Californians turn in guns for food

[parishioner]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081208/ap_on_re_us/gifts_for_guns

I don't know what to make of this. What do you guys think? Im a little torn.

[Gentoo]

It just proves the point that these 'guns for money' programs aren't aimed at getting guns away from criminals. They are aimed at getting guns away from the citizens.

[Gramps]

Would it be legal for me to set up and buy guns like that?
Would it only take an FFL?
Hell, I'm out of work, and I could see a profit possibility here.

[zippygaloo]

This "guns for food" program will actually increase crime because the criminals will now break into businesses, homes, cars, etc. to steal guns which they can then trade for $100 Best Buy, Target or Ralphs gift cards.

Additionally, criminals aren't going to turn in their guns. They will just wait for you to turn in yours and then hold you up with their gun and take your gift cards.

[ZDL]

Would it be legal for me to set up and buy guns like that?
Would it only take an FFL?
Hell, I'm out of work, and I could see a profit possibility here.

When you find the answer to this pass it along.... :D

[BWYoda]

I agree with Zippy - just another scam. Still anything the gun grabbers can do.......

[Iraqgunz]

I have so many problems with this article on so many levels.

Trading personal security for "food" is naive and stupid. I understand that some people are having hard times, but I wonder how many of these people have XBox's, PS3's and everything else that they could have sold first.

It says that residents can anonymously turn in their firearms yet further down in the article is says that deputies check to see if the weapons have been used in crimes. Aside from checking NCIC (for stolen or lost weapons) how can they determine if the weapons have been used in a crime or not?

A Soviet era semiautomatic carbine? I guess they are referring to an SKS? And then this gem of a statement;

"If that got into the wrong hands of gangbangers, they could kill several people within minutes,"

News flash any gun can kill several people within minutes just like my G19, G22 or G17 with all the mags that I have.

To the people of California, my birthplace and former home you deserve exactly what you get if you are a law-abiding citizen and you give your weapon to these idiots. This is just another scheme to disarm the people of the state and don't think for a minute that any real criminal is giving up their shit for food. As a matter of fact they are waiting for you to surrender yours so the next time you get robbed or burglarized they know there is nothing to fear.

[zippygaloo]

Whether anyone wants to believe it or not, the government is going to be coming for our guns some day soon.

[citizensoldier16]

I'll give you 50 cans of beans and a box of ramen noodle soup for your AK. Maybe I should start doing this! :D

[30 cal slut]

I'll give you 50 cans of beans and a box of ramen noodle soup for your AK. Maybe I should start doing this! :D

i'll up the ante with a snickers bar.

seriously, what kind of guns are folks turning in nowadays?

would it be presumptuous to assume they're mostly junky beaters? (raven .25 ACP, anyone)?

[CarlosDJackal]

The folly behind such a program is the mistaken belief that by reducing the number of guns "out there"; you are reducing the number of guns that can be used in the commission of a crime.

This has been proven time and again to be naive at best because there are always going to be weapons available to those who want them badly enough to go through any means possible to obtain them. Just look at what has happened to the UK, the thugs are committing crimes using knives so much so that they are supposedly banning pointed knives!!

The inherent instinct to survive in all of us (including other living things) will not allow everyone to stay on the same footing forever. I am convinced that if Zebras and Gazelles could figure out how to don body armor and carry AK-47s to protect themselves against Lions and other predators, they would.

It seems that man is the only species on this planet stupid enough to go against our survival instincts and willingly give up any advantage he may have against the predators "because it ain't right"!! :eek::rolleyes:

[hyrepower]

It is time to start sleeping with one eye open.

[MOFoxtrot]

So they did a check on the guns but did they don't do a check on the individuals??? seriously 967 guns turned in is that really a sucess? out of how many guns there are out there. Who wrote this article? (Thomas Watkins of the Associate Press) maybe we could flood the publisher's desk with e-mails of disgust on their bias reporting and make them think twice about writing such an article. You think there are other forums and boards that would help. Crash their server with e-mails of disapproval!!!

