I don't believe that it is the "sharp blade attached to a handle" that scares us so much as the "used for cutting or as a weapon" bit.

We tell ourselves that if we could only eliminate the tools used for violence, then we could all live safely. But the truth is that we can never ban the most dangerous weapon that we have. Humans are very clever creatures. Our ability to create new uses for things is not only our greatest asset but also our worst enemy.

But where does that leave us? Of course we can't stop the human imagination (nor would we want to) but how should we proceed? I believe that we must take note of both the capacity and desire for ill will.

Humans are immensely capable of any number of evils but those whose needs are well cared for tend not to have the desire. It is hard to deny that there is a correlation between violence and prosperity. Compare the regions of global prosperity with those of greatest violence and while there are some interesting outliers, it is apparent that the two go hand in hand.