Great commentary on gun buy backs

[ericire12]

http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m12d6-Are-Hartford-authorities-hospitals-and-merchants-rewarding-violations-of-gun-laws-and-safety-rules

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Which is pretty much how David S. Shapiro, M.D., launched into his promotion piece for yesterday's gun turn-in program in Hartford, CT, asking:

    What could be more in the spirit of giving and helping others than finding ways to remove unwanted guns from the hands of children and adults?

How about giving wanted guns? But, OK, I'll play along. How do we go about doing that?

    On Saturday, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Hartford Hospital and Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center are joining with the city of Hartford, the Hartford Police Department, Kohl's Department Stores and the Hartford state's attorney's office to hold a gun buyback event...

And we'll reward you with GIFT CARDS!  Didn't Dr. Franklin say  something about those giving up essential freedom for...no, he never foresaw the heirs of Liberty would be debased enough to settle for merchandise...but say that we are. How do we turn' em in?

    Guns should be unloaded and placed in a clear plastic bag inside a paper bag or box.

I'll have more to say about that in a bit.  For right now, here comes my favorite part:

    I can't think of a single product less appropriate for the holidays than handguns. They are dangerous devices. Guns belong in the hands of well-trained, experienced individuals, trusted civil servants and an organized militia.

Just so you know what to get that special "Only One" who is qualified and trustworthy enough...

But he's not asking for stricter gun control, mind you. It's just that:

    A gun buyback or gun exchange provides an easy way for unwilling gun owners, even gun enthusiasts, to rid themselves and their homes of firearms that no longer have a purpose.

If that's the case, why not get a better value for your property? I found area resources in under a minute from my desk here over 500 miles away. And I'm sure my friends at Connecticut Citizens Defense League would be happy to hear from you and be of help. Maybe you'll find out you're interested in what they're about and end up giving yourself the holiday gift of membership (the price is right).

Oh, but that won't get the guns "off the street." If we do it  Dr. Shapiro's way:

    The guns will be destroyed unless testing reveals that they were used in a crime.

Yeah, except Connecticut General Statutes require that if they turn out to be stolen, police have a duty to return them to their lawful owners. And there are just a whole lotta firearms-related edicts it looks like this event encourages people to flat-out violate--you can search a database of relevant statutes here, and read a comprehensive summary from NRA-ILA here.

Which makes me question why this coalition of law enforcement and health professionals is encouraging citizens to assume those participating in their program will know enough to be compliant with the myriad laws. If you just put a pistol or revolver in that clear or paper bag or box and transport it, either in your car or on foot, you'll be in violation of the requirement to have a permit to carry it on your person, either openly or concealed. And then there are the requirements that firearms not be accessible from passenger compartments in vehicles...not to mention state laws prohibiting possession of unauthorized "assault weapons"...

So I guess my first questions, for the Hartford PD and state attorney would be: By what statutory authority do you get off not enforcing state laws--or ensuring they are made known and observed at events you co-sponsor? Is it a case of your ends justifying the means? If so, what other laws are you free to ignore? (Perhaps a better question would be, if you get to decide, what laws won't you be free to ignore?) And what is your obligation under federal law should someone turn in a weapon subject to NFA requirements?

My next questions would be for the sponsoring hospitals:

Did you guys clear this through your risk management departments? I mean, we have Dr. Shapiro here telling everyone how dangerous guns are, that they should only be handled by trained professionals, and here you are encouraging the people who obviously know the least about them to handle them, to carry them, to transport them, to hand them off to others. Shapiro tells people in his pitch their guns must be unloaded. You're sure they know how to check?  Do they know that just because you have the magazine out of a semi-automatic doesn't mean there might not be a chambered round? Do they know to keep their booger hooks off the bang switch? Do they know Cooper's rules for gun safety? Do you?

And if they know none of this, and someone ends up getting hurt or killed due to a negligent discharge, would not survivors looking for deep pockets be able to establish--particularly with Dr. Shapiro's damning indictment of the dangers of guns in inexperienced hands--that you knew or should have known disaster could happen, but encouraged it anyway?

My last questions are for for Kohl's. Do you guys go along with this? Really? Because the most wonderful time of the year is upon us. I'd like to know why I should do my Christmas shopping with an outfit that helps disparage gun ownership, especially since there are plenty of struggling competitors out there who don't make a point of offending a large (and growing) segment of their customer base.

[MikeBjerum]

I checked my inventory and couldn't find any unused or without a purpose.  However, I would like to see their price list and know what their dickering range is ... I might have a few I could up grade ... I'm sure the local gun shop would take some of these certificates as payment