United States Congresswoman Jackie Speier, flanked by elected officials and police chiefs on the Peninsula, hold a press conference during a gun buyback at the South San Francisco Courthouse in South San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, April 13, 2013. Congresswoman Jackie Speier and police departments of South San Francisco, Daly City, San Bruno, Pacifica, Burlingame, Colma, Millbrae, Brisbane and Broadmoor participated in the gun buyback. Individuals that surrendered weapons received up to $100 cash for a hand gun, shotgun or rifle, and up to $200 cash for an assault weapon.(John Green/Staff)
Mercury News
Reflecting the deep divide over America's relationship with firearms, the Cow Palace was even more packed than usual Saturday for the start of this weekend's Crossroads of the West Gun Show, while just seven miles away gun owners lined up to turn their weapons into cash.You see what the difference is, right? The thousands attending the gun show are already gun owners, for the most part. Those turning in guns at the "buyback" are changing sides, in many cases. They are leaving the ranks of "gun owners" and joining the other team.
William Bennett, 30, of Fremont, brought his 3-year-old daughter, Nouvelle, into the Cow Palace, where gun show organizers expect to see 10,000 to 12,000 paying customers this weekend -- three times the usual turnout. The organizers say the push for new gun restrictions in Congress and the California Legislature has sparked a gun and ammo rush.
As Nouvelle whacked at her dad with a plastic sword, Bennett considered the question of what it says about the Bay Area that a couple of hundred people lined up Saturday to turn in their pistols, hunting rifles, assault weapons and shotguns for cash at a government-sponsored gun buyback program while thousands more jammed into the gun show.
"The country's split down the middle over everything -- gays, abortion, culture," Bennett said. "With guns, it's always going to be an issue."
The gun buyback at the South San Francisco courthouse was the latest in a series held around the Bay Area since the December massacre of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. It was organized by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, who was shot five times in Jonestown, Guyana, in 1978 and is now a vice chairwoman of the Congressional Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.
As she stood behind dozens of guns that had been turned in during just the first hour, Speier cited a long list of recent shootings in the Bay Area and beyond. They "are a tragedy that we can do something about," she said.
This is another indication that in spite of all the bluff and rhetoric to the contraty, the gun-rights movement is doomed.
Oh, and before any of you gun apoligists say there were thousands at the gun show and only hundreds at the "buyback," this one was "the latest in a series held around the Bay Area since the December."
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