A teacher and a student died in a horrific attack at a Swedish school yesterday. Of course it is only a matter of time before this attack becomes part of the gun-control debate. Sweden, of course, has very strict gun laws. To own a gun in Sweden you must be trained, pass an exam, pass a background check and be vetted by local police, and belong to a gun or hunting club. There is no open or concealed carry allowed.
These measures work. The attack that was carried out was done with a sword, and that is what will be the argument. Gun control opponents will argue that if you succeed in removing guns as the weapon of choice in violent crime, attackers will simply move on to other weapons.
This all sound very reasonable, in theory, but it overlooks one simple fact: there is hardly anywhere in the country that you can carry a large knife or sword without being arrested. There are laws restricting the maximum allowed length of a blade. About the only exception is if it is part of a costume, and even then it usually must be secured so the blade can’t be drawn.
So fear not, America. Your schools are safe from sword wielding attackers, because the police will stop them for carrying a dangerous weapon. Of course the person running towards the school with an AR-15 will still be free to massacre at will; it’s their constitutional right!