I was at a meeting last night and they were talking about the most noble of pursuits. Eliminating gun voilence. While I think gun voilence sucks, and that people who have guns whould protect their kids from touching their guns, I think that the plan this community had was wishful thinking.
That plan is the Gun Buyback program.
Even liberal estimates say that gun voilence is not eliminated by gun buyback programs.
Still, independent follow-up studies of gun buybacks in Seattle, Sacramento, St. Louis and Boston found no evidence that the programs reduced gun crime. In Seattle, researchers also checked coroner's records and hospital admissions data for the six months following a buyback in 1992. They found no evidence of an effect on firearms-related deaths or injuries.
Most of the guns that are turned in for the measley $50 or so are either broken, or are junky guns. People who generally turn them in want to get rid of a gun they inherited or were given. Maybe they found God and want to rid their home of Guns.
Criminals will turn in broken guns for money to buy better guns, or drugs.
But even if I did find religion and wanted to get rid of my gun, I would not trade in my Glock 17 for $50 at a buyback program to have them melt it down, when I can sell it to a gun shop for $500.
Would you?
I wouldn't either. That always seemed to be a very innefective means of getting guns off the streets. I doubt if some nice expensive guns were turned in that they would actually be destroyed. It would not be surprising that they are now in someones collection or sold.
IMHO, the gun payback program is a total waste of time.
