Libertarian Party calls for end to dangerous, wasteful "gun buyback"
The recently announced gun buyback in Durham's Walltown neighborhood is a dangerous and wasteful program that's merely a
stunt to give free advertising to politicians who wish to be seen as
"doing something" about crime, the Libertarian Party of North Carolina
charged today.
"Instead of wasting taxpayer money on getting guns from the people who
need them most, law-abiding citizens, the Durham Police Department should
focus on investigating and solving real crimes such as rape and murder,"
said Barbara Howe, the party's state chair.
Florida State University criminologist Gary Kleck found that buyback
programs "have no demonstrable impact on crime," but do yield "real
political benefits," "Those political benefits are the obvious goal of the
Durham PD," noted Howe, who's also the Libertarian candidate for governor.
The facts are that the people least likely to turn in guns are
criminals, while the people most likely to turn in guns are law-abiding
citizens, she added. "Criminals love buyback programs because they disarm
their victims, leaving them easy prey," said Howe
Buybacks also encourage criminals to steal guns. "No-questions-asked
buyback programs actually give street thugs an incentive to steal firearms
and sell them to police departments," noted Steve Dasbach, the Libertarian
Party's former national director. "So, buyback programs will help
criminals profit, while turning local police departments into fencing
operations."
Instead of helping to disarm law-abiding citizens, Libertarians believe
the police should encourage respectable members of the community to take
responsibility for their own safety and that of their family and
neighbors.
For many people, part of that responsibility may be to own and safely
operate a gun for defense of their life, home, and property, Libertarians
contend. "Such responsible action should not be discouraged with gun
buybacks and disparaging remarks suggesting that citizens are too weak or
childish to defend themselves," said Howe.
|
