Rio's lawmakers react to numerous recent knife attacks - - -

http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/rios-parliament-approves-law-against-carrying-knives/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRioTimes+%28The+Rio+Times%29

The creation of the new law is a reaction to several cases in the last weeks, where people were stabbed in order to be robbed. The most prominent cases include a doctor, who died when stabbed cycling at the Lagoa, a student injured with a knife when riding the SuperVia and a man waiting for the bus in Centro. - See more at: http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/rios-parliament-approves-law-against-carrying-knives/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRioTimes+%28The+Rio+Times%29#sthash.29xUtq7t.dpuf

The lawmakers apparently do not realize that those likely to unlawfully carry knives are the least likely to pay the proposed fine for carrying a knife.

Enforcing the law will be next to impossible given the number of homeless people on the streets.

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When knives (or guns) are outlawed, only the outlaws will have them.

Best regards,

RA1

Rio's lawmakers react to numerous recent knife attacks - - -

http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/rios-parliament-approves-law-against-carrying-knives/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRioTimes+%28The+Rio+Times%29

The creation of the new law is a reaction to several cases in the last weeks, where people were stabbed in order to be robbed. The most prominent cases include a doctor, who died when stabbed cycling at the Lagoa, a student injured with a knife when riding the SuperVia and a man waiting for the bus in Centro. - See more at: http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/rios-parliament-approves-law-against-carrying-knives/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRioTimes+%28The+Rio+Times%29#sthash.29xUtq7t.dpuf

The lawmakers apparently do not realize that those likely to unlawfully carry knives are the least likely to pay the proposed fine for carrying a knife.

Enforcing the law will be next to impossible given the number of homeless people on the streets.

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As a frequent visitor there, do you think that outlawing the knives is really a solution? I would think, and I could be wrong, having never been there, but perhaps getting a handle on unemployment, poverty, and corruption would do more to bring the crime rate down. Or are those issues for the long term, and perhaps outlawing knives will help in the interim. Curious...

As a frequent visitor there, do you think that outlawing the knives is really a solution? I would think, and I could be wrong, having never been there, but perhaps getting a handle on unemployment, poverty, and corruption would do more to bring the crime rate down. Or are those issues for the long term, and perhaps outlawing knives will help in the interim. Curious...

I think outlawing knives is foolish. I believe it is unlikely that outlawing knives will reverse the recent increase in violent street crime where a knife is involved. Some specific incidents will be prevented but the reason for the increased crime remains.

Law abiding citizens carrying a knife are subject to the same fines and punishment as are street thugs who rob people simply because they can.

If there was a way to reduce high unemployment, there would be fewer hungry and desperate people on the streets who resort to violence and crime to support themselves and/or their families.

In the U.S. there is controversy over gun control. Some reasonable people believe that guns should be outlawed. There are other reasonable people who feel the opposite. Reasonable people can and do disagree. I realize that gun control involves more issues than a knife ban but each item can be used as a weapon or as a defense.

I wish I knew the solution to the problem, but I don't.

I can certainly sympathize with demonstrators in Brazil who protest the way the government fails to steer the economy to a beneficial solution.

I think outlawing knives is foolish. I believe it is unlikely that outlawing knives will reverse the recent increase in violent street crime where a knife is involved. Some specific incidents will be prevented but the reason for the increased crime remains.

Law abiding citizens carrying a knife are subject to the same fines and punishment as are street thugs who rob people simply because they can.

If there was a way to reduce high unemployment, there would be fewer hungry and desperate people on the streets who resort to violence and crime to support themselves and/or their families.

In the U.S. there is controversy over gun control. Some reasonable people believe that guns should be outlawed. There are other reasonable people who feel the opposite. Reasonable people can and do disagree. I realize that gun control involves more issues than a knife ban but each item can be used as a weapon or as a defense.

I wish I knew the solution to the problem, but I don't.

I can certainly sympathize with demonstrators in Brazil who protest the way the government fails to steer the economy to a beneficial solution.

I agree....I think the government has failed the people on many levels.

Carrying knives has been outlawed in the UK for several years. The only prosecution for doing so, which made the newspapers, was of a City businessman who had a Swiss Army penknife in his briefcase (Luckily, the judge was sensible and acquitted him).

And of course, there has been no reduction in the numbers of teenagers stabbing each other in knife-fights or using knives in muggings.