Editorial: Lunch break knife attack is new low
Friday October 02 2009
The knife attack on a 17-year-old boy during his school lunch break is a chilling indication of how common this type of assault has become in recent times.
Stabbings are now running at a rate of five a day and 14 people have already died this year from these injuries.
The use of knives originally seemed to be confined to rows between violent criminals but blade crime has now become so commonplace that fifth year students are apparently using knives to settle their disputes.
Unlike guns, anyone can get hold of a knife so it would be difficult to impose a widespread ban on blades.
We desperately need, however, to alter the current culture of young men wielding knives as a badge of their masculinity.
We have to find out what motivates this type of crime and also impose the stiffest of penalties to discourage ordinary people and school children from resorting to this violence.
Bin the blade!
