This Thursday, Sept. 8, the Public Safety Committee of the Boston City Council will hold a hearing with the intention of licensing the sale of knives in the city of Boston, Knife Rights reported. Below is the official stated purpose of the hearing:
That the appropriate committee of the Boston City Council hold a hearing to examine requiring the sale of knives to be licensed by the appropriate police agency that would monitor, regulate and license businesses selling knives. Representatives from the Boston Police Department, Inspectional Services Department, and other interested parties shall be invited to attend.
The meeting will be at Boston City Hall, Ianella Chambers, 5th Floor on Sept. 8 at 10 a.m.
If you are a Boston citizen, here is a link to the councilors’ webpages where you can find a link to contact them and POLITELY express your outrage: http://www.cityofboston.gov/citycouncil/councillors
Along with Knife Rights, Blademag.com urges all Boston area knife enthusiasts to contact the Boston City Council and express their opposition to this measure. According to Knife Rights, Bostonians currently need a license to possess pepper spray. In a year or so this measure could lead to licensing citizens to possess a basic pocketknife.
As noted in the article linked below, existing Boston law already prohibits knives with a blade two inches or longer from being sold to anyone under age 18. A number of stores were fined as a result of a recent sting operation for illegally selling knives to underage people. There is no indication of any factual connection made between violence committed with knives in the city and these retailers, or that licensing would actually help the situation any more than simply enforcing the existing law on the books.
Knife Rights has a representative in Massachusetts who will attend the meeting, but if you live in the area and can attend as well, the stronger the show of opposition to the proposal, the better.
Video: www.bit.ly/p0TUmg
Article: http://bo.st/qBwsaZ
