Michigan Votes Forum

 Is there actually a brass knucks problem? By that I do mot mean merely an incident or two, I mean sufficient incidents to merit a law being passed.  We shouldn't try to micromanage everything. 

Brass knucks are inanimate objects.  It is their misuse with which we might better be concerned.  I suspect that there are laws already on the books that would suffice. Without further information, this sounds like feel good legislation designed for a campaign flyer.

Good grief!  Isn't this kind of thing already the law?  

Pass this bill quickly, and get it over with.  

 FreeSpeaker, might I ask why?

Laws based on anything but facts – lies, exaggerations, mischaracterizations , hypotheticals, fantasies, delusions, or opinion polls – should not be laws.

Laws that do not do what they are purported to do should not be laws.

Laws that encourage a state of denial should not be laws.

Laws that focus enforcement against honest citizens rather than against criminals should not be laws.

Laws should follow the dictum, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

May I ask of campbeul41, do you have any evidence to indicate if this bill were to become law it would not pass your "test"?

 Gypsy --

Proposed laws should be tested before they are passed, not after.

My initial post asked if there were a brass knucks problem. That has not been answered.  If there is no real problem, then it comes under the heading of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Be that as it may, the answer to this discussion may lay here at the Michigan State Police web site: http://www.michigan.gov/msp/0,1607,7-123-1586_27094-10953--,00.html

10. Is there anything that prohibits possession of Ninja-type sticks, brass knuckles or billy clubs?

MCL 750.224 prohibits the manufacture, sale, offering for sale or possession of a blackjack, billy, metallic knuckles, sand club, sand bag or bludgeon. It does not specifically list Ninja-type sticks. However, they could be considered a dangerous weapon, depending on the use.

 .Do you stll think the proposed law provides a useful function?

.

Why only ban minors from brass nuckles? An adult can hit much harder. I have a better idea, lets ban all violent people. Geez, I would rather defend myself from someone using brass nuckles than someone welding a baseball bat. Now theres another idea. Lets not stop there, lets make as many laws as we can think of to make a mockery of our legislators who write them.

 Ken --

I quite agree.  I have been attacked once with brass knucks and once with a baseball bat. The brass knucks assailent went down to a judo defense so sweetly that Hollywood should have taken notes. The baseball bat attacker?  Thank God a friend took him out -- otherwise you would not be hearing from me today.

Thank you Mr. Norris for that information. It does appear "metallic knuckles" are already illegal to manufacture, sell, or possess, for any age person. Unless there is some heretofore unknown reason we need this bill, I agree it is redundant.