Confessions of a gun owner

Bell Gardens Police Lt. Jeff Travis is telling a story today that he says makes the department's guns-for-money program worth every penny.

By the end of the event today at St. Gertrude Catholic Church, Bell Gardens police had collected 19 guns and in exchange gave the owners $75 for each firearm.

Travis said that last Sunday pastors at several churches told congregants about the program. The next day, a distraught man took his gun to his pastor.

The man said he bought the gun after discovering that his wife was leaving him for another man. He planned to shoot his wife and her boyfriend, and then turn the gun on himself, Travis said. The man then asked his pastor to turn the gun over to police for him, Travis said.

The man has since received counseling and is "working through this," Travis said, adding that their work today might have saved lives.

Today's program was the first gun buyback program in Bell Gardens. Travis said he suggested the idea to the police chief after an increase in gang-related crime about two months ago in this city of about 45,000 people, about 10 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The funds for the program were donated by the Bicycle Casino.

"Hopefully, we got enough guns to make the streets a little safer," Travis said. Thirteen handguns and six rifles were turned in today.

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies plan to hold their own gun surrender program at 10 a.m. Nov. 29-30 and Dec. 6-7 at the parking lot of the Ralphs supermarket at 280 E. Compton Blvd. For each gun turned in, sheriff's deputies will give a $100 gift card from Best Buy, Target, Home Depot or Ralphs. Owners of assault weapons will be given gift cards worth $200.

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-- Rong-Gong Lin II

Comments

[Tarn Helm]

What nonsense!

And that stupid "I was gonna shoot my wife" story is nonsense--and undoubtedly FAKE.

This is just more anti-Second Amendment, anti-gun, anti-freedom propaganda being cranked by Hollywood's own, personal, propaganda machine: the Lost Angeles Times.

If that fool Travis had ever done any research on firearms ownership, he would know that lawfully owned firearms account for about one one-ten-thousandth of one percent of all crime in America per year.

If any of you out there want to know about guns, read some actual research.

Even a lifelong Democrat and world-renowned sociologist like Gary Kleck will tell you that lawfully owned firearms help society far more than they hurt it--so will civil rights activist Don Kates.

[Greg]

Of the thirteen handguns and six rifles that were turned in today, did they come from senior citizens?

[Mike]

It borders on libelous to call this "confessions of a gun owner".

You want some actual confessions from a gun owner? I like guns. I like to shoot my guns. My wife enjoys guns, and most of my friends do, too. I'm your neighbor. I'm the guy who stops to make sure you're alright when you're broken down at the side of the road, and calls a tow truck for you if your cell is dead.

More confessions? Alright.

I'm a caring person who loves his family and friends. I'm not like the guy in this article who would consider harming his wife or girlfriend (see also: wife enjoys guns), I'm the kind of person who looks down on those who would.

I'm a typical gun owner - a normal and perfectly reasonable person in every way.

Try doing a story on that.

[jdberger]

That's not "confessions of a gun owner". Ownership of a gun is completely irrelievant to the story. It's confessions of a jilted lover who decided NOT to commit a murder.

It's better to cite religion, faith and reason as the reasons that this guy didn't kill his ex.

[bon]

More left wing jibberish reporting by the LA Times.

I am surprised that the Times didn't work the oppressed illegal aliens into the story. " Julio came here for a better life, but he was mowed down in the middle of a Bell Gardens Street at 2 a.m. by an AK-47. Today, an AK-47, perhaps the same one that took illegal Julios's life, was turned into police and traded for a bag of groceries. One families grief and one families feast."

[ParatrooperJJ]

Some one point out to that Lt. that the pastor just admitted to a CA felony.

[David]

If you want the streets to be safer, the LAPD should turn in their guns.

[Bob]

I encourage all gun owners to take their junkiest guns and use these government gun purchase programs as a method to obtain cold cash to buy better guns. I used to be upset about these programs, but they really are good - they take guns out of circulation, allowing gun companies to sell more guns to and prosper, and they allow honest gun owners to sell junk that no one wants so they can buy more guns. What's better than that?

[Pat]

Do you honestly think the individuals accepting turned-in guns do not know
rariity ,quality & prices. No one is going to melt down such pieces unless they are an idiot or gun hating zombie. The value of rare guns resold back to serious
collectors & sportsman could do far more good in a community than certificates for tennis shoes,baggy pants or basketball game tickets.

[Rich]

ROFLMAO, I have this gun I have used in several murders and didn't know how to get rid of it. Shoot, I will just turn it in to be melted down. erfect, no questions asked. Does anyone really think a criminal or gang banger is going to turn in his weapons. Roflmao!

[Blue]

This is the stupidest thing I ever read. Do you really think criminals will turn in their guns, no. How can the streets be safer when law abiding citizens turn in their guns, this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. If the man who wanted to kill his wife and her lover had wanted to use a baseball bat would the story be titled 'Confessions of a Louisville Slugger?'

Legal gun ownership has nothing to do with wanting to kill people. Stop attacking the second ammendment. Like Charlton said the only way I will turn in my gun is when 'it is pulled from my cold, dead hand.'