Tucson residents lined up outside a police substation Tuesday morning to surrender guns in exchange for gift cards under a gun turn-in program organized by a City Council member, as gun-rights advocates mounted a counter effort to buy guns no longer wanted.
People giving up their guns in the turn-in program organized by Councilman Steve Kozachik are receiving $50 gift cards from the Safeway grocery store chain.
The substation's parking lot was full a half-hour before the event started, and about 25 people were waiting in line as the event began.
The Arizona Daily Star (http://bit.ly/13ek6YX) reports that most of the guns brought in initially were shotguns or rifles.
Meanwhile, lame-duck state Sen. Frank Antenori and others gathered outside the substation and were offering to buy guns to cash.
EqualForce posted at 3:08 pm on Wed, Jan 9, 2013.
With 300 million firearms in private hands (one-third of them pistols), the overwhelming majority of gun owners ARE responsible, law-abiding citizens, which is why horrific massacres are not commonplace, but rather terrible outliers that can never be legislated away (e.g. DC, Chicago, and “Gun Free Zones”).
For several examples for the recent use of firearms for defensive purposes not typically reported by the national media please visit: http://www.equalforce.net and forward this site to others to whom this information may be useful. @forceequalizer
Heywood_Jablome posted at 6:44 am on Wed, Jan 9, 2013.
Some of the Jews voluntarily lined up in an orderly fashion to board the cattle car trains that took them to their deaths. The Nazis even paid for their travel expenses. I guess that was a "buy back program" taken to it's logical extreme.
The D.C. government needs to always know that the citizenry it seeks to take away property and rights from is fully armed, fully capable of, and totally willing to, resist their efforts.
Gun control has NEVER been about guns...it's ALWAYS been about control.
Bluepoet posted at 3:28 pm on Tue, Jan 8, 2013.
Hmm, so, apparently there are now enough guns out there that we can base our economy on them as if they were gold....
...or food stamps...
Will they be recycled by the police, or sold, by lot, at auction, to help pay for departmental weapon upgrades?
Guns for Granola--what a bunch of hippies! [beam]
az2008 posted at 2:57 pm on Tue, Jan 8, 2013.
V, my intention wasn't superlative nor exaggeration. I honestly think gun owners are losing the battle when the cost of gun ownership is such visible, prison-like treatment of schools. That seems like a costly "optic" for what increasingly boils down to a wedge issue: the right to own 60-round drum magazines which few desire to own, and those who do own have little opportunity to use. (I.e., no utilitarian purpose).
I agree with all the usual pro-gun responses about how an average shooter can do as much damage with a pocket full of 10-round magazines, or can fire a bolt-action as fast as a semi-auto. I'm just saying, right or wrong, gun owners are losing the PR battle over what appears to be ideology of no compromise rooted in the gun-control effort 20 years ago, where the Supreme Court hadn't ruled on the right, and "gun grabbers" openly stated that their goal was to ban all guns except those kept at hunting clubs.
The average gun owner doesn't own guns for a Red Dawn uprising. They are realistic about balancing individual and collective interests. And they don't want to live in a world where we need swat officers patrolling school halls.
Yes, you're right, schools could find a less intrusive way to secure their students. But, they don't want to do that. The result is a very bad "optic" for gun ownership.
VofReason posted at 1:12 pm on Tue, Jan 8, 2013.
I wonder how many of the people who were willing to turn in their guns to the police would have at some point shot up the local theater. Probably none. So yes, unless the son of one of them had severe mental problems and intended to steal it, this probably does nothing to prevent the next mass killer. I am sure az2008 is intending to be superlative, but I think even the people who manage schools could come up with a less drastic manner to have armed security on campus- right?
Poorman posted at 1:04 pm on Tue, Jan 8, 2013.
I must admit,i was mad at the media on all their hype on these gun turn in programs,but i did manage to buy some very valuable guns for next to nothing.Its hard to see that some of these people are turning in some very valuable and collectable guns for next to nothing. In some cases they could have sold or pawned the guns for 3 0r 4 times more money than they got etc.
az2008 posted at 12:33 pm on Tue, Jan 8, 2013.
Jug, the same reason pro-gunners raffle off assault weapons: to get time in the news and shape public opinion.
I strongly support the individual right to arms for self defense. I support the original right of collective defense against usurping government, but feel it's been disused for over 100 years. (I would support an effort to reinvigorate the militia). But, I think progunners are losing the PR battle. When you have law enforcement (which the NRA referred to as "jack booted thugs" just 20 years ago) patrolling schools wearing tactical (swat) gear and heeling german sheperds, it's not a very good image. Nor, when a gear maker in Columbia is making bullet proof clothing for kids.
If you think the PR is bad now, just wait till all these kids going to school under these circumstances reach the age of majority.
It seems to me like there has to be a better way to regulate firearm ownership without feeling like it's a slippery slope to bans. The Supreme Court has recognized it's an individual right, and that it was incorporated by the 14th Amendment. We shouldn't be so paranoid about things like mandatory training, licensing, etc.
Juggernaut8000 posted at 11:54 am on Tue, Jan 8, 2013.
I don't know why these idiots have these gun turn in events. This is just hype and has no effect on crime or gun violence.