Californians honor Newtown victims by selling their guns

(CBS News) LOS ANGELES - The tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut touched so many people across the country. On Wednesday, Los Angeles responded by holding its gun buyback program months earlier than usual. So many people came out that two sprawling sites, including a sports arena, were needed for the number of people getting rid of their weapons.

Angela Atkins came to the Los Angeles gun buyback with two hunting rifles and thoughts of the children who died in Newtown, Connecticut.

"It was emotional," she said. "I cried. And I just felt like those were everybody's children."

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Asked if she is getting rid of her only guns, Atkins said: "Yeah. I couldn't send them a sympathy card or anything, so I just said, 'Well, that's the best thing I can do.'"

It was because of Newtown that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa moved up the annual gun buyback usually held on Mothers' Day. The city offers gift certificates up to $200 dollars depending on the kind of gun.

As for whether the NRA might say Villaraigosa is taking guns out of the hands of the good guys, the mayor said: "Well, the NRA says a lot of things that doesn't pass the smell test for most of us. They said that what we need are more good guys with guns. Well, there are a lot of good guys with guns. We have more good guys with guns than any place in the world, and we also have more gun violence."

But a 2004 report by the National Academy of Science found that guns likely to be used in crimes were unlikely to be turned in at gun buybacks. Villaraigosa notes that since 2009, Los Angeles has collected 8,000 guns at buybacks, a period in which violent crime in the city has dropped by 33 percent.

"This is part of a much bigger effort," said Villaraigosa, "a comprehensive effort to address gun and gang violence. And like I said, in the city of L.A. the proof is in the pudding."

The line of cars stretched for six blocks as people waited up to three hours to turn in their guns.

"Me turning my rifles in now is my sympathy card to Connecticut," said Atkins.

So many people are bringing their guns in that LAPD officials say this is likely to be their most successful buyback ever. They expect to collect more than 2,500 guns before it's over.

[ebette]

Hmm I wonder, since the guns they are showing are all "older" like a family heirloom, how many of them are "un-registered" or maybe stolen ? Most "law abiding" citizens wouldn't "give" a gun away for food...

BTW my thought is, I have a right by the constitution to own a gun however it is a privilege to keep it.. The Key Word for Privilege is Law Abiding !!
~ Just Saying ~

[Tobi86]

Dear Angela Atkins you are my heroine. You have made my day, week, year and even have made me smile since loosing those babies and their care giving teachers. MY Christmas was ruined and I have cried every day thinking of them. One particular little girls face has beautifully haunted me everyday since Dec 14. Her name was Olivia Egen. I have a picture of her in my office desk and my wallet and I speak to her asking her to help her parents and all the other families because I don't know they can handle her loss. Your giving up your guns says so much to me as to how much you feel like me, helpless. God bless you.

[bananapeall]

Howdy folks,

Could some good gun-toting for defense of home and property Americans please explain how they intend to defend their home with a gun?

A gun owning friend of mine told me about rules regarding not keeping loaded arms in the house and how they must be locked up.

If a "psycho" or "crackhead" breaks in while you're home, how do you intend to grab the key to you gun box, open it, load, then engage, before the bad guy can harm or hostage your family?

[Tobi86]

Good point!

[coolguyw7]

If I was asked to sum it up in a word ... You cant! Way too much stupidity going on! Mainly from Mayor Villaraigosa! His Motive... get the Votes! And I can say this again Mayor you want my gun come and get it from my cold dead hands! I don't see the Honor to victims with this action, I see the Dis-Honer to our Forefathers by using a Tragedy and poor peoples grief to mislead them to giving up their Constitutional right !

[jackkeckley]

Nobody wants to take your gun away, this was a volunteer effort. You want freedom and the ability to hold on to your guns? Fine. Do that. But if you want to turn them in for groceries, you should be able to as well. I want people to have hand guns and hunting rifles but nobody needs assault rifles or 30 clip magazines. But let's say that you do, what's wrong with a more stringent process in obtaining clearance? Is there ever a time where you need a gun, TODAY?

[wtcmedic911]

The land of fruits and nuts.... Criminals, pay attention. A lot more safe houses for you to rob!!! When guns are outlawed I assume, knives, edged tools will be outlawed next on the Left Coast?

[coolguyw7]

It's stupidity like this in California That it makes more sense to sell California back to Mexico!

[nancy_naive]

December 26, 2012 7:40 PM Californians honor Newtown victims by selling their guns

Now how in the world did their guns wind up in California?
And what are 5-year olds doing with guns in the first place?

[WiseAsOwl]

Good. This is all good, in a way.. Stupid dip-s**ts shouldn't keep guns, anyway...because the most they could ever do is just hurt themselves or innocent bystanders... and this buy-back is something to help keep the busy-body Libs busy.. If you're trying to score points against the NRA, you're just making @sses of yourself... Where can I go to take advantage of the good buys??? I'll bet that there aren't any good buys.. I'll bet it's mostly people pawning their junk... and any of the good guns will be taken in by those running the buy-back program and they'll include them in their gun collection.. You Libs just can't seem to see how... how... well, STUPID is the only word... how STUPID YOU REALLY ARE....

[nancy_naive]

Were you born with the proclivity to stupidity? Or did your parents teach it to you?

