I'd just like to briefly update you on the status of the United States Knife & Tool Association before I head off to the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market trade show tomorrow. We have over 600 persons who have signed up in the past 8 days to support the formation of USKTA. We have accountants and lawyers working on developing the foundation for this organization's corporate structure. We are putting together a mission statement that will clearly articulate our aims and our dedication to serve knife and tool owners' interests. We are working on many fronts to put this together for you.
We have purposely avoided running out and offering memberships to get this organization off the ground. We haven't done this because we want members to know exactly what they are getting before we ask them to send us money. We also wanted to feel confident that we could have a decent chance of making a go of this, before we started spending their money.
Doing what we propose, being an advocate for our freedoms, is not a small thing. It requires that we build up a large and loyal membership base. We have to figure out how best to do that with the resources available. We need to take both a short view and a long view and not lose sight of the ultimate goal, the size of organization with the ability to influence politicians that only are interested in the loudest, squeakiest wheel. It is numbers that count here.
Once we get to the point that would make US feel comfortable sending money to an organization, we'll begin accepting money from YOU for memberships. I hope that when we get to that point we'll be offering you an organization that serves your needs and puts your money to the best use as responsibly as possible. That's our aim. It won't be perfect and we won't be able to please everyone. But, it will be the best we can figure out how to do.
Meanwhile, here's a look at what is happening over in England. "Knife crime policies 'incoherent'" reads the headline in one article. Britain has led the way in anti-knife (and anti-firearms) laws for many years and those opposed to knives in the U.S. look there as a model for them. Seems it isn't working as planned, though I don't expect the Anti's to pay any attention any more than they do to any rational argument:
Surge in knife attacks defies anti-crime drive
· 60% rise in robberies in which a blade is used
· Expert says government campaigns are irrational
Alan Travis, home affairs editor
Wednesday August 9, 2006
The Guardian
There has been a surge in knife crime over the past year including a 60% rise – 15,000 extra cases – in robberies in which a blade was used, according to a study out yesterday. The jump in the 12 months to April will alarm the home secretary, John Reid, as he struggles to restore credibility to the government's drive against crime…
More of this article at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,1840313,00.html
This is only part of this story, you need to read a few of the other articles on the same topic to get the full picture:
Please encourage your friends and associates to go to www.USKTA.org and to sign up to support the formation USKTA, an organization that will work to protect our own freedom to own and carry the knives we want. Forwarding this email or posting on your favorite forums may be a good way to accomplish that.