As reported, a gun buy back program was being run by Blue Island mayoral candidate Tommy Brown at the Redemption Theater, 12952 S. Western Ave, Blue Island, IL. It was shut down by the police after 30 minutes.
Blue Island Police Chief Douglas Hoglund shut down the event just 30 minutes after it began. Hoglund said the building didn’t have a business license and no one authorized by a law enforcement agency was there to take possession of the traded-in guns, making it a class 1 felony. Tommy Brown was warned beforehand by the city not to conduct the firearm trade-in event, but he went ahead anyway.
I’ve previously discussed the pointlessness of gun buy back programs, and this one is no different. Simply put, a criminal won’t give up their gun in exchange for $100. This is because they can easily make more money committing an armed robbery – and still get to keep their illegal gun. Also, criminals are generally reluctant to interact with the police or government officials, for fear of being caught and jailed. The net result is the guns turned in at such gun buy back programs are mostly non-functional pieces of junk that would not have been used in a crime anyway. Making matters worse, the money given out during these buy back programs could be used by criminals to buy a working gun, a knife, drugs, etc.
Gun buy back programs are just an irrational feel good measure or attempt to pander to the anti gun voters. Such politicians really would do better to address the true causes of crime, instead of using guns as a scapegoat and means for advancing their political careers. Hopefully the voters in Blue Island, Illinois will remember Tommy Brown’s conduct today, and vote against him.
I was out there and I did not see anything related to anyone running for mayor at the event. I really think if we are going to tell the news we need to tell it correctly. You have now put in this article that you don't want us to vote for Tommy Brown but you are not giving us enough facts to do this. I really want you to be honest in your opinions if you really believe in what you are saying. It doesn't help us when we trust you media people but then yu go ahead and embellish things.
This is the LearnAboutGuns.com Author's response to the comment by “not really true”:
I find myself in disagreement with your statements, and though I would take a moment to address them.
You say that you did not see anything about Tommy Brown's campaign for mayor, however the Sun Times I linked to reported that “About 25 people attended the event to show their support for Brown, who hopes to unseat Mayor Donald Peloquin”. This is campaigning, and while there is nothing wrong with campaigning in the abstract, here Tommy Brown chose to push an ineffective, “feel good” gun buy back program to advance himself politically.
Secondly, the Sun Times article I linked to indicates that Tommy Brown was warned about the illegality of running a gun buy back program without the involvement of state law enforcement/government officials, yet chose to do so anyway. That would seem to indicate an intentional disregard of a felony law in Illinois, and I for one would not support a candidate who is seemingly willing to disregard the law. We all have a duty to know and obey the law, including politicians, and especially when they are warned in advance that their prospective conduct would be unlawful.
Also, note the ineffectiveness and blatant pandering that gun turn in programs represent, as I discussed in this article as well as here: http://www.learnaboutguns.com/2008/07/24/gun-buy-…
It is this conduct of Tommy Brown, in combination with his above discussed decision to go through with the gun turn in program that he was warned about as unlawful, which leads me to encourage people to vote against him.
Finally, I'm honored that you have referred to me as “media people,” as this is the first time I've been called a member of the media. In all truth I sincerely doubt that I deserve such a title, as I'm just a law student who blogs in his free time, which is a time consuming and money losing endeavor. However I undertake this task to express my political ideas in the hope of improving our firearms laws, politics, and country as a whole.
Unfortunately, Tommy did not work with the Illinois State Police or any other official police unit. Tommy and his henchmen in long black leather jackets held this affair in order to collect weapons for their own personal gain.
Your blog is very useful and provide tremendous facts about politics. It going to change the way one think by a sharp angle.
beretta