Free Republic

The legal principle placing the burden of proof on accusers rather than the accused can be traced back to Second and Third Century Roman jurist, Julius Paulus Prudentissimus. Yet, this ancient concept, which forms the legal and moral cornerstone of the American judicial system, is quickly being undermined in the name of “national security.” In August 2004, President George W. Bush created the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) via Executive Order 13354. The organization was then codified in December of that year in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA). The primary purpose of this secretive government agency...

Arturo Hurtado of Richmond was still stricken with grief over the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., that left 20 schoolchildren dead when he awoke Saturday morning. So he decided to get rid of his gun - "that darn thing," he called it - and purged it from his home. "I've got kids, man," said Hurtado, who works at Waste Management in Oakland and has children ages 14, 10, 6 and 1. "Kids are curious. Kids don't know any better. I had it locked in a toolbox, so I don't know. ... I just know it had to go." Hurtado was...

Perhaps nothing is as sinister-looking as a sawed off shotgun, whose main mission in life is to inflict damage with a wide spray pattern of buckshot. But three of these shotguns with shortened barrels and one sawed off .22-calber rifle were right out in the sunlight, laid side-by-side on a folding table during a gun buy-back conducted by the Bradenton Police Department. When it was over, the department took 29 weapons off the street during its 2012 annual Father's Day Gun Buy-Back Program at two sites Sunday, said Sgt. Eddie Weldon of the Bradenton Police Department. The department received 18...

Gun turn-in programs (“Annual gun swap hits its mark,” Local, Dec. 20) are the first step to disarm the citizens of the United States. They are designed to desensitize people to the action of giving up our arms at the request of the government. The Founding Fathers wrote the Second Amendment in recognition of the God-given right to a person’s self-defense. As they had just fought a war against a tyrant, they recognized the need for every citizen to have the means to defend himself against criminals both local and governmental. Presently there is a modicum of respect (fear) of...

TAMPA — Shootings at Ybor City clubs and recent fatal gunfights in East Tampa alarmed police. Chief Jane Castor called for a community meeting. So many young men have been losing their lives in the senseless shootings, she said. In the past two months, four have died. And compounding it all, she said: In Florida, guns are readily available. So the group decided on its first move — a gun buy-back program. The Tampa Bay Lightning donated $12,500, which will be handed out Saturday. Organizers will pay $50 for each gun brought to the Seminole Heights Baptist Church. There's a...

Plainfield religious leaders, police gearing up for gun buyback program

On Monday, I blogged about a Jersey City gun "buyback" on The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance—my focus was on the ignorant cop collecting guns who was photographed with his finger curled on the trigger. At the time, the “buyback” proprietors did not release a number of guns collected, but did say it “exceeded expectations.” Now we find out how high they set those expectations: They collected 65 guns. None, of course, from criminals, unless somebody wanted to take advantage of the “No Questions Asked” policy and either cash in on a stolen gun or else dispose of...

NEWBURGH – City officials say Newburgh will participate in Orange County’s latest gun buyback program on January 16 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The buyback program is part of a countywide effort to get guns off the streets and keep them out of dangerous hands. In exchange for the weapons being turned in, no questions asked, the person turning the gun in will receive Shoprite gift cards. They range from $25 to $150 depending upon the condition and type of weapon turned in. Since this program began in the county, over 100 weapons have been recovered. Mayor Nicholas Valentine...

NEWARK -- Among the more than 700 firearms turned in for cash at last week’s gun amnesty buyback program in Newark, East Orange and Irvington were: an M-16 assault rifle, a Streetsweeper rifle that resembles a "Tommy Gun" and shoots multiple shotgun shells, scores of revolvers, semi-automatic handguns, rifles and shotguns. Hundreds of the weapons were on display today during a news conference with Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow, county Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Newark Mayor Cory Booker and others on hand to tout the program’s success. "I think that the best thing money can buy is saving a life," Dow...

HARTFORD, Conn.—Hartford Police Chief Daryl Roberts says the city is a bit safer after citizens turned in 78 unwanted firearms during a gun buy-back program last weekend. Police say people turned in handguns, rifles, numerous rounds of ammunition and gun magazines. All the weapons will be destroyed, unless forensic tests show they were used in crimes. The program offered a $75 gift card for a semiautomatic weapon, $50 gift card for a revolver and a $25 gift card for a shotgun or rifle. It was a joint effort by police, Hartford Hospital, St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Connecticut Children's...

Officials in New Jersey's largest city are offering cash to get guns off the city's streets. Mayor Cory Booker on Tuesday announced a gun buyback and amnesty program to begin next month. Anyone turning in a gun at one of five city churches will receive $200. The participating churches are Emanuel Christian, First Trinity Baptist, Paradise Baptist, IBC Calvary Baptist and Independent Church of God. The first buyback dates are Nov. 11 and 12 at Emanuel Christian Church. Newark's homicide rate had fallen steeply in recent years but has crept up this year. Since the beginning of the year there...

BRADENTON - The Manatee County Sheriff's Office ran out of money, and fast, during their gun buyback event today. "I'm amazed, quite honestly," said Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube. "People were lined up well before we started." The Manatee County Sheriff's Office allotted $10,000 for today's program. Shortly after the program started at 4 p.m. deputies were out of cash, Steube said. Officials held a similar gun buyback event in July where they purchased some 77 guns, Steube said. Within the first 20 minutes, deputies had more than 100 guns, he said, and were left scrambling for more money to...

MANATEE — County officials are holding a gun buyback and community forum on violence in light of the second fatal teen shooting in a month. “You never know what guns you’re going to get,” said Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube when asked about the gun buyback. “You never know if you’re going to get guns that are kept off the street.” Authorities still haven’t found where 18-year-old Daniel Williams allegedly discarded a gun authorities say he used to shoot a Bayshore High School cheerleader. Detectives say Williams fired into a car full of cheerleaders, hitting and killing 17-year-old Jasmine Thompson...

I do not understand how a gun buy-back (CR, Aug. 27) “paves the way to peace.” Five previous efforts offer no indication of doing so. Would not putting easy gun buy-back money in the hands of criminals that have guns just encourage them to steal guns? We can blame guns for a lack of peace, but if we want to respect humanity’s dignity we have to blame criminals. Crime is a choice. I do not know how to cure criminals. I do know that we need to protect ourselves from them and that a gun is a reasonable thing to...

TROY -- The Troy Police Department said this morning it will hold its first gun buy-back event Saturday.Firearms will be taken with no questions asked, Chief Nick Kaiser said. The person turning in the weapon will receive a $150 gift certificate to Crossgates Mall. The gun buy-back will be held from noon-6 p.m. at the Bethel Baptist Church, 2165 Fifth Ave. "The proliferation of illegal firearms on our streets is a serious threat to the safety of our residents and law enforcement officers,'' Kaiser said. The Rensselaer County district attorney's office will not file weapons charges against those who turn...

Fewer than 2,000 guns were turned in for gift cards Saturday as part of Chicago's annual gun buy-back event. This year's total -- 1,887 -- was significantly lower than last year's take of 6,800 guns, officials said. A Chicago Police spokeswoman said she could not account for the slide in gun turn-ins. City residents who turned in a gun at any of 27 participating churches Saturday received a gift card for $10, $50 or $100, depending on the type of gun, no questions asked. Corporate donations to fund the buy-back program suffered this year because of the economy, lowering the...

ORLANDO, FLA. A number of guns are off the streets in Central Florida following the annual Kicks for Guns event. In Orlando, this is the 10th year for the event that allows residents to turn in guns, no questions asked, and get shoes or gift certificates in return for the gun. Police said 108 guns were removed from the streets in yesterday's event. Two of them were connected to crimes. Daytona Beach also held the event this year and took in 300 guns. The city of Palm Bay in Brevard County decided to try the event this year and collected...

SNIP Religious, social, and political conflict since the middle ages thru today has resulted in periodic episodes of “book burning” to settle cultural scores or wipe out traces of civilization. Civilized people reject book burning. And while burning books, protected by the First Amendment, is not acceptable by civil society in the United States today, unfortunately the same cannot be said for guns, protected by the Second Amendment. . . .

A community activist claims the city cancelled his gun buy-back event planned for today in City Park, but the city claims it has given him the go-ahead to collect the guns outside the park. Alvertis Simmons showed reporters Friday evening a city permit he received three weeks ago to hold a rally against gun violence at the Martin Luther King statue in City Park Saturday. He said the city's Parks and Recreation Department pulled the permit Friday when a staffer strictly interpreted the city ordinance banning guns in a park. But Parks and Rec Manager Keven Patterson said he's been...

From noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Denver residents are invited to sell their firearms - working or not - for $50 each at the "Anti-violence and Gun Buy Back Rally" in front of the Martin Luther King Jr. statue in City Park. Sponsors, including Denver officials and community organizers, hope to raise $5,000 to $10,000 to buy the guns. Activist and organizer Alvertis Simmons said he and others organized the event after the September shooting death of popular hot dog vendor Quincy Henderson in Curtis Park. Henderson was known by customers and friends as the "hot dog dude" who sold...