A one-day gun buyback event in Los Angeles on Wednesday gathered 2,037 firearms, including 75 assault weapons and a rocket launcher, officials said. The total was nearly 400 more weapons than were collected in a similar buyback earlier this year.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the collection at two locations was so successful that the city ran out of money for supermarket gift cards and got a private donation through the city controller to bolster the pot.
Okay just how small does your penis have to be that you feel you need a ROCKET LAUNCHER to compensate?
Seriously ladies if you meet a guy that wants to impress you by showing you his rocket launcher, you are going to want to turn on your heels and walk the other way. I doubt this guy has much to offer, and not only that he is probably off his damn rocker.
Yes I know, "But it's for self defense." Against what, Godzilla?
WTF is wrong with people?
Except that it's as dangerous as an expended brass casing. It's dunnage. It has no lethal value in it's condition.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention that it's a training tube. It never held an AT projectile. You can find these in Surplus stores everywhere.
Yesterday's LAPD gun buyback was so successful that two-hour waits and gift-card shortages were reported.
ReplyDeleteThe department says it picked up 75 assault weapons as part of its no-questions-asked effort that saw $100 dollar cards handed out for handguns and long guns and $200 for the kind of rifle used in the Newtown tragedy. The LAPD says 901 handguns, 698 rifles, 363 shotguns will also be destroyed.
Good stats. But this is the one that gut us saying WTF:
Cops picked up two -- count 'em two -- rocket launchers (!) (and not one, as other outlets are reporting), an LAPD official with close knowledge of the program told us. Holy hell why do people on our streets have military grade rocket launchers?
http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2012/12/rocket_launchers_lapd_gun_buyback.php
The rocket launcher pictured is an AT-4, developed in the 1960's in Sweden. It is an anti-tank weapon primarily. The rifle that is partially visible in the bottom of the picture is an M-14, the immediate predecessor to the M-16 assault rifle the US Army currently uses.
ReplyDeleteThere ARE people who COLLECT weapons of this sort simply for the history with no desire whatsoever to use them in any way shape or form. Probably a million in the US alone. (That's just a guess.) Further, these weapons are easily made inoperable - permanently.
Can you not even admit that perhaps this stuff was being turned in by the family of a deceased collector instead of sneeringly stating they were using it for self defense?
While I laude your desire to control firearms and their misuse (a goal I share, by the way, even as a gun owner), you are rapidly pushing into the "Boy Who Cried Wolf" category by ALWAYS claiming people want these as "protection".
Someone is turning these items in! Can you not at least try saying something about it being a positive thing instead of mocking the intent of the owner? YOU may think it is crazy to collect something like these items, but people collect strange things.
Why the HELL would someone want 50 cars?!
And before you jump on that, bear in mind, that ALL the collectors I know, who have weapons of this sort, have made them impossible to use. In fact, I believe the Class Six license for things like this REQUIRES it. At least, they used to. I've been away from it quite a while.
It's sort of like the Civil War buffs. They have CANNON in their front yards. Do they work? NO! Those that do are kept tightly controlled and locked up and used only during Re-enactments. (Yeah, I think it's crazy, too, but it's THEIR hobby.)
You can froth now.
No frothing, good comment.
DeleteI agree with what you've written. There are MANY responsible gun collectors. It is a hobby, it is a piece of this country's history. We are a violent country, always have been.
DeleteMy greatest fear is that people will push for extreme gun control when, I think, we are on the verge of GOOD gun control. We need to pursue gun control that can pass this stupid congress not scream at the top of our lungs and watch another opportunity pass us by.
Yeah but, yeah but.....
DeleteWhen I was hired by the TV show Sightings to do ghostbusting work and have it filmed for their show, we filmed at a home where the owners were having all manner of weird shit happening, and the male head of the household was an obsessive collector of historic weaponry -- Civil War era guns and bayonets, swords galore, other guns used in various wartime events. And the ENERGY in that gun room was AWFUL. One discarnate was still attached to one bayonet from having his poor 17 year old throat sliced open during the Civil War; a nasty way to die; and the entire ENERGY of that room was filled with death, gore, and a sincerely fucked up obsession with glorifying the arts of war i.e. MURDER BECAUSE A RELIGIOUS LEADER AND/OR POLITICIAN TOLD YOU TO COMMIT IT.
