The descent into hell continues for England

A new study released over there yesterday suggests that robberies committed using a knife have doubled in the last two years:

"The figures mean on average in the last year there have been 175 knife robberies per day on the streets of England and Wales."

It's easy pickings for the criminals when the law-abiding citizenry has no way to protect themselves, as the peasantry is robbed of any means of self-defense, ironically even knives of their own:

“'There is no doubt there are more kids carrying knives but it is not clear why. Much of it is for personal safety rather than for putting it against someone’s throat.'”

That seems perfectly reasonable to me. When muggings and robberies are rampant where I live, I for one am going to use any means at my disposal to protect myself.

Some weenie named Norman Brennan of an organization called the Victims of Crime Trust has a three-point plan to reduce knife crime. Here's the one that flabbergasted me:

"'The next is to do a mass, nationwide stop and search.'"

Personal privacy and individual rights are always the first things tossed overboard when clowns like this are given an opportunity to open their mouths.

Of course, the people that are actually in charge aren't much better:

"'Public protection is our top priority which is why we have recently introduced tough legislation, such as increasing the maximum sentence for carrying a knife in public without good reason from two to four years.'"

To me, defending myself against feral youth run amok is a good reason. Actually, why should anyone have to justify a reason for carrying a knife in public? How about opening packages, cutting string, cleaning one's fingernails, or any other of a million things that a knife is useful for? Are they going to have an Office for Knife Use, where chefs, construction workers, craftsmen and others have to go to supplicate themselves, in order to have the benevolent "authorities" grant them the tools to do their jobs?

This is what a once proud nation has been reduced to.