Baltimore nonprofit collects guns for Google Chromebook laptops

The Baltimore Sun ^ | July 25, 2015 | Doug Donovan

[2ndDivisionVet]

Fifteen donated firearms lay on a table inside the Baltimore Urban League Center. A total of 17 weapons were anonymously exchanged for laptops provided by Street Geeks of Baltimore. Following the collection, the weapons will be destroyed by the Baltimore Police Department.

As the lyrics of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" echoed through the wooden rafters of the historic Orchard Street Church on Saturday, Richard Wilson stood in a line waiting to pick up a Google Chromebook computer in exchange for turning in a gun to Baltimore police..

The 66-year-old Windsor Mills resident grew up attending services at the church and was happy to return as part of an effort to remove guns from homes while highlighting computer-related careers for Baltimore's youth.

Wilson turned in his late father's .38-caliber snubnose revolver to officers dressed in military-looking green S.W.A.T. uniforms outside the church before climbing the steps to the church to collect his Chromebook.

The heavy police presence — including blocking off vehicle traffic with cruisers and police tape at each end of the 500 block of Orchard Street — contributed to low turnout for the event, said Lance Lucas, chief executive of Digit All Systems and organizer of the exchange. The group collected 17 guns Saturday....

[2ndDivisionVet]

Take a good, long look at the guns in that photo.

[LegendHasIt]

On the other hand, a decent BB gun costs about the same as a Chromebook.

[Above My Pay Grade]

Looks like there will be a bit less skeet shooting, plinking and dueling in Charm City.

[Above My Pay Grade]

I think that break action once belonged to Omar Little. :)

[Brad from Tennessee]

Don’t give us none of your aggravation
We had it with your discipline
Saturday night’s alright for fighting
Get a little action in

[TChad]

Good to know that there are fewer guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens.

Oh wait.

[Viking2002]

I give it a week, tops, before half those Chromebooks surface in pawn shops and the proceeds are smoked, snorted, or otherwise somehow ingested by the former owners.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Isn’t a Chromebook a piece of crap with no hard drive that is only good for using the Internet?

[Viking2002]

Yep. Android-based OS. All the memory is Flash. I got a $69 Chinese version of it in a slim binder with a mini keyboard sitting right here. It's a low cost mini laptop with an alternative Windows operating system. Useless for anything other than accessing the Internet and playing games. Basically, an oversized smartphone with a keyboard but without the phone part.

[exnavy]

North American Arms mini, great little hide out single action.

[Don W]

Non-profit my patoot! Just the one pistol on the far left of the table paid for every Chromebook diven away, and then some.

There are folks who have no idea what things can be worth...

[Slings and Arrows]

Nice job getting that flintlock off the streets, boys. *snicker*

[newnhdad]

keeping the streets safe from the dreaded assault flintlock..

[Blue Jays]

I will have to search some attics, basements, and garages to find some rusty, old, non-functioning, junky BB guns.
Once arranged...I will await a good $500 cash "buyback" to make myself a tidy profit on the scrap metal! LOL.

[Chainmail]

That rifle with the magazine floorplate open (and its follower spring exposed is a WWII Japanese Arisaka Type 99 in really good condition. Somebody turned in Dad's war souvenir.

Tsk.

[Chainmail]

That rifle with the magazine floorplate open (and its follower spring exposed is a early WWII Japanese Arisaka Type 99 in really good condition. Somebody turned in Dad's war souvenir.

Tsk.

[Salgak]

I was WONDERING what that was. It SORT of looked like a Mosin variant from the side shown, but the bolt looked wrong. . .

[riverrunner]

Looks like one decent pistol in the whole lot the 1911 on the left side the rest are very cheap.

[Jack Deth]

Looks like the “dregs and guns you couldn’t give away” at any Silverado Gun Show.

Run the serial numbers, if they haven’t been filed or ground off yet, just for kicks. See how many have “bodies” on them.

[ItsOurTimeNow]