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The Real Price of Freedom
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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... "As you're no doubt aware, Ed Thomas ... was killed when a very disturbed young man ... unloaded his gun into Thomas at point blank range. ..."

"... it was one of the most horrific, senseless gun crimes in our country, not matching in scope (but certainly in brutality) the massacres at Virginia Tech or even Columbine."

"And it is the real price of freedom in America." ...

"Put [the First and Second Amendments] together, ... and there are going to be situations, ones that are so extremely rare that they're still newsworthy every time they happen, where someone who really doesn't deserve it is shot and killed ... You cannot have the Bill of Rights and not have the possibility for this to happen. Freedom isn't free." ...

Prescience
Submitted by: Larry

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... "It was November 22, 1963 ... I was sitting in my English literature class ... when the school loud-speaker system came on with the disquieting news that 'President John F. Kennedy has been shot in Dallas, Texas.'" ...

"As the last girl left the room, the door to the classroom was closed and locked. Turning to those of us remaining; that wise old sage in a controlled but stern voice said: 'Gentleman, your world is going to change. ... The day is coming when the Federal government is going to try and disarm you. I won't see it, but you will. Mark my words and be on your guard, the Second Amendment is the only thing standing between you and the suffering you can't comprehend. Class is dismissed.'" ...

Gun Snitch and 'Buyback' Programs May Cause Unintended Consequences Submitted by: David Codrea Website: http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
... "... [T]he plan looks like it could work." "If by 'work' we mean create a snitch-based police state..."

Gun Control: What is the Agenda?
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Some years or decades ago I researched and reported on the Sullivan Act, one of Americas first gun control laws."

"New York state senator Timothy Sullivan, a corrupt Tammany Hall politician, represented New York's Red Hook district. Commercial travelers passing through the district would be relieved of their valuables by armed robbers. In order to protect themselves and their property, travelers armed themselves. This raised the risk of, and reduced the profit from, robbery. Sullivan's outlaw constituents demanded that Sullivan introduce a law that would prohibit concealed carry of pistols, blackjacks, and daggers, thus reducing the risk to robbers from armed victims." ...

Taking to the air in defense of open carry
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"On Sunday, June 28th 2009, Jim Irvine, Chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association will be discussing the pros and cons of open carry on his radio show which is carried by 1420 AM WHK News Talk in Cleveland, Ohio."

"The hour-long segment, which you may listen to live on the internet from 8 - 9PM Eastern Time, will feature Ohio Attorney-General Richard Cordray, famed instructor and author Massad Ayoob, and yours truly. Would you care to guess which one of us is arguing for open carry?"

"In preparation for the spirited debate I am anticipating, I thought I would share some of the reasons that I feel that open carry serves a very positive purpose in the gun rights debate." ...

The Difference Between 'They Should Die' and 'I'll Kill You'
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Yesterday the FBI arrested a white supremacist in New Jersey for threatening federal judges, based on his online response to the recent 7th Circuit decision that said the Second Amendment does not constrain state and local governments. ..." ...

"This does not seem like a 'true threat,' one kind of speech the Supreme Court has said can be punished without violating the First Amendment. Turner did not actually threaten to commit violence; he simply argued that violence would be justified. What he said seems closer to incitement, except that in this case there is no threat of 'imminent lawless action,' one of the requirements imposed by the Court. Unless I'm missing something, what Turner said ought to be protected speech." ...

'Gun free' Chicago is bleeding out
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"We looked yesterday at efforts to spread the draconian gun laws of Chicago and Washington D.C. to the rest of the country--President Obama's 'what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne' notwithstanding. Forget for a minute that as president (and in his last position as a United States senator), Obama deals with federal laws, which would apply in both Chicago and Cheyenne. Instead, let's take a look at how well Chicago's gun laws 'work.'"

"So well, actually, that the city is literally running out of blood." ...

