Swordplay

Maybe it's because by the time America was founded, swords were largely things of the past in terms of military weapons, but Americans don't have much respect for the sword as a weapon. Going after someone with a gun makes you dangerous - going after someone with a sword makes you a random looney. But swords are VERY dangerous, and shouldn't be underestimated. Even one that isn't sharpened can bring a lot of force to bear on a very small area, and can easily break bones or open very nasty wounds. In South Carolina, a young man broke into his ex-girlfreind's apartment, supposedly intent on intimidating her, if not attacking her, armed with a sword. But the first rule of home invasion is know who lives there - this guy didn't, and it turned out that his ex-girlfriend's roommate was a sword collector - and it seems he knew how to use one, for he quickly disarmed the intruder and held him while the ex-girlfriend called the police. You can read about the story here if you'd like. He's in the hospital now, and under arrest. But at least he's not being mocked by the Associated Press, as this poor guy is. (Although someone who lives with his mother, and doesn't own a telephone, but has a sword - this is exactly the kind of person who gets stuck with the label "random looney." One of my coworkers, when this case come up in conversation, conjectured that the guy played too much Dungeons and Dragons. Which also serves to reinforce the idea that we don't see swords as particularly dangerous.)