In lean times SoCal gun owners trade arms for eats

LOS ANGELES

The guns versus butter economic model appears to be tilting in the dairy spread’s favor in one inner city neighborhood, where record numbers of gun owners are giving up their weapons in return for gift cards to buy food and other goods.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department ended its annual Gifts for Guns program in Compton on Sunday, allowing residents to anonymously relinquish firearms in return for $100 gift cards for Ralphs supermarkets, Target department stores or Best Buy electronics stores. People get double that amount for turning in assault rifles.

In years past, Target and Best Buy were the cards of choice, with residents wanting electronic goods and other presents for the holidays. In this recessionary year, however, things are different.

“The majority of the people want the food cards,” said sheriff’s Sgt. Byron Woods. “People just don’t have the money to buy the food these days.”

Authorities said Sunday that a record 965 firearms and two hand grenades were handed in during the two weekends the program was in operation. That’s more than in any other year and easily eclipses last year’s total of 387 guns collected over both weekends.

“One guy said he had just got laid off from his job,” Woods said. “He turned in five guns and said it would really help him to put food on the family’s table.”

In L.A. the gun for cash program was to get the guns out of the gang members hands, what it has done is create a market for theft. The Criminals, steal the guns and get some poor slug to turn it in, then they get the voucher and go buy some bling at Best Buy or wherever. FOOD vouchers have become more requested recently and that is a damn shame.. Gang Killings have not decreased, shootings have not decreased, the only thing that has decreased is the state’s cash flow.

Somethings never cease to amaze me.. You have a rifle, you have a handgun, and you turn them in so you can feed your family? Ok question time ladies and gentlemen: Do you remember the “Fish story” from the below post? IS this not the epitome of nanny state mentality?

What you have done when you turn your guns in to the FEDS or State officials: YOU HAVE ELIMINATED SOME OF YOUR SURVIVAL TOOLS. You have took something that could have saved your life and fed you forever, and traded it for quick food. You get maybe a month worth of food for a weapon, what do you do when that month is over?

This is a damn shame IMO, I honestly thought folks were smarter than this, I would understand if they had more than one gun, traded a POS .22 handgun or something for a fishing pole and a tent, but for a food voucher? It boggles my mind. I don’t care if it’s for baby formula, or medicine, trading in your weapon for food (Or anything else other than a better weapon) is IDIOCY!.

I’ll be holding on to the equipment I need to survive, thank you very much. I may be arrested for poaching to feed my family, I may be arrested for trespassing while removing fruit from trees to feed my family, but I’ll be damn if I’ll be dropping off my guns to feed my family, I’ll shoot or catch what we need… That lasts a lot longer than any damn coupon.