Some of us who can sense the energy behind guns are NOT going to fall for this "He's just a collector" crap. Might as well collect Nazi memorabilia or relics from various black magic groups -- same fucking energy. All a worship of the most bloody and violent energies possible in this universe. People can only feign ignorance for so long; there's a point at which their predelictions, whether conscious or subconscious, become extremely obvious to those who have eyes and hearts to see.
Jennifer aka Media Insider aka Lipstick Mystic
Maybe it's a leftover from filming "Falling Down".......
ReplyDeleteOT The silence from Sarah Palin is deafening. Sarah once said that she would not sit down and shut up-- but something or someone has gotten to Our Sarah. FBI investigation? Botched surgery? Putin reared his head over Alaska and it landed in Wasilla? Still waiting to hear if Fox renewed her contract? Fox didn't renew her contract and told her to shut up? Someone is pregnant again and Sarah can't find her scarves? She lost her cell phone and she is still looking for it? When is Tripp's birthday, anyway?
ReplyDeleteWhen Sarah was not invited to the White House Correspondents Dinner one year, she went to the pre-parties and post-parties (that was the year that she showed up with food stains on her suit, wearing shoes that were two sizes too big). So, when Sarah goes missing, something is going on. Oh, please, if someone in Alaska would just check to see if Sarah's OK-- or maybe she's in Scottsdale?
she's probably checkin' out Tawd's "rocket launcher"!
DeleteThe government will have to pry my rocket launcher from my cold dead hands....
ReplyDeleteI heard they got two.
ReplyDeleteAlso that they were "trainers" and didn't fire the grenades, but just some other sort of projectile which as far as I'm concerned is bad enough.
Many of these collectors are just that - collectors. It's a "cool" thing to own. Most are never used, most are disabled from being able to be fired.
ReplyDeleteThen you have the guys who just want to go out and blow something up just to see it go "boom". Think about the show "Pawn Stars". In almost every episode, they buy some antique firearm, cannon, whatever, and they have to go out to the desert and watch it in action.
This is such a total guy thing - perhaps it has something to do with low testosterone, or at least an immaturity complex.
And as far as this program goes, it does get these things out of households where kids can't get to them at least, but I'm not sure how much value it has in reducing overall gun crime.
There's no telling what the so-called 'preppers' have in their possession. Frightening. And no gift card to K-mart would make them turn their weapons in.
ReplyDeleteCan't they use that gift card to go buy MORE guns at KMart?
DeleteTWO rocket launchers!
ReplyDeleteBut these weapons are for defense against a tyrannical government right? As though the gov't doesn't have tens of thousands of these and other much more powerful weapons. But hey, whatever you need for your small penis therapy. When someone passes by me with an obvious display of phallic insecurity compensation, I always say "sorry about your small penis."
ReplyDeleteKinda O/T but kinda not. Over on mediaite, there's an interesting story concerning Wayne LaPierre and his endorsement of Mitt Romney. Romney, you remember wanted to fire cops. Huh?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mediaite.com/online/did-nra-endorse-the-guy-who-wanted-to-hire-more-cops-or-the-guy-who-mocked-hiring-cops/
To anyone who owns a weapon with a capacity to hold more than 10 rounds, how would your life be less complete if you could no longer possess that weapon? If you are basing happiness in life with the ability to own a weapon meant for mass killing, you have a very low regard for life.
ReplyDeleteOh settle down for kriste sake. It's an old military weapon that was made inoperable and is shown for the theatrics sake. Which incidentally, causes more harm than good because when the gungoons see it it gives them instant erections. And you know what happens when they get agitated!
ReplyDeleteThe people here make a good point about collectors. I spent a year going to garage sales, and sometimes there were fantastic finds. Grandma had died and disgruntled Granddaughter (who never liked Grandma anyway) was getting rid of the old lady’s stuff; Depression glass in mint condition for a penny apiece, that sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteThere was no negative energy, except for sulking Granddaughter, who wanted to get the whole damn business over with and go back to her life.
I own two guns, a pistol and a hunting rifle. Ok the hunting rifle is actually my brothers and he stores it here because his home was broke into when he was at work.
ReplyDeleteI live in the country and several homes near me were broke into, but not mine. No it was not because of the guns that keep my house safe, it was the 3 PITBULLs that stopped me from being robbed.
