This is a positive measure that municipalities and gun owners can take. Giving people money for turning in their guns is a good incentive. I'm sure there are many many people who have guns around that they want to get rid of.
Cars queued up for blocks at the drive-through events, with the city giving cards worth up to $100 for handguns, shotguns and rifles, and up to $200 for assault weapons. There was a bit of haggling involved, but the guns were all taken.
I'm reading now about school shootings in a book by Katherine S. Newman, Rampage: The Social Roots of School Shootings. In the cases she examines, the shooters accessed arsenals and collected weapons from the collections of family and friends.
The statistics on gun violence are all too clear. A number of measures need to be taken. I like gun buyback, because it removes guns that are already out there in people's homes. The fewer guns in circulation, the better.
Positive recent note is some discomfort about widespread promotion of violence in the culture: video games and movies. Need more conversation about choices not available to counter this. "Because that is what is wanted" seems lame and mostly serves capitalism not aspirations of a democracy.
Posted by: naomi | December 27, 2012 at 10:31 AM
Naomi: We need to look at everything.
Posted by: Hattie | December 27, 2012 at 10:47 AM
On a related note.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ny-newspaper-posts-gun-permit-map-starts-nasty-online-battle/2012/12/26/747ae7d6-4fb0-11e2-950a-7863a013264b_story.html
Do you think the paper was right in publishing the gun owners' names and addresses?
Posted by: Brandon | December 27, 2012 at 12:47 PM
Brandon: Sure. Why not? It's a matter of public record.
I see an argument gathering force that we should not question people's gun ownership or regulate it, because then people will go underground. But I think that is the wrong argument to make. Instead, let's define and emphasize social responsibility and living within the law. Get a change of behavior around guns.
Posted by: Hattie | December 27, 2012 at 12:57 PM
Brandon, I'm glad you asked! I was transfixed by it especially seeing it in color; red dots makes it even more graphic. And it's personal since Westchester County is where my NY family lives. No newspaper where I now live in the wild West would ever ever do anything similar.
Did I mention that I'm delighted that it was done? Yes, because it moves the conversation way beyond bumper stickers and candlelight vigils. These are okay and I'm glad to send $$$ to Ceasefire Oregon. But identifying where THEY live: could be transformative.
Posted by: naomi | December 28, 2012 at 09:24 AM
More on the gun-owner map controversy:
http://politicker.com/2012/12/state-senator-slams-asinine-newspaper-editors-who-published-gun-permit-map/
and
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/28/16215255-arizona-sheriff-orders-armed-posse-to-patrol-schools?lite
Posted by: Brandon | December 28, 2012 at 12:07 PM
Brandon: Why should they care if people know they own guns? Are they ashamed?
And remind me to stay out of Arizona. A man I met on the Nation Cruise, who is now a Facebook friend, was a policeman in Arapaio's department. He quit and moved to Tacoma. Now anyone who knows Tacoma will understand how bad Phoenix is, because Tacoma is no paradise.
Posted by: Hattie | December 28, 2012 at 12:45 PM
His reason is that criminals will target those homes for gun theft. Also, that the paper, in his view, stigmatizes legal gun owners with this interactive map.
http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/breaking-news-senator-ball-issues-statement-journal-news-gun-permit-map-and-introduces
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2012/12/27/n-y-state-rep-greg-ball-on-newspaper-publishing-names-of-gun-permit-owners-it-was-a-very-stupid-idea/
Posted by: Brandon | December 28, 2012 at 09:46 PM