Sotomayor: Guns, death penalty
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"Roll Call reports, 'Judiciary ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) sounded a new GOP alarm Wednesday about Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, arguing that if installed she could put Second Amendment rights at risk. The nominee's track record on the issue 'is fairly scant, but we do know that Judge Sotomayor has twice said that the Second Amendment does not give you and me a fundamental right,' Sessions warned.'" ...
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KABA Note: Well she is correct that the Bill of Rights gives no one any rights, it merely lists pre-existing rights which the government is precluded from infringing.

Gun Control: Sotomayor and citizen authority
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Thursday, June 15, 2009, Los Angeles Times 'Guns key in court choice' elaborates the process of understanding Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the United States Supreme Court. The Times reports that Senate Republicans will press Sotomayor on her views of gun rights."

"Let me emphasize again as I have over the last several years, that what it is about guns isnt even about guns. It is about carrying our own burdens in independence from our own public servants." ...

The Heller ruling one year later; antis still in denial
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Has it really been one year since the United States Supreme Court in a disappointingly narrow 5-4 ruling struck down the Washington, D.C. handgun ban and affirmed once and for all that the Second Amendment protects an individual civil right to own a gun that has no connection with militia service?"

"For some, it appears the ruling never happened at all. Even now, gun prohibitionists are loathe to acknowledge that they were wrong about the Second Amendment; that their own hostility toward the private ownership of firearms had led them to conclude largely by misinterpreting and deliberately misrepresenting the high courts 1939 ruling in U.S. v. Miller that the Second Amendment protected only some mythical 'collective' right ..." ...

Revisiting the DC v. Heller ruling - Part I
Submitted by: Daniel White
Website: http://www.OhioCCW.org

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"Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of the District of Columbia v. Heller lawsuit which went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States and resulted in a ruling that although reasonable restrictions on the Second Amendment are not unconstitutional, there cannot be a complete ban and settled the debate (legally at least) regarding whether or not the Second Amendment is an individual or collective right."

"To commemorate this occasion, I present an analysis I did last year in the three days immediately following the issuance of the ruling." ...

ATF targets gun-buying by cartels Billboard campaign warns of peril of purchasing for others
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"The firearms industry is responding to allegations that Houston stores have become the primary source for Mexican drug cartel weapons by renting dozens of billboards around the city warning that customers who fraudulently purchase guns for others face prison time." ...

"The stakes are clear in Houston, as the city is considered by the ATF to be the number one point of origin for military-style weapons traced from Mexican organized crime scenes to U.S. sales counters." ...

"Dozens of guns purchased in Houston have been traced to kidnappings and murders in Mexico." ...
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KABA Note: Oh, no! Not dozens of guns!
In the last 28 months, 35,943 firearms[.pdf] (page 6) ave been seized by the Mexican authorities. And we're worried about 0.1% of them?

U.S. guns are crossing border, but how many?
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"Fourteen guns were seized after a deadly drug raid on a house in Tijuana, Mexico, in October. Five of those guns reportedly had been purchased in Las Vegas."

"Those five guns ... represent a small drop in the steady stream of firearms that flows from the U.S. into Mexico, where they support drug trafficking operations, according to a report released by the Government Accountability Office last week. That report noted that 87 percent of firearms seized by Mexican authorities and traced in the past five years had originated in the United States ..." ...

"Or the suggestion behind the GAO report that the vast majority of guns smuggled into Mexico are coming directly from America could be totally overblown and alarmist." ...

TX: Signs in Houston warn against gun buys for Mexico
Submitted by: Anonymous

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

More than 70 billboards and other signs in the Houston area warn gun buyers against illegally smuggling weapons for the Mexican drug trade.

The firearms industry-supported "Don't lie for the other Guy" campaign is expected to be expanded to El Paso, the Rio Grande Valley and Phoenix.

The Houston Chronicle reports dozens of guns purchased in Houston have been traced to kidnappings and murders in Mexico.

Lawrence Keane with the National Shooting Sports Foundation says $500,000 will be spent over the next four months. The industry is responding to allegations that Houston stores have become the primary source for Mexican drug cartel weapons.
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KABA Note: A more suitable response by the NSSF might be to say "You are lying", over and over until the allegers catch a clue.

