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Police gun buyback draws people offering cash for the weapons(OH barf alert)
cleveland.com ^ | 20 October, 2012 | Christopher Evans

Posted on 10/22/2012 4:53:04 AM PDT by marktwain

As Cleveland cops exchanged gift cards and sports tickets for guns Saturday, they watched as a cadre of young men stood nearby and offered cash for weapons.

And it was all legal.

They not only had the audacity to feed off a police safety initiative, one of the few in the country, but showed up with copies of the Ohio Revised Code that condoned their conduct, police said.

"Isn't that something?," said Police Chief Michael McGrath who was at the gun buyback, outside Public Safety Central at East 21st Street and Payne Avenue. "Here we're trying to save lives and they're right in our face, trying to buy guns cheap so they can sell them at a profit."

As long as these self-described "private collectors" are not impeding traffic they are well within their rights, because of legislation promoted by the National Rifle Association.

"In our state an individual can sell a firearm to another without any background check or record of sale," explained Marty Flask, Cleveland safety director.

Like "Nope," who gave that one word answer when asked his name.

"Nope" was standing on the curb near the buyback holding up the lid of a cardboard box that sported the sign: CASH FOR FIREARMS.

Next to him on the street a line of orange cones funneled traffic to the tent where police offered $100 gift cards, tickets to a Cleveland Cavaliers and Lake Erie Monsters game and a chance to win $1,000.

It was 11:30 a.m. Nope showed up late. Five young men had left about five minutes ago after working the corner since 8:30 a.m.

Nope said he was a graduate student in computer science. He described himself as a gun collector who had been shooting since he was eight years old.

Lt. Brandon Kutz strolled up.

"Got a vendor's license?" he asked Nope.

"Nope," Nope said.

Kutz told him to get rid of the sign. "Cross the street away from here I'm not gonna bother you," Kutz said and walked back to the tent.

Nope tore the sign off the box lid. Crumpled it. But stayed put. An older guy in a black leather jacket decked out with a NRA seal stood beside him.

He said his name was "No" when asked. Said he and Nope are not related. "Believe in the same thing," he said.

He said it did not involve the illegal sale of handguns to felons.

"That's right," Nope agreed. However, he acknowledged that he might sell a firearm if he didn't like it.

A car slowed and stopped beside him. The driver powered down the passenger window. "This where they doing the gun-back?," he asked.

Nope leaned in. "Drive around the block I'll make you a cash offer," he said.

"Get away from there, "Kutz yelled, waving the driver forward, walking fast up the sidewalk.

Nope and No left the area.

"Two worlds colliding," Kutz said, referring to people who want to turn in guns and people who want make money re-selling them. "Can't have that."

There were seven shootings overnight Friday, one fatal.

Thanks to the buyback on Saturday police said there are 298 fewer handguns on the streets.

But they don't know how many were sold outside their


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; US: Ohio
KEYWORDS: banglist; cleveland; oh; turnin
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These turnins are political theater designed to delegitimize armed citizens. Their real effects are to defraud ignorant people of valuable property, waste police resources, and increase the demand for new guns.

The activists buying guns outside the turnin are real heros who are taking a stand against tyranny. I hope they had a recorder to document the illegal police actions that violated their rights of free speech and assembly.

1 posted on 10/22/2012 4:53:08 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain

Excellent take. I was in Cincinnnati years ago when they conducted one of first buy backs. They over paid for junk. And where is the evidence that there is any connection between gun buy backs and crime committed with a firearm?


2 posted on 10/22/2012 5:03:39 AM PDT by SC_Pete
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To: marktwain
Scam-o-Rama for the inner city tribal parasites that infest Cleveland (and all major cities).

Cheap guns are turned in for cash/debit cards, and then used for crack purchases. Further, EBT's and Welfare checks are used regularly for drug buys, gun buys, Plasma TV's, etc.

What a racket.

3 posted on 10/22/2012 5:07:28 AM PDT by traditional1 (Don't gotsta worry 'bout no mo'gage, don't gotsta worry 'bout no gas; Obama gonna take care o' me!)
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To: SC_Pete
And where is the evidence that there is any connection between gun buy backs and crime committed with a firearm?

Generally, the politicians behind these events have banned the police from doing checks on the firearms or the sellers. I'd put money on the high likelihood that these events are recipients of former crime guns from the perps or their families. That's what makes the cops in these matters so disingenuous when they complain about those setting up nearby to offer cash rather than gift cards.

4 posted on 10/22/2012 5:14:43 AM PDT by T-Bird45 (It feels like the seventies, and it shouldn't.)
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To: SC_Pete

The comments at the link are great. They show that the word is getting out. With this article as proof, “nope” and “no” could have standing for a lawsuit for violation of their constitutional rights. Too bad that it would be more costly than what they might recieve in damages.


5 posted on 10/22/2012 5:17:02 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain

Yes, excellent points. Territory not patrolled is territory lost. Freedoms not exercised are freedoms lost.


6 posted on 10/22/2012 5:21:08 AM PDT by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: marktwain
"In our state an individual can sell a firearm to another without any background check or record of sale,"

It's called the Right to private Contract.

