From: Jonathan Spencer, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>People aren't easily killed, generally
>speaking.
Agreed, some people survive against the odds, but I think you'd be
surprised at just how fragile people are, how *little* it takes to cause
death.
>Knives obviously pose a real risk, but generally people have to be
>stabbed many times to be killed. A single stab wound killing is quite
>unusual.
Not so. We see quite a number of stabbings each year. Many of them
involved a single stab wound to the heart or main arteries, i.e. a
single stab wound into the chest. Some, agreed, involve many, many
wounds. And probably the most commonly used edged weapon is a kitchen
knife.
It doesn't take a long blade either, as the abdomen wall is easily
pressed in and the heart is not deep inside. (A 3" blade can produce a
stab wound that reaches from the front of the abdomen to the back wall.)
The specification for failure of a stab-resistant vest is a penetration
of one *half* inch from the inner lining. And also be aware that a
bullet-resistant vest is generally worthless against a pointed weapon
such as a knife or screwdriver. They are designed to stop pistol
bullets, not knives.
Also be aware that a potential assailant armed with a knife is *far*
more likely to use it on you than a potential assailant armed with a
gun. And for the very reasons that you have made your comment: he
thinks it is less likely to kill. Whatever you do, do *not* make the
mistake of thinking that a knife is any lessor threat than a gun.
>Clubs, baseball bats, etc are not usually an option for the intending killer
>in a non-domestic situation. Hard to conceal, unwieldy to use, and again,
>you have to reconcile the sickening noise as the blows land. Most people
>couldn't kill that way, I feel.
Again, you need to look at the figures. The majority of killings in the
UK are committed with weapons such as the feet and other blunt
instruments. Stampings and beatings are common. Stabbings are common.
Shootings are way down the list, below killing by arson.
>But most people could pull a trigger. It's remote. You're not killing
>someone, you're pulling a trigger. I feel that's the thrust of people's
>argument in cases like Lennon.
I agree with you.
>As a side point for comparison, George Harrison was able to fight off the
>fruitcake who was stabbing him.
He was lucky. There's plenty that didn't.
>As a further side point for comparison, (and I'm sure you know what I'm
>going to say ;-), Thomas Hamilton could not have committed this act, to this
>extreme with anything other than guns.
How about a gallon of petrol and a match? Or a chainsaw? Or what David
Copeland did in Soho using black powder from firework ? Or an ounce of
sarin nerve agent? Or a truckload of ANFO (Manchester, City of London,
Oklahoma City to name but three)? No gun involved, none necessary.
--Jonathan Spencer, firearms examiner
"Justice is open to everybody in the same way as the Ritz Hotel."
Judge Sturgess, 22 July 1928
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
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