CA: Officer fires after being assaulted
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"An off-duty police officer shot and wounded two men who had assaulted him in the crowded Angel Stadium parking lot after Wednesday night's Colorado Rockies-Los Angeles Angels game ..."

"The officer, who was walking to his car with his wife and two small children ... was hit in the head with beer bottles ..." ...

"The officer called a dispatcher at his department and asked for help, saying two men had choked him and asked him to get away from his car ..."

"The off-duty officer then shot the men with his duty weapon, Martinez said. Police did not immediately identify the officer or the shooting victims." ...
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Submitter's Note: It's a good thing this guy was a cop. If he were you or me he might be dead, along with his wife and kids. California's legislators make sure that only the privileged class can protect itself.

KABA Note: Especially given the celerity with which the OC Sheriff has been stripping permit-holders.

MI: Neighborhood watch president shoots, kills dog; its owner disputes the need
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Tensions are high on a Saginaw street where the neighborhood watch president shot and killed his neighbor's dog."

"Jose Barajas ... told police he shot Onyx, a 50-plus-pound pit bull and shar-pei mix, with a 40-caliber Glock after the dog broke its chain and charged him ..."

"Barajas said he was working outside the house next door when he heard a resident crying for help. Diana M. Fick, 52, said she was mowing her backyard ... Fick said Onyx perched atop the tailgate shell and jumped off toward her, breaking his chain. She said she screamed for the owner and used the lawnmower as a buffer to keep the dog at bay."

"Griffus didn't hear her, but Barajas did. When the dog turned on him, he said he shot it two times." ...

IA: Clerk's gun scares off would-be robber
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Dominic Mathew had always felt it was better to give an armed robber what they asked for."

"His philosophy changed after his Food Pantry store ... was held up several times, one time with a thief behind the counter and holding a gun to his neck."

"He got a handgun."

"On Tuesday, the third time the store was held up, he and a robber were in a face-off with their weapons."

"'The guy came in from the side (of the store)' and walked in the front door, Mathew said. 'That's where they usually come from. ...'"

"Mathew, 30, already had his gun drawn when the robber walked in, he said. The suspect lowered his gun immediately upon seeing the handgun."

"The would-be robber ran out the door." ...

CA: Man shoots and kills large rabid possum Submitted by: Bruce Krafft	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
FULL TEXT BELOW: A caller told police he had shot a large rabid possum in his front yard and was concerned that the possum might attack his dog. He was advised on discharging a firearm in city limits.

TN: Home invasion suspect fatally wounded
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Nashville police say a 21-year-old home invasion robbery suspect was fatally wounded by 1 of his victims."

"Elijah Minnard's 17-year-old armed accomplice was apprehended after he fled the home ... His charges include aggravated robbery and unlawful weapon possession."

"The two home invasion victims are Dennis Clay Nicholson, 22, and Lincoya Stephens, 25. Nicholson told police he was confronted by an armed Minnard and the 17-year-old as he arrived home early Wednesday."

"Minnard held Nicholson and Stephens, who was already at the residence, at gunpoint while the 17-year-old searched the home. The victims got the gun away from Minnard and Stephens pulled a pistol concealed in his waistband - fatally wounding Minnard." ...

Restraining Orders: A Phony Refuge from an Abuser
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"A recent story in Indiana should strike home in the self-defense community and should resonate with advocates for battered women in America."

"In Brownsburg, just north of Indianapolis, ... a woman was stabbed to death while her daughters, aged 8 and 12, hid in a closet."

"Later, the 12 year old girl called the police and reported that 'daddy stabbed mommy.' Such a horrific outcome in this case is indicative of the false hope of protective orders. In this case, the victim had just extended an existing order of protection that was designed to keep the murderer from having any contact with his wife and daughters."

"As it turned out, the piece of paper had no effect in keeping a deranged man from killing his wife." ...

