I guess what happens in fight club doesn’t stay in fight club, because the New Hampshire House has once again passed an amendment to try to legalize brass knuckles as well as a few other handheld weapons in the state for the third year in a row.
Currently, brass knuckles are banned from being sold or possessed in N.H., and for good reason. Honestly, the need for these seems low, but I guess they must be in high demand if they have passed the House for three years.
Another weapon N.H. is trying to legalize is jacks, which are similar to batons, consisting of a small staff with a weight on the end and wrapped with leather that’s about 8-12 inches long, being able to hide away in someone’s pocket or clothing. Along with these two dangerous handhelds, the idea of slung shots becoming legal was passed. Slung shots are small weights knotted over with rope or cord with a loop-like handle to swing it around.
Somehow, these were used enough at one point to become illegal in N.H., which I don’t understand in the first place. I guess at one point, batons and small weights on rope were running rampant through N.H.
If this amendment were to get through the Senate, brass knuckles would be able to be owned by anyone over the age of 18. Honestly, the age should be higher than 18. Young adults should not be trusted with how much they already are, never mind with brass knuckles in the mix. The age should be at least 21, if not 25, if anyone would even be interested in using these weapons rather than something that’s already legal and effective, like a knife or pepper spray.
The amendment included that anyone under 18 who was in possession of any of these weapons or was attempting to sell any of these weapons to minors would be a violation of the law.
The argument is that if these weapons were to be used by gangs and brawlers, the state would have confiscated a lot of them by now, but they haven’t. This point makes no sense. It’s like saying that the state should allow rats into houses because they haven’t seen any of them for a long time. Just because something isn’t being used shouldn’t mean it should be allowed.
Also, another argument was that a lot of people keep them as antiques, but technically possess them illegally, even though they aren’t in use. Here’s a long-standing rule for that situation: Ignorance is bliss. If they’re not using them and they remain tucked away and forgotten in someone’s basement or attic, there’s no harm done.
Even with knives and switchblades being legal to possess, it doesn’t make sense to legalize more weapons, even if they really are less dangerous. The bite of a house cat still hurts even in comparison to a lion’s.
There is absolutely no need for these weapons to be legalized. For one, these don’t seem like they are small enough that people won’t be able to tell if someone is carrying one on them. What benefit comes with making these weapons legal? The only outcome of this amendment is easier ways to assault people.
Hayley Doda can be contacted at
hayley@kscequinox.com
