Compton County "Gifts for guns" program

[Dave39168]

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?se...les&id=6530972

there is a video on the link


COMPTON (CNS) -- More guns were taken off the streets today during Compton's annual "Gifts for Guns" program, the Sheriff's Department reported.

In an effort to curb violent crime in the city -- which has the highest homicide rate in the county -- authorities gave $100 gift cards to people who turned in firearms and $200 gift cards for assault weapons.

"A lot of people in the community have guns that they don't use for target practice or whatever and this just gives them an opportunity to turn those in, get them out of the house, " said Capt. William Ryan of the Compton Sheriff's Station.

The gift cards can be redeemed at Best Buy, Target, Home Depot and Ralphs supermarkets, said Sgt. Byron Woods.
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"I brought a sawed-off .22," Horace Denton told the station. "I didn't have any use for it. It was my son's gun way back in the day, so I decided I'd clean things out."

The event was held at a Ralphs supermarket at 280 E. Compton Blvd., where the weapons were collected by sheriff's personnel and volunteers at a booth set up in the parking lot.

"Well, I heard about the program and I thought, well, it's a good way to get rid of the guns, and if I can get some money for it why not?" Don Lewis said.

People turning in guns are not asked to identify themselves or say where the weapons came from, Woods said.

"We just had this around the house for a while, and we thought `Well it's better to get rid of it before somebody breaks in or something and it gets into the wrong hands,"' Luella Steele told ABC7. "We can use the money at Christmas time,"

People have turned in about 1,500 guns over the last three years, ABC7 reported. Another "Gifts for Guns" event will be held at the grocery store Sunday and next weekend.

"We're trying to rid our city of guns being shot, people being killed," said City Councilwoman Barbara Calhoun.

This really pisses me off! I'm not sure what's worse: the stupid notion that the defenseless citizens will be safer, or the fact that the Sheriff's dept is ripping them off at $100-200 per gun. It would have to a real piece of junk to be worth $100. Any firearms worth $100 is probably not even safe to fire. There were several AKs in the video, which I assume they paid $200 for. I haven't seen a used AK in the local gun shops for less than $500, and they are going up now with the current political situation to much higher than that. These people are getting screwed! I would also love to know what the sheriff's dept does with the guns after they get them. It wouldn't surprise me if a few of the nicer ones wound up going home with the deputies. This is sad, really really sad. The people getting screwed, and losing their means of defense, they are being made to feel guilty for owning a firearms and its as if they are receiving amnesty for doing something wrong. We have a RIGHT to be armed, read the words of the founders! Not only a right to it, I think its our duty to be proficient with arms.

They act like the sheriff dept is doing them a great service by disarming them in exchange for a $100 gift card. This just shows how ignorant these people are. Plus its freakin robbery. This whole thing makes me livid.

[Pericles]

Further proof that Mill was correct in his thinking -

“But war, in a good cause, is not the greatest evil which a nation can suffer. War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse. When a people are used as mere human instruments for firing cannon or thrusting bayonets, in the service and for the selfish purposes of a master, such war degrades a people. A war to protect other human beings against tyrannical injustice – a war to give victory to their own ideas of right and good, and which is their own war, carried on for an honest purpose by their free choice – is often the means of their regeneration. A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. As long as justice and injustice have not terminated their ever-renewing fight for ascendancy in the affairs of mankind, human beings must be willing, when need is, to do battle for the one against the other.”

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)

[ihsv]

Yessiree, I can just see all those violent criminals standing in line to turn in their tools of the trade for a piece of plastic. Makes sense to me [\sarcasm]

[Pennsylvania]

How many times does $#@! like this have to fail before these people see a pattern?

$100

LoL. A watergun maybe.

$200

LoL. Watergun + the water to fill it.

[madengr]

So what if you went there and offered $250 for any "assault weapons"?

[risk_reward]

Sounds like a good place to pick up some cheap product. Have an inspection point. Let the crap go in and pay cash for anything good.

If we ever have one of these here, I might try it. At least after I have my carry permit.

[Kludge]

I don't understand the outrage over this... It is a misuse of taxpayers' money (It does use tax money, correct?), but pretty tame considering how else the government could have used the money.


