Posted on 08/04/2012 6:08:15 PM PDT by marktwain
By 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Niki Watson was trying to find a solution to a new problem: What would she do when the money ran out?
The Gun Buyback/Peace Day she had organized was more successful than she expected. By 1:30, she had collected 13 handguns and rifles, but had only five of the promised $70 gift cards and 2½ hours to go.
She did receive donations from Deon Grant and Sizemore Personnel, she said, but the turnout at Antioch Baptist Church was greater than she expected. She was determined not to turn anyone away.
In the end, she took in 22 guns and wrote five personal checks to make up for the shortfall.
“I had enough to cover this year, but for next year I would like for businesses to start donating now, to start reaching out to me now,” she said.
Anyone was welcome to turn in a gun – no questions asked – in exchange for a $70 Visa gift card.
Watson said the people who showed up surprised her.
Organizers expected to see mostly young black men, but more women, older people and whites turned in guns than they expected.
Though Watson didn’t ask, she said many people told her they were turning in guns they didn’t use anymore and wanted to get rid of before they fell into the wrong hands.
That was why John Watson turned in his single-shot 12-gauge shotgun.
“I thought it was the best way to, not really dispose of a gun but to get one from getting into the wrong hands without trying to sell it to a pawn shop, where you don’t know where it goes,” he said. “At least here, we know it’s going to be off the streets.”
Richmond County sheriff’s deputies disabled each gun as it came through the doors. Investigators recorded the serial numbers on all of the guns to make sure they had not been stolen.
“All the guns will be taken to our property room. Any guns that are not stolen will be stored there until we can properly dispose of them,” Investigator Darrell Turner said. “Any guns that are stolen, we will try to reunite those weapons with their owners.”
Watson, an Augusta native who graduated from Westside High School in 1999, now lives in Queens, N.Y. She was dismayed that much of the news reaching her from home was about people in her age group being shot, and she decided to do something about it.
She said she hopes the event will continue and have more support next year.
“I had to do something,” she said. “I don’t even live here. I live in New York City and I came here to help out my hometown. People in Augusta are not stepping up.”
Most functional guns are worth more than $70. I wonder how many old widows fell for this fraud.
Political theater designed to delegitimize the armed citizen. The only practical effect is to remove valuable property from poor people and to increase the demand for new guns.
Sounds like racial profiling and stereotyping to me. They must be commie libs.
Gun buy back is a waste of tax payer money like everything government does these days.
What we really need is a freedom buy-back.
Go back to New York where you will be appreciated for your idiotic feelgood scam.
“I had enough to cover this year, but for next year I would like for businesses to start donating now, to start reaching out to me now,” she said.
Entitled bitch.
At least it wasn’t a government sponsored program.
Next year, maybe, ‘cuz it’s too stupid for most individuals to contribute to, unless at the point of a gun.
Irony.
them “organizers” keep changing the world.
An enterprising collector/FFL holder could also stand nearby and offer people more than the buyback is paying.
I would like to buy guns for $70, what is required for me to hold “Albert Wang’s Really Big Gun Buy Back to get guns off the streets (and into my collection)”?
I would be happy to chip in $100 if you will get a pre ‘64 Winchester 70 off the streets. I will also destroy it for you.
I know FFLs that use these “turn ins” to get rid of junk that’s either beyond repair or that they can’t legally sell.
Is there enough ammo in the world to do that? ;-)
They should take all voting cards and driver’s licenses after relieving these boobs of their guns. People who voluntarily disarm aren’t worthy of voting, IMHO.
So she decided to leave crime-ridden New York ... to reduce gun violence in suburban Georgia ... by starting a gun buyback program?
And she was amazed that it was mostly old white ladies turning in rusty old guns cluttering up the attic, instead of 'young black males' (clearly she means the criminals) turning in their professional robbery/murder tools?
Just ... wow.
I've sold dozens of Cars in my Lifetime. I sure hope that nobody ever got hurt or killed by having a Traffic Accident in one of them. I don't know how I could live with myself.
I'll be lying awake all night thinking about the carnage I may have caused.
” Any guns that are not stolen will be stored there until we can properly dispose of them,” Investigator Darrell Turner said. “Any guns that are stolen, we will try to reunite those weapons with their owners.”
So if any of the guns were stolen wouldn’t that women be dealing in stolen property and if there were stolen guns why would they accept them and pay money to buy them. This sounds like a stupid program I mean what’s the point besides money redistribution.
So, in other words, she’s acting as an FFL without a license. When is BATFE going to charge her with the multiple felony counts she’s admitted to?
Were 4473s filled out?
Do any of these buyback guns have ballistics tests run on them to see if they match rounds recovered from other crimes?
Other than being a feel good opportunity for the brain dead, this is also illegal under current law — but we pick and choose the laws we obey today, right Augusta city fathers and city attorney?
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