Secret Service Blocking Sikh / Pope Meeting

And in another beautiful example of religion and state trampling all over one another, apparently the US Secret Service has put the kibosh on a meeting between the Sikhs and the Pope over the ceremonial "kirpaan" dagger Sikhs are required to wear in their religion.

There are a group of Sikh gentlemen who sell me my lunch on a fairly regular basis who tried to explain this device to me once, but I think this article sums it up pretty well - "The kirpaan 'represents the Sikh commitment to resist oppression and injustice' and is to be carried 'only in a defensive posture and never to initiate confrontation,' according to the World Sikh Council-America Region."

Sounds like a reasonable symbolic manifestation of "concealed carry" to me.

"Commitment to resist oppression and injustice."

I kinda' like the sound of that.

I wonder where I can go sign up ... :)

Party pooper Ed Donovan, a representative of the Secret Service, said, "We understand the kirpaan is a sanctified religious object. But by definition, it's still a weapon. We apply our security policy consistently and fairly."

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can you just PICTURE a conference full of Sikhs trying to filet the Pope with those things?

Somehow I'm not seeing it ...