🚀 go-pugleaf

ag414@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Colin R. Leech) seems to have difficulty in 
believing the obvious:
>Rosco (Roger_Walker@CUEHere.bohica.net) writes:   
>> A knife is certainly more intimidating [than a gun],
>> at times. A knife is certainly more
>> difficult to defend against, since it can cause damage from many more angles
>> than a firearm.
>                                   
>Good heavans, man, do you actually believe some of this stuff you're writing?
>Or are you just trying to yank our chains???

Could you perhaps explain then why so many ex-police, and police have 
written similar comments?  I've also spoken with police in Vancouver who 
have voiced similar sentiments.  Finally, having seen a large number of 
victims of knifings come through emergency during my residency, I have 
great respect for the damage knives can do.

In dealing with a maniac on the street, I'd much rather face someone with 
a pistol than a knife.  At close range, one can grab a pistol with some 
assurance of not being shot - try doing this with a knife.  If you've 
ever done any pistol shooting, you will find that hitting a moving target 
at even 25+ yards is not as simple as it would appear - the lethal radius 
of a pistol is not very large. Note that I am considering the case of a 
deranged individual, not a more rational criminal.

A criminal using a knife to force someone to perform a given action, eg, 
hand over your wallet, has to get in closer to enforce their will.  This 
will result in a higher probability of using the knife if they 
misinterpret their victim's actions.  A criminal with a gun can exert 
their power from a greater distance, and thus there is less of a risk of 
a fatal misunderstanding.  At a closer range, it is much safer to disarm 
someone with a pistol than a knife as mentioned previously.

Boris Gimbarzevsky