Religious Weapons in Schools... what could possibly go wrong?

[Pyrodrew]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
If it's not against the religion to wear dull knives, and if an easy standard could be set up to determine whether a knife were dull or not, I think this would be a suitable compromise.

"If some students consider it unfair that Gurbaj Singh may wear his kirpan to school while they are not allowed to have knives in their possession, it is incumbent on the schools to discharge their obligation to instill in their students this value that is...at the very foundation of our democracy."-Louise Charron

Why not allow a dull knife standard for non-Sikh students if Sikhs have dull knives?

Originally posted by notyoueither
And no, despite thousands of Sikh students having carried these over the years, there has never once been an incident of one being used as a weapon.

I would think the same is true for snowballs, but apparently those are against the rules of security in Canadian schools...

"I had to ensure the rules of security of the school were respected," Ms. Descoteaux said Wednesday. The same rules forbid penknives and even snowballs, she added.

nowhere near the dimensions of the crap Pyrodrew posted.

None of the dimensions I posted are wrong since kirpans vary in size & different school boards have different restrictions. Second, none of those are kirpans I posted are bigger than a kitchen knife. Finally, the last image I posted reflects a kirpan with a student similiar to your image, however, that one was conveniently ignored for those who wanted to cry about images.

The lad seems to have picked up an unhealthy fixation with Canada.

I've made threads covering various parts of the world, nevertheless, your armchair psychology from small sample sizes is appreciated.

[Joseph]

I asked our principle and Police officer on campus today and both said no way in Calif.

[GePap]

Good decision by the court.

Safety concerns can really get out of hand sometimes.

[Zkribbler]

think it varies from state to state, but can't concealed weapon permit holders bring guns into schools and other sensitive sites in parts of the United States?

I wouldn't think kids would be licensed to carry concealed weapons. Usually, those licenses arise out of job requirments.

Here at court, only judges and police officers are allowed to bring in guns. (Come to think of it, I'm not sure off duty cops are allowed to bring in guns...but on the other hand, they're required to carry guns whenever they're in public.)

[Vince278]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
It's not very easy to stab somebody or slash somebody's throat with a pair of scissors.

I could do it with a piece of paper. You'd be surprised how easy it is to weaponize most ordinary objects.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Pyrodrew
Why not allow a dull knife standard for non-Sikh students if Sikhs have dull knives?

Why humour people who couldn't accomodate a cultural difference if their life depended on it?

[Whaleboy]

What if the requirement to carry a kirpan is much the same as a commandment?

The boy who was told not to wear it had to stop going to that school.

Then that commandment is at odds with at best common sense, and at worst the laws of the land, and as such that religious group needs to modify itself to assimilate into the society in which it now lives; just as the society helps to accomodate them.

The fact that it is a commandment is meaningless because that's just an internal thing. The rest of society is not commanded, and society is not run to appease Sikhism or to be run on Sikh lines.

The day we start applying rules from one section of the population, and different rules for another is a sad day for democracy and freedom.

Why humour people who couldn't accomodate a cultural difference if their life depended on it?

There's cultural differences, and then there's cultural differences that break the law, common sense in societies, or even the right of a school to uphold equality among its students. There is a huge difference between a veil, a crucifix, tefilin, and a ****ing dagger!

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Zkribbler


I wouldn't think kids would be licensed to carry concealed weapons. Usually, those licenses arise out of job requirments.

Several years ago Virginia liberalized the process for obtaining concealed gun permits. Now all one had to do is apply for it. There has been some controversy over where the law applies. Believe it or not it's currently legal for the bearer of a permit to carry a concealed weapon in any business open to the public, including banks and bars.

[Pyrodrew]

Originally posted by notyoueither Why humour people who couldn't accomodate a cultural difference if their life depended on it?

So why humour the few Sikhs who refuse to accomodate by wearing miniature kirpans in schools - if this is purely a symbolic religious "commandment"?

Furthermore, just because a non-Sikh Canadian brings a knife to school doesn't mean she is against Sikhs bringing their knives to school.

[Az]

The day we start applying rules from one section of the population, and different rules for another is a sad day for democracy and freedom.

QFT,&2 Whaleboy. We're broadcasting on the same way vis-a-vis questions of society these days, it seems.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


It's only Orthodox Sikhs who have the Kirpan requirement.

Conservative Siks require the girls to wear them as well. However many conservative siks think its okay to not wear them at all times and places, esp Chinese restaurants.

Reform Siks used to not wear them. Now some Reform Siks are contemplating the philosophical implications of knifeness, and are considering wearing them on special occasions.

Reconstructionist Siks wear mini plowshares instead.

Chabad siks think theyve won a victory if they can get a nonOrthodox sik to wear one for even a few minutes. This might be what brings the messiah.