... instead of all this waffle about ID cards?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4996626.stm

If you are caught with a knife that you have used on a person you will go to prison anyway.

It will be inetresting to see if they catch the murderer as it has been reported that all his school friends know exactly who did it. The sad truth is that if it is another black boy he will be caught, but if he is a white boy he has a chance of getting away with it.

There will always be scum in any society and if you ban one weapon they will use another.

Much of what you say is correct - but if we have to ban various weapons from being carried in the streets, then so be it ! What justification can there be for anyone to be carrying a knife anyway?

It's the deterrent effect ... when we had the death penalty (and I'm NOT for re-introducing it) there were very few murders as people knew they would swing. These days murderers get "life" (which means parole after five+ years?)

I don't like the way the world is going at all.
This century stinks.

Not in a civilized society.

Fishermen carry knives. People who collect blades for display have to carry them home from the supplier (or someone does). Also, where would we draw the line? Some kitchen knives are quite long and sharp.

We can't make assumptions of intent.

When telling blatant lies - and getting away with it - seems something to be proud of, what kind of lesson do our young people learn these days?

He may also have a horse at home and may sometimes need the knife to help remove stones from its hoof - but I don't think we should take the risk, do you?

sadly unsurprisingly, both victim and perpetrator are black

If we are to remain a free society, then yes we must take risks. Ban knives, then what next? Hammers? Screw drivers? Bike chains? Tie up people's hands?

Definately not a road we should go down.

It may seem extreme - but I see no other choice. Without stringent measures we are slipping (almost without noticing) into a US style society (where the average murder rate is 20,000 a year).

If you look at my original post, I was also contrasting the frenetic activities of our government, by pushing no-hope measure like ID cards, which will achieve absolutely nothing, with their inability to protect us from more obvious and immediate dangers.

Going back to your post - I cannot see any logical reason why anyone should be carrying hammers, screw drivers, or bike chains in the street (let alone in a school), can you?

Why would someone carry hammers, bike chains, screw drivers in the street?

Possibly because they have just bought them, or because they use them in their work. Just two examples.

I often carry my swiss army knife which has many features including a screw driver. It's a useful tool.

I suppose in your world I'd be presumed to have criminal intent. If I carried it in the open I'd be arrested for open posession. If I kept it in a case or other container I'd be arrested for having a "concealed weapon".

I don't think you'd get my vote.