Knives Illegal by Customs & Border Patrol Office
The CBP is trying to make Hand Assisted Folding knives illegal!
nutnfancy's Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTXCoulHxFw
U.S. Senate Website: http://www.senate.gov/index.htm
U.S. House Website: http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office,
Attn: International Trade Regulations and Rulings,
Mint Annex,
799 9th Street,
N.W."¨Washington, D.C. 20229//
Attn: Intellectual Property and Restricted Merchandise Branch//
Form Letter to email or write:
Dear (Your Senator /Congressman),
"¢ Millions of good people across the country use folding knives for duty, utility tasks, outdoors activities, emergency services, rescue operations, and for legal defensive purposes. The Office of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is however seeking to change that and turn these good people into criminals.
"¢ CBP is revoking earlier rulings that assisted opening knives (that require manual manipulation to deploy!) are NOT switchblades. Since many courts and legislative bodies rely upon these CBP knife definitions, this revised ruling will have broad and unintended consequences. It promise to affect all knives too, not just imports.
"¢ With this re-definition, most folding knives will be interpreted as illegal despite the smokescreen of disinformation that CBP is dispensing over this issue. It will create unneeded bureaucracy, more unenforceable laws that will burden peace officers, have devastating effects upon thousands of jobs, and in the end it will only LESSEN not increase PUBLIC SAFETY.
"¢ Knives are already highly regulated with current laws, both on national and local levels. This CBP interpretation burdens law enforcement and will instantly criminalize about 40 million good people. It is very unlikely anyone would dispose of any knives and it will create unnecessary enmity between citizenry and government.
"¢ The economy is failing. And yet this CBP ruling will make it worse. The outlawing of assisted opening AND most other folding knives with this ruling will destroy a thriving industry that employs thousands upon thousands of people. This is an industry that only needs to be left alone to succeed. And for years, succeed they have despite tremendous economic challenges. It is also this knife and tool industry that supplies these items to our armed forces and law enforcement officers. The CBP ruling will crush it and lead us further towards a full-on economic Depression. The military and police will have nowhere to turn for their knives then.
"¢ A knife is a viable and legal defensive tool, often carried by reasonable and good people. This CBP revocation is a capricious assault of these defensive and utility tools legally used by millions of Americans. Like a firearm, these tools should enjoy the same Constitutional protections (arms) and the bad guys will always have such items and they always have. It is only the law abiding citizen that will be felonized by the assault on knife possession. Is this what we want and is this good law?
"¢ Customs and Border Protection, headed by Commissioner Jayson Ahern, seems very uninterested in public discussion over their actions: they have denied requests for an extension on the comment period, sticking to a ridiculous 30 day limit. Please encourage CBP to at least extend this hearing period to 120 days. But simply ENDING THIS CRUSADE by your involvement would be the most reasonable and best course of action.
"¢ I seek your application of ALL political pressure to CBP office in this issue. The re-definition of switchblades is far reaching and carries the aforementioned political and societal liabilities. It will do nothing to increase public safety. I urge you to OPPOSE THIS CBP CHANGE IN KNIFE DEFINITIONS with all available means. In doing this you will win my loyal political support and I will use of my means, and those of my associates, to preserve your stay in office and service to our community.
Sincerely,