Indiana Media, AP, Promote Gun Destruction

Gun Watch ^ | 26 January, 2014 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

A few days ago, I wrote about a modest reform to stop the waste of valuable resources occurring at Indiana gun turn in programs, also known as "buy backs".   "Buy backs" is a misnomer, as the guns were never owned by the people who are buying them in the programs.   The reform was a simple one: as tax dollars are expended in these turn in programs, instead of the valuable assets that are collected being destroyed as a primitive symbolic measure, once the guns have been taken off the streets, they should be sold to legal dealers.  This returns them to lawful channels of commerce, with the proceeds then used to benefit the community.  The purpose of the reform was clearly stated by the proponent, Senator Jim Tomes:

The guns that are still usable will be auctioned off and the money, minus the taxes, will be given back to the department that resold the guns. The departments can use the money to buy ammunition, vests, weapons or otherwise enhance public safety.

As I looked for other coverage of the reform, I saw misleading headline after misleading headline.  Most of the Indiana media covering the reform claimed that it was a "ban" on gun "buy backs".  But that simply was not true.  There would be no "ban" on "buy backs".   The only ban would be on the destruction of valuable assets.  Here are some examples:

From NWI Politics:

Lawmakers take aim at gun buy back programs

 INDIANAPOLIS | A proposal forcing Gary and other Indiana cities to end their gun buy-back programs was approved 6-2 Wednesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

 From wthr.com:

Gun buy-back programs may become illegal

 A bill that would do away with gun buy-back programs in Indiana will now go before the Indiana Senate for a vote.

 From courierpress.com (AP)

INDIANAPOLIS — A proposal to prohibit local governments in Indiana from holding gun buy-back programs is on its way to the state Senate.

 Indystar.com (another AP, same story, Gannet)

 springfieldnewssun.com (another AP, same story)

hometownstations.com (another AP, same story)

 From wdrb.com:

Indiana gun buy-pack program draws fire

 A bill to prevent local governments from holding gun buy-back programs is on its way to the state Senate. The sponsor of the bill says he can't understand why police would want to destroy guns that have significant value and could be resold.

From nbcnews.com: (headline from wthr)

Gun buy-back programs may become illegal

What this shows is the incestuous relationships in the old media, and the over reliance on the AP to decide what "spin" to put on an article.   Though most of the articles go on to describe the actual bill as merely a ban on the destruction of valuable guns, the idea that this somehow "bans" cities from doing "buy backs" has already been stated.

Of course, when guns are sold to lawful collectors, instead of destroyed for symbolic purposes, it destroys the underlying "guns are bad" message instead.

©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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[marktwain]

This shows that the "purpose" of the gun "buy backs" is not to get guns off the streets, but to create political theater designed to have peole think: "Guns are bad, and should be turned in to the government and destroyed."

[caver]

Those four guns laying on top, the third to the right looks like a Garand.

[marktwain]

I think at least one Garand was turned in, but I believe the rifle that you are pointing out is a Ruger mini-14. It has an action sort of similar to a Garand or M-14.

[caver]

OK, I would agree. The Mini-14’s I’ve seen at local guns shows are going for just as much as a Garand.

[RightOnTheBorder]

Either one would be an infuriating waste. Likely turned in by some widow, who had no idea of the true value, for a $100 walmart card.

[marktwain]

Almost certainly. I never had a shot at buying it. I estimate about 500-600 guns were purchased by the private buyers at the Phoenix event. Slightly less than 2,000 were collected by the police.

Some nice items were turned in to be destroyed.

The Arizona reform went into effect shortly after this destruction. Future events will have to be sold instead of destroyed.

[RightOnTheBorder]

What is the SOP for trying to buy guns from people participating in these turn-in’s? If you saw a person willing to turn in a Mini-14 for $100 do you offer them double or triple, or does an informal auction ensue amongst the buyers?

[marktwain]

People usually ask how much the person wants for the gun. If they name a price that is agreeable, that is that. Informal auctions occur when more than one person wants the gun. I have even seen people give guns away because they wanted to turn them in but did not want to wait in line for the grocery card.

A friend picked up an “old west” Smith & Wesson .44 Russian revolver in this way. He gave the owner $20, because he did not feel right getting it for nothing. He had no idea it was worth $400 - $500, which we found out after I did the research for him.