Why do Sikhs carry the kirpan?

Because this kind of thing right here used to happen to them about every week, is why. As it turns out, government was no better at protecting people 500 years ago in India than it is in AMERICA RIGHT NOW. Check this out:

Federal investigators had "looked at" Sikh temple gunman Wade Michael Page more than once because of his associations with right-wing extremists and the possibility that he was providing funding to a domestic terrorist group, but law enforcement officials at the time determined there was not enough evidence of a crime to open an investigation, a senior U.S. law enforcement official said.

Yes friends, the now properly dead Mr. Page was sufficiently an asshole that the FBI actually went looking for a reason to bust him. But of course they came up empty because the guy hadn't actually -done- anything other than mouth off. So total protective power of the FBI, zippo. As expected, right?

But wait there's more! It turns out that more people than just the FBI were COMPLETELY USELESS for stopping this piece of dirt.

Both the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center had tracked Page for several years. The nonprofit organizations collect publicly available information on hate groups from Web forums, pamphlets and other sources.

There you go, total preventative value of Leftie busybody orgs watching this guy and wringing their hands, zippo. Big Brother watching you doesn't make you safer, kids.

Which is a big DUH no kidding! Because you can't predict when one of these schmucks is going to finally work up the nerve to walk his talk. It is in fact the very definition of UN-predictable, isn't it?

What finally stopped this clown? Getting shot to death by a cop. What could have prevented this massacre? Clownboy getting shot right away before the cops showed up, preferably by the very first person he pointed a gun at.

My suggestion to Sikhs everywhere is keep the kirpan for backup and upgrade to .45ACP for your primary carry. If your local city/state/province morons won't let you, DEFEAT THEM by voting for somebody who will.

The Phantom