After the Northland shooting that left three dead and one more injured, the inevitable calls for more laws, more bans, more this and more that, we should all remember that it never stops. It's never enough. The UK is planning to ban home delivery of knives.
Under the proposed measures, scheduled for a consultation in the fall, all knife purchases would need to be picked up in person to verify the buyer is 18-years or older.
The legislation could also see the introduction of further restrictions on knife carry and broaden the definition of illegal “flick knives.”
It's a good thing dangerous assault knives are already illegal, but you'd better keep an eye on those high-powered hunting knives too.
Meanwhile in NZ, the academics, the hysterics, and political opportunists are already scheming and plotting on how to make sure a tragedy like Northland never happens again by making life harder for law-abiding responsible gun owners. Patterson was supposed to have a firearms license; not buy guns from the black market. He was supposed to provide import permits; not smuggle them into the country. He was supposed to register any pistols or military-style weapons with the police. He was supposed to not own any grenades. And on it goes. If there had been any more laws, you could just have added those to the list broken.
No law would have stopped what happened in Northland, but some more vigilance and common sense from his friends, family, neighbours, and the police (who actually visited him the week prior) might have.
Of course, they'll keep making more laws. Every few years they add a few. If it doesn't work, just keep doing it, that's their motto. And once they've banned it all like the UK, they'll move onto the next most dangerous thing. Knives. Sugar. Cars. You name it. They'll come for it.