And the government drones will do everything they can to stop it!

7 posted on 10/22/2012 5:27:38 AM PDT by MamaTexan (I am a Person as Created by the Laws of Nature, not a person as created by the laws of Man)
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To: Travis McGee

Well put, Travis. I like to say that rights are like muscles; if you do not use them you lose them!


8 posted on 10/22/2012 5:27:48 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: MamaTexan; All
It's called the Right to private Contract.

And the government drones will do everything they can to stop it!

You are correct. It was extensively recognized by the Supreme Court before the FDR revolution. The FDR regime insisted that this was a right the court must destroy, and it was one of the first that they removed their protections from. It places effective limitations on government power, which is why they hate it.

9 posted on 10/22/2012 5:31:56 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain

10 posted on 10/22/2012 5:33:37 AM PDT by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: marktwain

Nope and No were polite to this jackass. He would be referring to me as FU.

These gun buybacks are as effective at combating crime, as a spoon buyback would be to combat obesity.

All political show. The police either overpay for junk that would never be used in a crime, or seriously under pay to some poor widow, that could have gotten 10 to 20 times more from someone else.

Once again libs being stupid.


11 posted on 10/22/2012 5:34:30 AM PDT by SampleMan (Feral Humans are the refuse of socialism.)
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To: SampleMan

I question their justification for the “buyback”.

The leo said they were “trying to save lives”.

Do they have a scientific study showing that “buybacks” accomplish this goal?

No, they don’t. They have a feel good fuzzy about being a “good person” for doing this and for simply WANTING to save lives, no matter if it actually does so or does the opposite.


12 posted on 10/22/2012 5:38:47 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: marktwain
Two worlds colliding," Kutz said, referring to people who want to turn
in guns and people who want make money re-selling them. "Can't have that."


There are so many arguments here.
I'll just say it's two worlds merging, Buyer-Seller. Capitalism.

13 posted on 10/22/2012 5:48:25 AM PDT by MaxMax
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To: marktwain

WHAT?? You mean people were actually trying to exercise their Constitutional rights???
Why the dirty, unfeeling bastards!!!


14 posted on 10/22/2012 7:10:54 AM PDT by Oldpuppymax
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To: Travis McGee

I like that picture you posted.

Whenever people ask about where I got my .45 I always tell them the parking lot of a Baptist church.


15 posted on 10/22/2012 7:26:02 AM PDT by digitalbrownshirt
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To: marktwain
Freedom?

"Can't have that."

Slanted reporting. Idiot law enforcement...

Lather, rinse, repeat.

16 posted on 10/22/2012 7:29:35 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (I will not comply.)
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To: SC_Pete

Please don’t call them “buy backs”. The inference is that all arms are property of the state and that the state is buying the guns back. We both know that it’s a total scam from the top to the bottom. It’s a feel good program that that does nothing except get people used to the idea of a police state and waste a lot of money.


17 posted on 10/22/2012 7:52:35 AM PDT by Durus (You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Ayn Rand)
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To: marktwain

While these guys are doing a fine job, it would be a great idea for them to quietly poll the people turning in guns what they would *like* in exchange for their gun.

This uses the odd psychology that not everyone gets their maximum motivation from cash. For example, for many people, a particular food item is far more attractive to them, if they get it directly, than a somewhat greater amount of cash.

In Cleveland, the price of a Big Mac + tax is about $3.50.

There is a good chance that if someone had a gun worth $500, and were offered a coupon for “One Big Mac A Week For An Entire Year”, they would take it instead of the cash, even though it is only worth $182.

To make things even better, you could offer a few choices of things they said they wanted. Some good coupon offers could include: expensive tennis shoes, sports paraphernalia, some consumer electronics like a $200 iPhone, who knows?

A basic rule of capitalism: give the customers what they want, and make money in the deal.


18 posted on 10/22/2012 8:31:35 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy (DIY Bumper Sticker: "THREE TIMES,/ DEMOCRATS/ REJECTED GOD")
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy; All
You have a good idea. I also think having a team of video/audio recorders to show the blatant suppression of Constitutional rights by the police could have beneficial results. A number of lawsuits throughout the United States have resulted in settlements in this regard, varying from $1500 to $10,000 by my estimations. Most include apologies and additional training for police to prevent recurrences.
19 posted on 10/22/2012 10:56:46 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: SC_Pete; All
"Here we're trying to save lives and they're right in our face,

Liberals(statists) always justify the most horrible crimes by saying that it is for a good purpose:

"here we are trying to build a just society, and these Ukranians just want to steal their food from the state",

"here we are trying to save humanity from the Jewish conspiracy, and they just want to live with lice and dirt instead of getting into the showers",

"Here we are trying to make a Great Leap Forward, and these professors just want to steal from the peasants.",

"Here we are just trying to build a perfect utopia in Cambodia, and these enemies of the state insist on reading."

"Here we are trying to save the children, and these people insist on exercising their outdated Constitutional rights."

20 posted on 10/22/2012 12:16:02 PM PDT by marktwain
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