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Old November 17, 2010, 01:15 PM   #20
sakeneko
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 23, 2009
Location: Nevada
Posts: 644
Four years ago on our honeymoon, my husband and I bought a couple of steel-tipped walking sticks. My vision is poor, and depth perception between about three and seven to ten feet is nonexistent. When I'm walking across or hiking on uneven ground, I *need* that stick.

I'm also (barely) under 50 years of age, not otherwise handicapped, and perfectly capable of using that stick as a deadly weapon. It would be my first choice when dealing with certain kinds of aggressive animals, and I also wouldn't hesitate to use it to fend off a determined attacker who was getting too close. That wouldn't make me a threat to anybody who wasn't attacking me, any more than the gun I carry makes me a threat to anybody who isn't attacking me. However, that same stick in an attacker's hands would definitely be a deadly weapon -- capable of causing severe injury or death.

I have a couple of points here. First, don't assume that an elderly or handicapped person is incapable of posing a threat -- there are different kinds and levels of handicaps. Second, don't assume that a heavy cane or walking stick can't be used as a weapon. (And especially not if it's steel-tipped or has a point, as my walking stick does.)
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