Get a big dog folks, they are great protectors and a loving companion. There are shelters full of theses protectors needing a good home....(any big dog works)
Absolutely.
DeleteThe top two deterrents better than an alarm or a gun? Nosey neighbors is #1 and a dog is #2. The neighbors know everyone on the block and if someone who doesn't belong does something suspicious, they are on the phone to the cops asap. A dog, even a little dog, is a deterrent. Barking is a good thing.
As for guns, my Dad has several. He has two Centennial rifles, some sort of collector's thing that should never be fired because they'll lose their value. In storage somewhere. He also has or had some hand guns. He has a colt 45 for his hand tooled holster that he made. He has a hand gun he keeps in his night table. That one scares me the most. And he has had at least two hand guns stolen. One in a break in. The other by a 'friend' that comes to play poker every month. That guy is also suspected of stealing a roll of silver dollars. And they still let the guy come and play poker. Because they can't "prove" he stole anything. I wonder what those two stolen handguns are doing now. How many crimes they've committed.
Anony 10:14; I've known many pit bull dogs in my life - some were what you stereotypically believe about them - dangerous beasts not safe around children. These dogs were that way because of the way they were chained up and ignored or intentionally made to be "mean".
DeleteThe others I've known - were big babies who were great with children and made wonderful guard dogs. But then again, so does my 90lb lab who is completely child safe no matter the child, but will eat your head off if you tried to break into the house or hurt a kid.
I also have guns for hunting, target and self-protection. The one time someone came into my house, I didn't have the pistol where I could get it quickly, but my big dog ran the person right out of my bedroom in a heartbeat. And I didn't even have to load 'em and take the safety off! Good Boy!
Agreed, the guy who tried to sell us a security system was very honest. He said the sign out front, well lit front and back, and a dog (big or small) was all we needed.
DeleteWe live out in the country, 45 minutes from any police department, so big dogs and guns for protection are almost a must. We also keep our place well lit and I am 'the nosy neighbor' who knows exactly what everyone drives and their schedules. Since I rarely ever go away over night I am also the one folks call to ask if I can watch their place and report any weird stuff.
The smaller dogs tend to bite more than big dogs. It's their way of overcompensating.
DeletePit Bull's have a bad reputation but ANY dog that's trained to attack/kill and conditioned by PEOPLE who are hell bent on destruction is dangerous.
Well, regarding gun collectors, let them have all the guns their little hearts desire, just absolutely no ammunition.
ReplyDeleteSince the vast majority of the gun collectors have weapons that are completely disabled anyway, I think they won't complain about no ammo.
Deletehttp://www.slednecks.com/contest/
ReplyDeletego vote for Carly Davis. Then delete your cookies and revote. I voted about 250 times then they blocked my IP addy. I hope they block Bristol's cheaters' IP addy also too.
I love trying to beat these creeps at their own game. I had an hour to kill and made it fun!
Jesus, you need a life!
DeleteI hate Bristol more than anyone, but that is just really really SAD. The first line was deadly serious; you need to get a life STAT
I'll stick to my hobby of doing needlework. Needles and scissors are put away when small children are around. No danger here.
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
Mandatory Gun Insurance – A Practical Plan To Change America’s Cowboy Gun Culture
ReplyDeleteCould a national mandate for gun liability insurance bring market forces to bear to reduce gun proliferation? Here’s a proposal that would change the Wild West nature of America’s gun culture.
http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/mandatory-gun-insurance-a-practical-plan-to-change-americas-cowboy-gun-culture/legal-issues/2012/12/27/57222
But ... but.... rocket launchers don't kill people, bad people who play video games with rocket launchers kill people!
ReplyDelete(snark off)
This post is great news! I hope MORE communities have gun buy back programs, I know I'd go out of my way to patronize any business (except gun stores) that sponsors them! It's not THE solution, but it's a step in the right direction.
Yeah, there's lots of collectors out there, and there's some hidden bombs in cement slabs in some places. I used to go to a drive in in South Jersey in high school, it closed and was vacant for year. When the area began developing, a builder bought the drive in, and when they went to rip up all the asphalt and concrete, they found several bombs (mostly inactive) buried from an arsenal during WW 1.
Like the gun analogy, I have to admit that I'd probably peek, you know, just in case!