Wealth will be circulated (employee wages at the stores -- what happens with the guns?) and guns being put to no use will provide people (likely middle class and lower) with a quick $100 or more.

Considering how real the threat of confiscation is, this voluntary exchange is probably a lucky break for many.

[Dave39168]

I don't understand the outrage over this... It is a misuse of taxpayers' money (It does use tax money, correct?), but pretty tame considering how else the government could have used the money.

They could have used the money to enforce the law since that's what they are supposed to be doing.

The reason I am outraged is b/c they suggest that this will make the city safer. and they are promoting this idea. Also, as you noted, it is misuse of public money. The tax-payers didn't consent to having their money spent on this. If they want to sell their guns they should sell them to an individual with a bill of sale or take them to a dealer. Leave the public's money out of it. It is also misuse of the sheriff's dept, there is no reason for the sheriff's dept to do this. It serves no purpose to make the city safer. It is just another way to create a public mentality that criminalizes firearm ownership and its another baby-step towards confiscation. Once they get people used to the idea of government buying guns in the name the public's safety, eventually it won't be voluntary, it will be mandatory.

Wealth will be circulated (employee wages at the stores

Kinda like a mini economic stimulus package for the city... I never liked the argument that government spending or injecting liquidity is a good way to stimulate the economy. Although it may seem to have that effect, it is a stimulus-based economics way of thinking that people like Paulson, Bush, and Bernanke subscribe to. That kind of argument leads to people who think that economic stimulus packages and corporate bailouts are good for economics. Its kind of Keynesian-sounding. In reality, the only thing good for any economy is production, saving, and acquiring capitol to produce more. So saying gun buy backs are good b/c they stimulate the local economy doesn't work.

Considering how real the threat of confiscation is, this voluntary exchange is probably a lucky break for many.

Agree the threat of confiscation is very real. But someone who sold their "Assault Rifle" for $200 didn't receive a lucky break. This whole thing is a +1 for the anti-gunners.

[FunkBuddha]

"I brought a sawed-off .22," Horace Denton told the station. "I didn't have any use for it. It was my son's gun way back in the day, so I decided I'd clean things out."

WTF is a sawed-off .22 good for?

[Dave39168]

How many times does $#@! like this have to fail before these people see a pattern?

For real. Apparently this is the 3rd or 4th annual gifts for guns program. Still, "highest homicide rate in the country." No pattern noted.

[RSLudlum]

There's a similiar program getting ready to be implimented in my town come December. The North Charleston PD is working with churches to get guns off the street at $100 a pop ie a $100 Walmart gift card for every 'working' gun a person turns in at the participating churches.

[Dave39168]

There's a similiar program getting ready to be implimented in my town come December. The North Charleston PD is working with churches to get guns off the street at $100 a pop ie a $100 Walmart gift card for every 'working' gun a person turns in at the participating churches.

Do you know what they are going to do with the guns that get turned in?

[RSLudlum]

Do you know what they are going to do with the guns that get turned in?

pfft according to this article: http://web.charleston.net/news/2008/...et_money62955/

they're checking them for use in past crimes and then going to melt them down

Once guns are collected, police plan to check them for involvement with past crimes. After that, they will melt them down. They are working with the city's Cultural Arts Department to commission a local artist to use the melted guns to build a monument to crime victims.

[pcosmar]

No questions asked, no I.D. required. Drive up, drop off and drive away.

Sounds like a good way to dispose of those pesky murder weapons.

[RSLudlum]

Sounds like a good way to dispose of those pesky murder weapons.

after a good wipe down of course

[newyearsrevolution08]

The thing I find funny is, how many LEGAL gun owners do you see giving up their guns? I do see "throw away" guns maybe from criminals and crooks BUT what do gun regulations do to stop them from getting throw anyways anyways? Nothing, all it does is hurt those who FOLLOW the law because they are NOT criminals.

[pcosmar]

Hmmm, This is interesting.
Report: Pa. police sold confiscated guns
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...ice-guns_N.htm
Or this
http://www.777auction.com/auctions/102.html

[free_mail]

They should bring in a printout of the market value of the guns before hand and should then receive market value for the sale.