[Newsbot]

Title: Bloc want to ban Sikh kirpan in House of Commons
Category: Political
Posted By: Guy_Fawkes
Date: 2011-01-20 07:14:34
Canadian

[Guy_Fawkes]

Ya this isnt gonna go far.

[GreenTiger]

This is common sense, if the Siks don't like tell them you have also banned Ka-Bar knives from Commons as well.

I can't think of a single reason to go into the House of Commons armed.

[raydan]

They were banned from the Québec Assembly.

current-events-f59/sikhs-wearing-kirpans-denied-entry-to-national-assembly-t93912.html

[QBall]

It's my understanding that kirpans are banned from the parliament chambers in India. Um, maybe we should take a hint.

[andyt]

See, the Bloc isn't all bad. But this won't go anywhere. All parties except the Bloc have too many votes to loose by supporting this, and none or very few to gain. The mental knots we twist ourselves into to accommodate religion is just nuts. If that Bains guy can carry a knife, let every member carry one. That's the reason the aisles are two sword lengths apart and the speaker has a mace. Let's embrace our Anglo tradition, here, let all MP's carry swords.

[BartSimpson]

What happened to embracing multiculturalism and diversity?

[DanSC]

Would it be possible to carry a blunt kirpan, or does it have to be sharpened?

[andyt]

DanSC DanSC:

Would it be possible to carry a blunt kirpan, or does it have to be sharpened?

They're usually not sharpened like a knife. But they still have a point, can and have still inflicted damage. The point is that Sikh's themselves have said that it can be less than 2" long, or even shorter and worn on a chain around the neck. It's supposed to be a symbol, not an actual weapon. The guys who insist on wearing actual knives, and insist on entry everywhere are just being dickheads. But we reward dickheadism in Canada, so who can blame them.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

andyt andyt:

DanSC DanSC:

Would it be possible to carry a blunt kirpan, or does it have to be sharpened?

They're usually not sharpened like a knife. But they still have a point, can and have still inflicted damage. The point is that Sikh's themselves have said that it can be less than 2" long, or even shorter and worn on a chain around the neck. It's supposed to be a symbol, not an actual weapon. The guys who insist on wearing actual knives, and insist on entry everywhere are just being dickheads. But we reward dickheadism in Canada, so who can blame them.

That's actually what an elderly Sikh gentleman told me on a train in France nearly 20 years ago. He said that those particular individuals rely on our absolute ignorance of their religion. As he told me, when living abroad in foreign cultures, a symbolic kirpan is not only acceptable but encouraged, except when they're at temple.