JMO

Scott

P.S. soviet era semi-automatic LOL Marlin-ski-chof model 60 22lr with a 12 shot tube under the barrel LOL

[Robb Jensen]

They will discover that 'stupid hurts' when they run out of food!

[JWNathan]

In our local paper today they had a picture of a shopping cart filled with mostly shotguns (one was a nice older S&W autoloader), there was a SKS and a AK, and I couldnt quite make it out but looked like the underside of an AR-18. Pitiful to say the least.
-Jesse

[Gramps]

All you have to do is get some sheeple to turn in their guns, and then more and more sheeple will do the same, because they are sheeple, and can only fallow for no reason, other than to fallow.

Obviously none of them listened to the "Bloody Brits" telling us not to do just that!

Ron White had it so nailed with "YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID". And the govt found out that you CAN control stupid though. And that may well be were sheeple come from.

[Dave L.]

These people are Sheep, nothing more. They are the kind of people who would turn them in anyway. They are the types that would rather surrender than shoot back.
It's sad, but at least they will be the first people to realize how wrong they were.
**** 'em.

[mmike87]

This "guns for food" program will actually increase crime because the criminals will now break into businesses, homes, cars, etc. to steal guns which they can then trade for $100 Best Buy, Target or Ralphs gift cards.

Additionally, criminals aren't going to turn in their guns. They will just wait for you to turn in yours and then hold you up with their gun and take your gift cards.


Does make it pretty easy to fence the stolen property, doesn't it?


I am convinced that if Zebras and Gazelles could figure out how to don body armor and carry AK-47s to protect themselves against Lions and other predators, they would. It seems that man is the only species on this planet stupid enough to go against our survival instincts and willingly give up any advantage he may have against the predators "because it ain't right"!!

We call that being "being civilized". The zebras and gazelle would call it "being lunch".

[-gary]

Maybe I'm the only one here that thinks these programs, if not good, are not all that bad. Yes, they're disarming and sheeple etc, but methinks those that would turn in a gun for $100 in food is the type that have should prob not own firearms in the first place. They are the ones that loose them in break-ins, have them carried to school by their children or toss them in a sock drawer to be found by little hands.

Yes, it gives ammunition to those like the AP that push their "unbiased" "news", but I believe we, meaning community and society in general, are better off for it in the long run.

[Abraxas]

I have always thought these buy back programs were stupid, and those who participate are pathetic.

[sixboysdad]

So they did a check on the guns but did they don't do a check on the individuals???

This was my thought. Did they do any kind of demographic survey or observation on who was turning in the guns? Probably not, as the propaganda was to get people to do this anonymously, but still, I would like to know how many firearms were turned in by little old ladies who are now getting rid of that pistol that has been on the top shelf of the closet since Fred died in '87, and how many were turned in by tattooed gangbangers, trying to turn their lives around with a fresh start via this amnesty program.

The article also said that MOST people requested the supermarket cards, but hey, if I could buy a $25 Lorcin off the street corner and get a $100 gift card to Best Buy, I might do that just because.

Disclaimer: I would not do that because it is illegal. I am a law-abiding citizen. I do not purchase illegal guns off street corners.

[MOFoxtrot]

Maybe I'm the only one here that thinks these programs, if not good, are not all that bad. Yes, they're disarming and sheeple etc, but methinks those that would turn in a gun for $100 in food is the type that have should prob not own firearms in the first place. They are the ones that loose them in break-ins, have them carried to school by their children or toss them in a sock drawer to be found by little hands.

Yes, it gives ammunition to those like the AP that push their "unbiased" "news", but I believe we, meaning community and society in general, are better off for it in the long run.

I see your point here also but I think it should be handled by the NRA or local gun shops, IE: being a responsible Gun owning community and take care of our own problems-ish.

Scott