Knife Rights Foundation denounces the DA’s continuing expenditure of scarce time and taxpayer dollars to prosecute innocent citizens carrying perfectly legal pocketknives. “Police and prosecutors ought to be focused on real criminals who threaten the safety and livelihood of hardworking taxpayers,” said Ritter.
Due to their practicality and added safety, one-hand opening pocketknives represent 80% of the pocketknives sold in America today and were specifically excluded from being considered a gravity knife or switchblade by a bipartisan act of Congress in 2009. Ritter also noted that “New York’s statutes prohibiting gravity knives and switchblades clearly do not cover these popular tools.” A recent ruling by a Federal District Court in New York made this clear and pointed out that arrests for mere possession of such knives would have the unintended consequence of “transform[ing] thousands of honest mechanics into criminals, subject to arrest at the whim of any police officer” (United States v Irizzary).
“At least through the efforts of Knife Rights, this honest citizen will not have a criminal record to besmirch his good name and can enjoy a truly thankful Thanksgiving with his friends and family.”
“Clearly, we’d prefer to take a case to trial where we feel confident we will win on merit. Just as clearly, the DA doesn’t want to us to establish clear legal precedent and the ACD was tantamount to an admission that he had no real case against the defendant, just as he hasn’t a case against the thousands of honest citizens that the police are wrongfully arresting for carrying lawful pocketknives,” said Ritter.
Sooner or later, however, the legal issue is going to be heard by a court and the DA’s perversion of New York law and persecution of innocent citizens, along with his waste of taxpayers’ funds, will end. Knife Rights Foundation is expanding its efforts to aid law-abiding citizens and businesses caught up in the DA Vance’s unfortunate persecution of these lawful tools.
Knife Rights Foundation is available to assist honest citizens or businesses targeted in DA Vance’s illegitimate effort to proscribe perfectly legal pocketknives. Those arrested for possession of a so-called “illegal knife” in New York can contact Knife Rights at nycity@KnifeRights.org or 866-889-6268.
Knife Rights Foundation has launched the Sharper Future Legal Defense Fundâ„¢ to fight these civil rights violations by DA Vance. Tax-deductible donations are accepted at www.KnifeRights.org so that others may be helped.
Download Knife Rights Press Release: www.KnifeRights.org/Knife Rights Press Release 11242010.pdf
Thanksgiving Reflections
This is a holiday when we are encouraged to give thanks for the blessings we enjoy as Americans. While these are hardly the best of times for many Americans, this country has seen far worse. We have plenty to be thankful for. First and foremost is that despite all our problems, America is still the best place to live on this planet if you value freedom and opportunity.
My pessimism about the future of our freedoms was the seed from which Knife Rights grew. Knife Rights’ successes are helping me become more of an optimist, for which I am sincerely thankful.
Knife enthusiasts and would be knife owners in much of the rest of the world envy the freedom we have to own and carry a multitude of knives throughout much of this great country. Certainly there are disappointing exceptions, even here, but Knife Rights was founded to ensure that we increase their envy and don’t join them in wistfully remembering the freedoms we lost. That we had the freedom to found Knife Rights and have been able to make progress towards that goal, I am sincerely thankful for.
Knife Rights could never have succeeded without the help of friends and supporters, personal and corporate. You know who you are, so please accept my sincere thanks on this day of Thanksgiving.
I would not be writing this missive were it not for the extraordinary and patient support of my wife, Sue, for whom I am sincerely thankful.
The past year has brought challenges, such as the abomination being perpetrated on New Yorkers by District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. It is easy enough to become dispirited when politicians create such challenges in a quest to destroy our freedoms. That we can view these challenges as opportunities to advance our cause, to enhance our freedoms, I am sincerely thankful for.
It has become a tradition in our home that I carve the turkey today with one of my own design RSK Mk1 folding knives, a knife that is illegal in many countries and one that DA Vance has irrationally and mistakenly targeted because it opens readily with one hand and the blade locks in place for safety. It is nothing more, or less, than a better tool. It is a reminder of the many blessings of freedom we count this Thanksgiving, including the freedom to fight for our freedoms.
Please join me in giving thanks for the Sharper Future that Knife Rights is working towards, for our successes to date and for the opportunities ahead of us. All of us at Knife Rights wish you a happy Thanksgiving and the very best for this holiday season.
— Doug Ritter