Belgium Laser Pointer Incident

[White-Light]

Electro whereas I don't want to bring into public what you said in your deleted post as you deleted it for a reason, I will say 2 things:

1. As I said previously, I'm very much against banning things. However there becomes a point beyond which something which is being widely misused and causing people permanent in jury has to be made safe, not banned, but made safe. A reduction to below 1mw in the UK's case has achieved that and probably saved draconian restrictions on the laser industry as a whole as a result.

2. Laserpointers have been restricted to 1mw in the UK since 2005, nearly 5 years. Funny thing is no-ones missed them and no-ones complained because at the end of the day there's no real use for them. They were designed for pointing out areas of text and diagrams on overhead projections for which 1mw does nicely. They're only other real use apart from burning balloons or tape is pointing them at people in clubs or on the street, where high power pencil beams pose a real danger and have no purpose other than to dazzle or injure the person they're pointed at.

[ElektroFreak]

The post I deleted was an overreaction, which is why it was deleted. I have no issue with anything you've just said, but I have issues with banning in general, like you said. If I never have another pointer/portable again, that's fine by me. If legislators decide to make portable lasers illegal, OK, especially if it leads to a safer environment in general. BUT I'll be damned if I'm going to take a position that compromises my personal right to own a portable laser just because some guy in the Netherlands has a personal Capt. Ahab complex about portables. That's a load of crap.

I live in the US and this is an age old argument here about gun control. I would like to point out that guns are still legal here and I doubt that they will ever be banned completely, because to do so would violate the rights of a great many people. We value our rights enough that we will deal with a few crazy people doing crazy things before we will just give those rights up without question. The way the majority of people feel is the way things are. That's why I think it would be fair to have a poll.. The idea has been put out there twice so far, but I get a feeling that admin wouldn't ban discussion of portables even if the majority voted for it.

[allthatwhichis]

We could always make it so all our "cars" only go 55 mile per hour too... There is no "real" reason for a vehicle to go over that speed except for the satisfying feeling of shifting into 5th gear at 80... And driving a getaway car from a bank robbery.

Can we let this horse rest in peace? I am feeling a bit dizzy. I am sure there is a projector out there, with lab modules, that needs attention; pictures and video taken of...

[ElektroFreak]

Consider it done as far as I'm concerned.. I've said more than my fair share about this, that's for sure.

It's a volatile subject, however, and i have a feeling that it won't be the last we hear of it..

[White-Light]

Well everyone has their view and that's fine.

Personally I don't want to see pointers banned but I can see the sense in restricting powers given the all too often abuse. However others may disagree and I have no problem with that.