In lean times, SoCal residents trade guns for food

[Blue_Tires]

Source: AP

LOS ANGELES – A program to exchange guns for gifts brought in a record number of weapons this year as residents hit hard by the economy look under the bed and in closets to find items to trade for groceries.

The annual Gifts for Guns program ended Sunday in Compton, a working class city south of Los Angeles that has long struggled with gun and gang violence. In a program similar to ones in New York and San Francisco, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department allows residents to anonymously relinquish firearms in return for $100 gift cards for Ralphs supermarkets, Target department stores or Best Buy electronics stores.

Turning in assault rifles yields double that amount.

In years past, Target and Best Buy were the cards of choice, with residents wanting presents for the holidays.

This year, most asked for the supermarket cards, said sheriff's Sgt. Byron Woods.

"People just don't have the money to buy the food these days," he said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081208/ap_on_re_us/gifts_for_guns

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

1. At least it's a peaceful way to use guns to procure something nt

[benEzra]

7. And it's not coercive.

Having said that, $200 for an "assault weapon" (i.e., rifle with modern styling) is a ripoff. Sell that on consignment at a licensed dealer, and you could get $400 to $1500, depending on make and model.

[Politicalboi]

2. I heard someone

Dropped off a grenade. I wonder what they got for that?

[Monk06]

3. A pineapple ?

[BunkerHill24]

5. LOL

[Crunchy Frog]

4. Oh great. Now we're starving people into giving up their God given rights.

:sarcasm:

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. In other news, gun thefts are on the rise.

[benEzra]

8. All thefts are on the rise.

No surprise, given the number of households that have been thrown into desperate economic situations recently.

[llmart]

9. So, in a roundabout way.......

Bush is taking people's guns away. Hmmmm.... I thought only Democrats did that?

In my opinion, this is a good thing.

[bemildred]

10. I guess food is a "security" thing too ... nt