Controlling the Uncontrollable
January 10, 2013 
3 Comments
Like the volatile nature of gun powder, gun control debates can explode at any second if struck with the right amount of fire power. Following the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14th, the nation has been buzzing about what we should do with guns: More guns, fewer guns, and mental health care have all been argued over and over in the foul and fervent fashion that only online discussions could offer.
Over the holidays, gun violence in Spokane has increased. In an article dated January 9th, 2013, the Spokesman-Review reported that the number of applications for concealed weapon permits in Spokane has increased by three times the normal. Per capita, Spokane county has the most concealed pistol permits in the entire state. So many people argue that gun control laws are strict enough as-is, but all I can think of is the increased risk of having more dangerous weapons around. More weapons means a higher chance for accidents, and a larger chance for a gun to land in the hands of someone truly malicious.
To help limit the number of guns in the Seattle area, Mayor Mike McGinn, is implementing a gun buyback program beginning later in January. The Seattle gun buyback program set a goal of getting $100,000 to be exchange for guns, offered vouchers for people who turned them in, and promised police wouldn’t ask questions. “This gun buyback program can help us protect public health and safety and reduce gun violence in our communities,” McGinn said. [Originally reported by the Seattle PI]
In Spokane, things are much more, ‘Don’t tread on me”, steps toward gun control are of larger concern to many residents. When asked if City Council President, Ben Stuckart would be supportive of a similar gun buyback program in Spokane, he stated, “I like the idea. I don’t have the bandwidth to lead an effort such as this. It looks like two former Seattle Mayor’s have taken the lead and gotten private companies to sponsor the effort. It would take significant resources and as you saw in the budget passed in December we cut over 100 city employees including police and fire. We don’t have the resources internally to pay people for their guns.”
Seattle attempted the same gun buyback plan in 1992, but saw no reduction in the number of homicides with use of a firearm in King County.
No one has a solid answer yet of what to do about gun violence yet, but Spokane is working on some new strategies. Stuckart concluded his thoughts suggesting ” In the next month you will see some proposal’s coming out of council to address the gun issue locally.”
In the immortal words of “The Girl that Doesn’t Even Go Here” from the film Mean Girls, “I wish we could all get along like we used to in middle school… I wish I could bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy…”
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Seattle can waste their money and buy back guns all day; it doesn’t work as they have already discovered. One of the definitions of crazy is trying the same thing and expecting different results. Seattle is crazy…
After the murder rate does not decrease we can laugh at them here in the Inland Northwest.
I’m still waiting for the report on the increase in food born illness in Seattle due to their mandatory use of cloth bags in grocery stores….it should be out by summer time…
I like to think of gun ownership as a right that citizens can choose to exercise or not. If I was Spodudette versus being Spodude and lived alone on the South Hill, I’d get a firearm incase the naked stalker tried to come through my window at night….
Now I find it laughable as well as tragic that our wonderful President who incidentally sent thousands of weapons to Mexico to aid the most violent and murderous drug cartels in the World in order to help win his gun control arguments here at home. Now he seeks to ruin and deteroriate the rights of law-abiding Americans who have done nothing wrong except be on the wrong side of his gun control zealotry. Strangely enough the Democrats are ruefully quiet about “Fast & Furious” in concert with actively lying about it. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/ To the Democrats it seems American children are worth Much more than Mexican children. http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/News/univision-news-fast-furious-investigation-prompts-congressional-inquiry/story?id=17397156
Marcus Poulin:
Well said sir!