Buying Guns To Keep Them Off The Street – Why?

It's been tried before in Camden, New Jersey and now Ithaca, New York wants in on this lame-brained scheme.  The city of Camden will have a gun buy-back day on January 5, 2013 in an effort to curb gun violence.  Notice I said "It's been tried before".  Camden bought over 1,100 guns in the last attempt to stop violence there.  Must not have worked too well if they have to try again?  I wonder if criminals just went out and stole more guns to sell this time?

The city will pay up to $200 for so-called assault weapons.  Do they really think someone will hand over a weapon they may have paid $1,200 retail or even $200 on the street to get $200 from the city?  If a criminal buys a $200 weapon on the street I would be willing to bet he will use that weapon to facilitate his personal cash flow.

It's not the weapon that is causing violence, it's the mind of the person in possession of the weapon.  Criminal minds just have no regard or reverence for life.  If your life is in the toilet you don't really care if someone else lives or dies, you just want what you want when you want it.  Instant gratification whether it is stolen goods or a stolen life is what's behind the violence.  The mantra in the otherwise empty minds of violent criminals is "I want it and I want it now".  We have to find someway to teach to everyone the line from the Rolling Stones song, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try real hard you just might get what you need."

Buying guns back from criminals.  That makes about as much sense as buying dope from the dealers to get it off the streets.  They'll just make more.