Tools vs. Weapons 

I heard about this on the radio this morning:

A high school band fund-raising effort has been halted by School District officials because the fishing kits that were to be sold contain 6-inch filet knives.

Knives are not allowed on school property, and what started out as a donation from a parent has turned into a sticky situation.

Band leader Jim Barnes didn't expect the fishing kits, manufactured by Shore Lunch Inc., to pose a problem, he said. Barnes was delighted when a band student's father offered to donate the merchandise, he said.

"It seemed like a kit with a fishing lure, fish batter, a recipe book and a videotape," he said. "We were not aware of the filet knife. It was there, but it wasn't obvious. I didn't realize it until the truck came around."

I understand the reaction, don't get me wrong, but I still think it's sad. These days, things that were once considered tools, are now only considered to be weapons. Knives are at the top of the list. I always carry a pocket knife. I have for years. Hell, I've carried once since middle school. I was never suspended, and never given detention for it. Why? Because nobody at school knew I was carrying it. I didn't go flashing it around, or threatening people with it. That's not it's purpose. Maybe it's because I was in Boy Scouts for oh so many years.

Of course today all my friends know that I'm the one that carries a knife. Someone will need something opened or cut, and they immediately look to me. I usually have to laugh because it's a locking knife, and my friends can never seem to figure out how to close it (even though it's insanely simple). It's also interesting to watch how most of them handle it. It's not a big scary knife, just a convenient folding pocket knife. Yet when using it, you can see they are generally unsure of it, and handle it very daintily.

It just goes to show you the loss of knowledge we've had over the years as people have become more and more specialized. It used to be that every man carried a pocket knife, kept it sharp, and knew how to use it. Today only a few do that. And with that loss of knowledge, comes a certain amount of fear, which we see more and more in society.