What about Glock-9’s?

My cousin’s crew worship the Glock-9 handgun. Can they get an exemption to carry, too?

Russ, at 9:35 am EST on January 11, 2006

This faith has been around for 500 years. Kirpan and all. The wearing of it is a requirement, not like a wearing a cross or star of David, but the same way that some Christian monks and nuns are required to wear certain clothing. It doesn’t have to be sharp, and it can be tightly sewn in its sheath.

As much as this makes some people uncomfortable (and from some of these comments, you can tell it does), Sikhs have a right under the constitution of the United States of America to wear the kirpan. In all cases that I have read about, they are more than willing to work with law enforcement to formulate compromises as long as the basic religious requirement is not infringed upon.

k, at 12:47 pm EST on January 11, 2006

“If you want to carry a firearm, don’t go to a college that forbids carrying of firearms on its campus. Why should any other activity (including carrying a knife, regardless of purpose) be any different?”

Wearing it is a requirement of their 500 year old faith. No public campus or school that accepts Federal funds can violate that requirement any more than they could tell an orthodox Jew he couldn’t wear a yamulkah. A yamulkah is more than an “hat". A Kirpan is more than “a knife".

...also, for your information “Erik", I’m 3rd generation Californian, and my high school parking lot was full of old trucks with gun racks. I find your comment about California as biased as others comments about the kirpan.

k, at 5:04 pm EST on January 11, 2006

Hat and Knife Comparison?

k, A 10 inch blade is threatening, a hat isn’t. The law should be consistent for all. Either we allow students to bring 10 inch blades into classrooms or we don’t. I hope they aren’t allowed in my classroom. Candice

Candice, at 6:37 pm EST on January 11, 2006

If all those here are opposed to having any person carrying the Kirpan, please write to your Senators and Representatives to repeal the Constitutional laws that protect the freedom of religion and the right to bear arms. While you are at it, please also request that the NRA be banned from the U.S. and that all people in the interior of the U.S. surrender their weapons that they are completely free to carry (as is their constitutionally deemed right...lest we forget the laws of the land we reside in).

I am amazed time and time again when hysteria breaks out over the Kirpan being worn and yet thousands of gun kicenses are doled out every year. Please have some realistic perspective. If you think that a Kirpan poses a threat, it is time to realize that many of your neighbors are probably carrying things a whole lot more dangerous.

Whoever, at 4:32 am EST on January 12, 2006

Response

Especially Whoever, my objection is not that the kirpan is worn but that non-members can’t wear a similar blade. The objections about the star of David are also essentially irrelevant — I could wear a star of David without being Jewish and no one would prosecute me. Its not as though it is legal for Jewish people and illegal for the rest. Likewise with the cross. If anyone has the option of wearing a blade, then so should everyone. If no one can wear a blade, than that should mean no one. Either the law can allow all to bear a blade, just as it allows anyone to wear a cross, or it can allow no one. But to discriminate on the basis of religion is unfair and violates the equal protection clause.

Kevin, Undergraduate, at 2:36 pm EST on January 12, 2006

Everyone who is against the kirpans needs to shut up and quit whining. Knives have been around since the beginning of time, and are definitely a reason for the continued thriving of mankind. I do not see what is so intimidating about a piece of metal fixed to a handle. Sikhs carry kirpans from early childhood on, and are very trustworthy and careful with their knives. If more people were raised with weapons, this topic wouldn’t be such a big deal. As long as the wielder is under control, there is nothing to worry about. If an unstable person had a knife, he/she would be discouraged from using it on people if that person knew that others also had knives. It could actually reduce violent crime. So quit bitchin’

Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Barbarian, at 5:45 pm EDT on May 23, 2006