Cutting edge 032513

With great fan fair, the American Transportation Security Agency (TSA) announced that it is relaxing its draconian regulations on what may be carried aboard airplanes.  After ten years of passenger degradation and abuse TSA will in the future allow small knives to be carried aboard, not mentioned were the sewing and manicure sets they also confiscate.  Don’t expect to get back any of the thousands of knives already confiscated.

As limited as the announcement was it touched off a firestorm of protest proving that TSA had at least one success.  It won a propaganda victory by frightening the public that all flights carried a mad terrorist intent on slashing the throat of every high flying little old lady.

The prospect of bearded anarchist wielding a mighty two-inch knife requires a bit of perspective.  The anarchist label became popular around the end of the 19th century denoting any that objected to the rule of oligarchs.  Preferring bombs, true anarchist resorted to violence to overthrow the status quo.

The knife however is an honored universal cultural icon as old as mankind.  The caveman survived because of sharp stones serving as early knives.  As civilization evolved so did the status of knives becoming the symbol of a freeman.  Slaves were denied the honor of carrying a blade.  A possible explanation of TSA's disarming and enslavement of free passengers.

Knifes carved out empires and settled frontiers.  The knife was often a weapon of last resort.  Chronicles are filled with tales of "fit a bear with my Bowie," repelling shark attacks even chopping down forest for shelter.  As knifes pushed back the frontiers the pen became mightier than the sword.  Pens in those day were Quills and penknives replace Bowie knifes as the symbol of free and independent thinkers.

Democracy depends on recorded ideas.  Thomas Paine, Voltaire and Thomas Jefferson all sharpened their quills with penknives.  Even G. Washington carried a penknife in his pocket.  His soldiers carried more substantial pocket knifes for ordinary chores around camp.  Their knives carved breakfast salt pork, kindling for campfires and even dug bullets from their wounds.  Pocket knifes served soldiers in every war. 

Discovering the value of their army pocket knifes; returning soldiers brought them home.  The utility of the knife culture soon included wives and children.  Little boys became men when they inherited dad's pocket knifes.  Primitive pocketknives became big business providing necessary tools in many trades.

When TSA banned pocket knifes they were attempting to destroy cultural freedoms.  Culture has now won a battle against bureaucratic enslavement.  The two-inch blades of penknives must still defend freedom’s culture. The last line of defense against anarchy by “big brother” government is a bright red, Chinese made, Swiss Army knife in every pocket.  

The liberty to carry a knife remains the symbol of a free person.