Now the Government Wants Your Pocket Knives

A reader sent me this article, which at first I thought had to be a parody it seemed so ridiculous, but it's true. The Customs Department wants to change the rules that define switchblades to include most all pocket knives:

Second Amendment supporters are warning Americans about what they call an “unwarranted knife grab by Customs agents.”

On May 21, the Customs and Border Protection Agency proposed revoking earlier rulings that said “assisted-opening knives” – including pocket knives – are not switchblades.

The proposed new rule would expand the definition of “switchblade” to include knives that are opened with one hand as well as old-fashioned slip-joint knives, even the type of folding knives that Boy Scouts typically carry.

Under the proposed rule, most knives would be prohibited from entering the United States, critics warn.

The Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) are joining forces with a group called Knife Rights to support Americans' right to own and carry the knives of their choice."

“The Second Amendment doesn't say ‘Firearms,’ it says ‘Arms,’ and knives are clearly covered,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb.

CCRKBA says one-hand-opening and assisted-opening knives represent the majority of most knife-makers’ product lines. “These are the knives Americans take with them to work and to play everyday,” CCRKBA said in a news release.

The group says Customs’ new interpretation of the Federal Switchblade Act will affect virtually everyone who carries a pocket knife, no matter what type.

“CBP came up with this absurd proposal and then tried slipping it into their regular notices, apparently hoping nobody would become aware of until too late. They provided for only the minimum 30-day comment period, and there's no email comments allowed,” CCRKBA said.

We all know the dangers caused by roving gangs of Boy Scouts with pocket knives.

My son has quite a collection of custom pocket knives given to him by his grandfather. I better keep an eye on him.