[CuriousServant]

It's a dilemma. Honest, ethical, law abiding Americans wish, insist, they use their constitutional rights to own and use firearms. Dishonest, evil Americans want to create chaos and notoriety through those same firearms.

How did it begin, this tie between the concept of liberty and guns? With the American Revolution pushing tyranny from our shores and a constitutional amendment written to keep tyranny out of our government.

The argument that we cannot retrieve all the guns and therefore should not try to reduce their numbers ("The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun") seems counter to the logic that we should increase the number of guns (giving them to teachers, firefighters, etc.).

I am not on one side or the other in this debate. I have owned guns. I do not own any guns now. That is my choice. I do not have the right to push that view onto others.

My faith dictates I do not kill, so even if I were in a situation that there was a bad guy hurting others, I might hesitate to kill (Matthew 24). I say hesitate because I really don't know what I would do if my children (my own family or the students I teach) were in danger. But I don't fantasize about doing so. I feel strongly that killing is wrong, period.

I once had a homeowner threaten to shoot me (he was frightened, shaking, pointing a large pistol in my face, convinced I was a burglar and not just the milkman). That man should not have a gun. I almost died that day over the idea he thought I was stealing from him.

I wonder if the fantasy of defending home and family by killing bad guys is so very different from bad guys fantasizing about killing.

What is troubling with this debate is the polarization of views (just as the political debates over the last few years). It used to be people could disagree without name calling. Even if one disliked the president, he was treated with respect (I think that began to change with Nixon).

Can we not seek a balance? Perhaps the NRA can truly listen to the concerns. Is making it difficult to use a machine designed to kill efficiently truly an erosion of our rights? Can we really call gun owners a militia anymore? Perhaps we can look at the motivation behind creating the 2nd Amendment and see if that still makes sense.

Perhaps we can also agree that this is a democracy (or a democratic republic or whatever) and agree that Red or Blue, the people have voted and they desire the government handle certain things (health care, etc.) and stay out of certain things (marijuana), and that some things are too close to call (abortion) and should be left up to states.

Government should provide infrastructure for commerce (roads, the internet, telephones, funded schools, a military, etc.). Some of those priorities are out of whack (we are NOT FUNDING SCHOOLS PROPERLY).

Perhaps we can learn to be kind to each other, listen to each other, seek to find what we can live with and what we can live without.

So... below will be comments that attack my view through name calling and sarcasm. That is fine. I work with middle schoolers and I get that. But... I hope there are some reasonable views out there and an honest DIALOGUE can happen.

[coolguyw7]

Man will you just listen to your babble really! "My Faith dictates I do not Kill" Guns have a purpose... one yes the most obvious to kill but if you were in your scenario with your kids and you had the opportunity to cause harm to protect them that instinct is there it's already coded in your DNA a gun is just a tool! What makes us civilized is the choice not to kill unless provoked when all else is exhausted... You can use a pipe or bat so should the debate be about other objects like bats? Or should it be about our DNA? So bottom line, it doesn't matter because it's about our emotion and we are the puppets the elected officials are pulling the strings of, and the media provided the theater... Look you and many of you out there just don't get it! The tragedies that happen... are just that! Tragedies! It's the Media that has nothing better to do then to pull on the strings of the majority of the people out there who are week for this type of hook in the mouth sensationalism where it's played over and over again and again... Get it! So in the case of Los Angeles with the mayor it's his chance to take advantage of this momentum... The momentum I am referring to is where law abiding citizens who are in this state of grief stricken, induced by the media to a certain level of guilt. and then Mayor Villaraigosa with his paid advisory team quickly set up this buy back plan to get POOR people to hand over guns for much needed food! In his own words "Everyone is still grieving over the CT incident" If this was so important to the Mayor Villaraigosa, Then why didn't he and his body guards turn in their own guns too? This is just a ploy to get votes! What you were trying to say with Red or Blue I get you! But all of those things you mentioned are part of what the media feeds the public and the numbers are reported to the people in office and yes you guessed it they are topics of discussion with politics to get the almighty vote! But as far as giving up my guns... Mayor Villaraigosa come and get them from my cold dead hands! What LA and the Mayor is doing is Shameful to our forefathers who fought hard and long to be a free nation and Mayor Villaraigosa is gonna poop all over there efforts just so he can get votes for a well overpaid worthless political position. And you are right Government needs to do their job what they were elected to do which is yet another topic in it's self. I think what comes to mind is Term limits for all elected officials and lets get serious about fixing the country and honoring our forefathers by keeping our promise to protect the Constitution and our homes... Term limits!

[harv823]

NRA= Noxious Rifle Addicts

[Ulgnud]

Only in California. Bleating liberal sheep.

[CuriousServant]

No, not just California. Every where there are people who are aghast at the senselessness of thie violence in this country. Republicans, Democrats, Independants, all who have hearts, who lve children, who are disgusted by the ugliness, and jus want to do SOMETHING, ANYTHING, even if it is only symbolic.

There are some things that are more important than politics. Even mre important than personal desires.

[Ulgnud]

Curious, I have children too. I know disarming myself and America will not make them safe. "Symbolic" does nothing. Strong defense protects us, and our children.