Church wants more guns
Fresh from collecting more than 50 firearms at a gun buy-back in September, St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church is expanding the program on Saturday.
Volunteers will purchase weapons at both St. Gregory the Great at 1542 N. Gilmor St. in West Baltimore and St. Wenceslaus Church at 2111 Ashland Ave. in East Baltimore. The sessions are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
“Police officers who helped with the gun turn-over [in September] said that some of the handguns are especially dangerous because they can be easily hidden and used to threaten or harm,” Monsignor Damien G. Nalepa, pastor of St. Gregory the Great, said in a statement. “We appeal to all the citizens of our city to help stop the violence and turn in guns.”
Details, from a church release:
In the seven previous campaigns, more than 160 guns have been turned in at St. Gregory Parish. The process is anonymous, with no questions asked. Parish staff members and volunteers log the type of gun, and verify that it is unloaded and safe. At the close of the event, the guns are turned over to local law enforcement.The program offers a $100 reward for each workable automatic or semi-automatic handgun or assault rifle, and a $50 reward for any other workable gun turned in. Some of the weapons surrendered in September included rifles, shotguns and assorted handguns.
The Catholic Review, the archdiocesan newspaper, provided a start-up grant for the program and is asking readers and others to contribute to a fund so that buy-backs may be held more frequently. The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, meanwhile, has pledged to match any donation made to the fund until the match reaches $6,000.
Christopher Gunty, associate publisher/editor of The Catholic Review, projects that $15,000 will be needed to sustain four gun collections per year at the two locations. Tax-deductible contributions can be sent to: The Cathedral Foundation Inc., Attn.: Catholic Review Gun Buy-Back, P.O. Box 777, Baltimore, MD 21203.
More information is available by calling Nalepa at 410-523-0061.
Comments
I applaud the effort to do something about the gun violence that is threatening to destroy our society. However, I think energy would be better spent working to eliminate the practice of gun shows being able to sell all types of guns without requiring permits, without running criminal and other background checks. We need much stricter regulation on who can own a gun and what type of gun. A rifle and a permit to hunt is one thing; a cache of assault weapons is another thing entirely. My primary issue with the buy-back effort is that the people who shouldn't have guns are not the ones who will turn them in.
Posted by: Nancy | November 30, 2009 1:13 PM
Are these events getting any guns off the street? Probably not. And the worst part is that these guns handed in are probably worth far more than $100.
Posted by: Firearmstruth.com | November 30, 2009 1:31 PM
Nancy, none of those things you said are true, you have to meet the same requirements buying at a gun show that you do buying from a store. It is almost impossible to buy an "assault weapon" in the US because of the onerous background checks necessary (usually taking over 6 months) and the $200 tax required, plus regular inspections by the BATFE. The guns you consider "assault weapons" are less powerful than the hunting rifles you think are fine. And any police officer who thinks a gun is "especially dangerous" needs a reality check.
Posted by: Gordon | December 1, 2009 9:19 AM
Surf here and learn more about "assualt weapons" in five minutes than Nancy has learned in a lifetime...
http://hubpages.com/hub/Assault-Weapons-Evil-Black-Rifles-or-perhaps-not
Posted by: jack burton | December 1, 2009 11:27 AM
I love the headline. It is the ONLY reason I opened the link.
Posted by: pwjeeps | December 1, 2009 7:01 PM
WOW! Exactly how does taking the guns of the honest and law-abiding reduce crime and criminal acts?
How does the philosophy of “The more helpless you are when criminally attacked; the SAFER you are” work?
How’d the lack of gun benefit the parishioners during the St. James Massacre?
OH YEAH! It was the ARMED parishioner that saved the UARMED parishioners from the terrorists that were armed with grenades and REAL assault rifles; not the semi-auto that the stupid call “assault weapons”.
Do you REALLY think the CRIMINALS that commit rape, robbery an MURDER will turn in their guns? Or will it just be the CRIMINALS intended VICTIMS, thus making society LESS safe?
Which U.S. cities with STRICT gun control laws, have crime rates LOWER than the national average? DC? Chicago? NYC? Detroit?
Posted by: Wildfire | December 5, 2009 4:48 PM
This is great work the Catholic church is doing--for once I am on their side. The firearms nuts will find every site that discusses this issue and come roaring, all engines fired, steam pouring out of their gun loving nostrils, to tell us these bishops are naive, that guns don't kill people do, that the 2nd amendment when violated will cast the constitution of the US into a gutter and that no one will be safe when guns are divested from the law abiding, the law disobedient will be armed to the teeth anyway. Yes, yes fellas, we've heard all of that. Keep your guns, admire them, polish them, carry them close to your vests and hope they will save you when someone takes a potshot at your collective heads but let the bishops keep at the buy back programs--this time they are on the right track--one gun at a time--100 dollars a piece, one soul at a time--that is how the tide is turned against these lethal weapons.
Ravensfan Anon
Posted by: Anonymous | December 7, 2009 10:19 AM