PL,

I agree. We probably won't reconcile our views and this isn't the place. I'll clarify a couple of things and drop it.

I'm no longer a cop and absolutely am not trying to put across the message that private citizens should rely on law enforcement personnel for their safety. My comment about the knife being a "lethal tool" was not meant to refer to its lethality (as compared to guns), but rather its status under the law (using a knife as a weapon is viewed in the same light as using a gun, ie both are considered "lethal force").

Gomez