Dancers and Swords

[Doug Siddons]

Hi there,

 

A friend of mine, who is into folk dancing, asked me to sign this petition about including dance within the historical re-enactment or Sporting Activity exemption for the purchase of swords in reference to the Violent Crimes Reduction Bill.

 

Thought it was a relevant topic to raise here.

 

Petition can be found here: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/dancers/

[paulears]

The Government have banned martial arts enthusiasts using real swords when they are integral to their history and are an integral part of their sport/hobby/history. Why on earth, and for what reason would dancers need to use swords?

 

We're in an industry with serious concerns over heath and safety, and frequently have long standing processes curtailed by modern methods of working. Re-enactment societies actually swordfight - part of what they need to do, I guess. What kind of dancers need to use weapons, as in real ones!

 

Sorry - but asking people to sign petitions without the background, devalues the point of the petition, and presumably the attention the powers that be pay to it?

[djw1981]

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPuRkmAIdtc...feature=related and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_sword_dances Why it has to eb a real metal sword and not a theatrical prop, I am not sure.

 

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/S...-cut.4171828.jp

presents the sensationalist story which lead to the petition and http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.a...84682?UserKey=0 is a atehr more balanced version commenting on confusion over the new weapons law:

The government, through the Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007, plans to establish a licensing scheme for knife-dealers to restrict the sale, hire, lending or giving of swords.

 

But the act, still to be fully enforced, will have a number of exemptions, allowing Highland games events to carry on as normal, a government spokesman said.

A government spokesman said: “There has been no change to the legislation on the transport of swords, for Highland dancing or any other purpose. When we do bring forward restrictions on swords, the legislation allows defences for religious, cultural and sporting purposes.”

 

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing said the organisation was happy the legislation would not impact on events.

 

Organisers of the Balquhidder, Lochearnhead and Strathyre Highland Games have axed the sword dance from their event after judges, who in previous years brought their own swords, said this was not possible for fear of breaching the new law designed to control the carrying of knives.

[SilentShaddow]

Folk Wrapper Sword Dancing:

 

type dancing thing... might be relevent as that does include metal swords

[Guest lightnix]

Although Rapper "swords" are usually just strips of metal with a handle at each end (safer that way - see? ;) )

 

I'm not sure that many dancers actually do use real weapons, although I'm equally sure that there are a few exceptions. However, the terms of the VCR Bill extend to fake or replica weapons, too AFAIK; meaning that we can proabably expect to see a whole range of hapless, law-abiding, middle class types carted off down the nick, for a series of hideous crimes like waving a "lethal" Woolworths plastic sword in public, as part of a Mummers play; while lawless, teenage gangs continue to stab and shoot each other over the price of a packet of Rolos (or should that be, "the price a wrap of coke"? :** laughs out loud **: )

 

Once again the law-abiding majority will have their freedoms curtailed, due the the Government's inability to maintain law and order among the troublemakers; or build a society based on simple, mutual respect :(

[Ike]

Aren't kitchen knives the current weapon of choice? Sounds like another bit of right wing populist nonsense to me...

[lightsource]

Once again the law-abiding majority will have their freedoms curtailed, due the the Government's inability to maintain law and order among the troublemakers; or build a society based on simple, mutual respect :** laughs out loud **:

 

 

Aren't kitchen knives the current weapon of choice? Sounds like another bit of right wing populist nonsense to me...

 

Exactly, which goes back to the stanley knife topic awhile ago. It's yet another restriction of freedom, which will do nothing whatsoever to cut the crime rate.. Just bump the stats up due to the arrests of the innocent.

 

If a yob wants a knife.....he doesn't have to go any further than his own kitchen.

 

Edit to add

 

The stanley knife topic.

 

http://www.blue-room.org.uk/index.php?showtopic=26671