“The Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act, which was reintroduced this week by Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J. above), is the latest attempt by Democrats to address gun violence,” thehill.com reports. “The bill has 22 co-sponsors.” The lunacy of this proposal is staggering. For one thing, there’s no evidence whatsoever that any “gun buyback” program has ever done anything to reduce firearms-related crime. Of course, that complete lack of anecdotal or scientific data did nothing to deter Representative Payne and his ilk, who rely on “common sense” to make their case. Like this . . .
“Although no one piece of legislation will eliminate all gun violence, this bill will get guns off the streets and keep them out of the hands of people who wish to cause harm. If we can get one gun off the street, if we can save one life, then we have to take action.”
It’s the same “logic” gun control proponents use to promote their “No Fly No Buy” bill (executive order?): if banning guns from people on a secret list of suspected terrorists saves just one life . . .
The voluntary gun buyback proposal resembles legislation offered by earlier this year by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) that sought to pay gun owners to turn over assault weapons to the federal government.
And here’s the kicker:
As part of Payne’s $360 million gun buyback initiative, the Justice Department would pay gun owners a premium of 25 percent more than the market value of their firearms.
Gun owners could turn over their firearms to state and local governments as well as certain gun dealers.
In return, the gun owners would receive a debit card they could use to purchase anything other than more guns and ammunition.
The Justice Department would destroy the guns and recycle the parts.
I’m no good at math, but if Uncle Sam wants to buy back only 10% of America’s estimated 300 million guns paying a paltry $200 a gun (never mind 125% of “market value”), that would require $6 billion. “Both pieces of legislation are virtually certain to go nowhere in the Republican-controlled Congress.” You don’t say.
After you wipe the coffee off your screen, though, consider that even a $360 million federal buyback program would set a dangerous precedent. Then imagine what might happen with Hillary Clinton as President and a Democrat-controlled Congress. The mind boggles.