher proportion of injuries or death than any of the fantasy knives on sale, though some of the hunting knives are used in the commission of crime and really I feel that the age limit should be brought to 18 on those, they could cause some wicked interesting injuries. But really a Bat'leth? Unless it is sharpened is more an object d'art than anything actually intended to wound maim or kill. Sometimes I wonder how smart the police force of England and Wales really is. *Shakes head* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krysis 2 Posted May 29, 2006 The English police may have confiscated a Klingon's weapon and dishonoured him... well, they obviously haven't tried raiding a Borg's home yet. I'd like to see them confiscate nanites. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MANVERU 0 Posted May 29, 2006 Hehe. Police Captain: "Constable, sieze that robot" Borg: "Move any closer, and you will be assimilated" Police Captain: "Search for cocaine too" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
master_q 0 Posted May 29, 2006 A Bat'leth!? Really? LOL It is just so stupid. I remember when the government was "cleaning house" in Chicago's public housing complexes. The government, without any justifiable reason (no warrants or anything), kicked down doors and took weapons and any "illegal" substances. Bill Clinton justified all of this by saying that the "most important freedom we have in this country is the freedom from fear". He went on to say without that no one is free. (Whatever that means.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites