Chicago public schools are reporting an increase in utility knives as the weapon of choice by students because they are easily accessible (“Panel backs ban on utility knives,” Metro, Sept. 3). These knives, up until now, have been used for cutting carpeting and linoleum, opening cartons, etc. It was noted that of the 217 weapons seized in schools during the last school year, 46 percent were utility knives.
The school board states that its solution to this problem includes random searches, expelling students and fines of up to $1,000. Appeals have been made to the Chicago City Council for help. Many hardware stores have already begun keeping these knives under lock and key and refuse to sell them to anyone under age 18. Apparently, we cannot rely on the parents of these children to control what their children do, so let me give the City Council a suggestion for an “easy” solution:
We should ban the sale of utility knives within the city limits just as we did with the sale of spray paint. Look around–we can all see how well that worked!
