this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2024
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German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wants to further restrict the carrying of knives in public, to combat a perceived rise in knife crime. The opposition has criticized the plan as impractical.

The German government has promised tougher knife laws after the police reported a rise in the number of stabbings, especially near train stations — though the statistics remain controversial.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has called for the law to be changed so that only blades of 6 centimeters (2.36 inches) would be allowed to be carried in public, rather than the current 12 centimeters. An exception would be made for household knives in their original packaging. Switchblades would be banned altogether.

The government pronouncement came after police statistics recorded a 5.6% year-on-year rise in cases of serious bodily harm involving a knife, with 8,951 incidents in 2023. The federal police, which is responsible for safety at Germany's airports and major railway stations, also reported a significant increase in knife attacks in and around stations, with 430 in the first six months of this year.

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[–] nicerdicer 48 points 3 months ago (47 children)

This is a futile attempt to establish safety, and it is done so that it can be claimed that something has been done.

If some person has the intention to do any harm to others, this person would not be stopped by any restriction to carry any weapon.

The real issues lay much deeper: A growing number of refugees and asylum seekers that want to work, but are prohibited to do so, but at the same time these are competing in an already tight housing market. Raising costs of living, growing inequality, growing envy and a part of the population which is on the brink of shiftig into a nazi movement, with a growing resentment to foreign people. It takes more than putting up a sign that says that weapons are forbidden beyond this point to solve these problems.

Also, in Germany there is no reason ever to walk around with waepons. Compared to other parts of the world it is pretty safe here.

Putting up a sign that states that weapon are forbidden would have the same impact as putting up a sign that forbids wild fires in the forest or flooding near a body of water.

[–] brrt@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 months ago (4 children)

I don’t understand. No law prevents anyone from doing what’s forbidden. Are you saying all laws are futile? Otherwise what is different with this law that makes it futile?

Also, we usually can do many things at once or in succession. We can raise prices on sugary food, start programs to inform the public about the impact sugar has on health, make school lunches more healthy etc. Would you complain that it is futile raising prices if it was the first thing proposed or would you say “Good, let’s do this and also the other things.”?

[–] nicerdicer 7 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Are you saying all laws are futile? Otherwise what is different with this law that makes it futile?

I do not say that all laws are futile. The difference with this particular measurement is that it is odd to me, that a no-weapon zone is being established, as it is quite unusual that Germans carry around weapons in general. At least not where I live. People carrying around weapons of any kind is just not a thing here.

There are other laws, speed restrictions for instance. I get that there is a necessity to enforce such thing, as people have cars and tend to drive faster than they should. Speeding with a car is more common than carrying a weapon. That's why this law makes sense, as it adresses the issue right there. Speeding doesn't have an underlying issue that causes drivers to speed.

The thing what makes it futile in my opinion is that a restriction in carrying weapons does not solve the underlying issues (the root causes of socio-economic inequality, among others) that probably lead to harming others with knives. It's just treating the symptoms, not the root cause.

[–] brrt@sh.itjust.works -3 points 3 months ago

I’ve never witnessed someone pouring chemicals into a river. I guess that means no laws are needed in this regard ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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