A total of 5,239 stab victims were admitted to NHS hospitals - including 609 youths aged under 18. This is 481 less than the 5,720 figure of 2007. See 'Knife injury hospital admissions down eight per cent'.
That number is still in the thousands but perhaps it shows that campaigning is having an effect. Imagine if no-one spoke out - knife use could be spiralling upwards.
In addition, more criminals who carry and/or use blades are being jailed. See 'More knife carrying criminals sentenced to prison'.
Senior MP Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, said, "This sends a very important message to knife criminals and would-be knife carriers to pack it in."
On the other hand, given the massive outcry against knife use - and those that carry blades 'for protection' - I feel the figure ought to be lower. These figures indicate just how difficult and challenging it is to win over hearts and minds and persuade people to lay down weapons and never again pick them up.
I find myself thinking of society like a fine piece of timber and the knife carriers as bloody woodworm burrowing into many parts of the healthy structure, making it weaker. Destroying the worm and making society healthy again is a tough call. Let's keep on...
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The law abiding citizens of the UK need to wake up and realise that the police force is not there to prevent them from becoming victims of violent crime--the only person responsible for and who will be able to defend you is yourself---of course the state is always trying to pretend it isnt so---while they are giving your eighteen year old boys rifles and sending them off to war---at the same time they have also taken away your right to bear arms for the purpose of defending yourself --your family and your home----citizens of the UK ===sheeple.
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