H.R. 2159 is yet another grab for guns by the government
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"The men who made our system of government understood that individuals could not be trusted with too much power, and by separating power into executive, legislative and judicial branches created a clockwork mechanism of checks and balances. Representative Peter King of New York seeks to unbalance the system our constitution created by shifting the balance of power to the executive branch and at the same time making it easier to block gun ownership. The snappy title to H.R. 2159 is 'Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009'. Who wouldn't vote for that? ..." ...

Surrendering the Second Amendement:The Threat of Gun Control and the Obama Administration
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Barack Obama's presidential campaign has worked to assure uneasy gun owners that he believes the Constitution protects their rights and that he doesn't want to take away their guns."

"But before he became a national political figure, he sat on the board of a Chicago-based foundation that doled out at least nine grants totaling nearly $2.7 million to groups that advocated the opposite positions."

"The foundation funded legal scholarship advancing the theory that the Second Amendment does not protect individual gun owners' rights, as well as two groups that advocated handgun bans. And it paid to support a book called 'Every Handgun Is Aimed at You: The Case for Banning Handguns.'" ...

Both Parties Try Again to Keep People on Terrorist List From Buying Guns
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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... "On Monday ... a May GAO report to lawmakers updating its 2005 report was made public. ..." ...

"'This new report is proof positive that known and suspected terrorists are exploiting a major loophole in our law, threatening our families and our communities,' said Lautenberg ..."

"Continuing, Lautenberg said 'the special interest gun lobby has so twisted our nation's laws that the rights of terrorists are placed above the safety of everyday Americans. ...'" ...
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Submitter's Note: How quickly people on the watchlist morph from "known and suspected terrorists" to just plain "terrorists". It has been suggested elsewhere that Lautenberg considers anyone with a gun to be a potential terrorist.

Terror list not the right tool for curtailing gun sales
Submitted by: jgh
Website: http://secondamendmentfreedom.blogspot.com/

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"U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg has a point, to a point."

"The Democratic lawmaker from New Jersey says it 'simply defies common sense' to allow gun sales to people suspected of being terrorists. He's right until he proposes that the governments terrorism watch list should be the deciding factor of whether someone can buy a gun." ...

"... The FBI refused to divulge details about who was able to buy a gun and what their connection to terrorism might be. ..."

"Then theres the watch list itself, which has a number of problems, the first being its size. At last count, the list had more than 1 million names representing 400,000 people, and it;s growing quickly. ..." ...

NJ: NJ Action Alert: S1774 'One Gun-A-Month' Up for Surprise Vote
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Under the direction of Governor Jon Corzine (D) and with little notice to the public to ensure that New Jersey sportsmen and gun owners were not prepared to defend their Second Amendment rights from gun rationing schemes; the New Jersey State Senate today added S1774 'One Gun-A-Month' to tomorrow's voting agenda."

"Simply stated, this bill would prohibit an individual from purchasing more than one handgun within a 30-day period. The state already requires an individual to first obtain a permit to purchase a process which includes an extensive criminal background check and a minimum of 30 days to complete. This bill, as proposed, is just another step that anti-gun legislators are trying to take to erode our Right to Keep and Bear Arms." ...

A hilarious take on the giant new Homeland Security complex
Submitted by: motoboy

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"... Homeland Security has gained approval to build its new headquarters in southeast Washington, DC, on the site of St. Elizabeths Hospital. The facility is supposed to house about 25,000 employees - about the same number that populate the Pentagon. And since the grounds for the project cover about 400 acres, it will have room to expand for many years. Which it will undoubtedly do."

"Once a bureaucracy gets a permanent home like this, it's basically game over. ..."

"It's entirely appropriate that St. Elizabeth's has previously always been a federal hospital for the insane."

DHS to Cut Police Access to Spy-Satellite Data Submitted by: Larry	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced yesterday that she will kill a controversial Bush administration program to expand the use of spy satellites by domestic law enforcement and other agencies." "Napolitano said she acted after state and local law enforcement officials said that access to secret overhead imagery was not a priority." ... ------- Hat tip to www.antiwar.com

Rights group sues FBI to reveal its surveillance rules
Submitted by: Larry

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"A digital privacy watchdog group has filed suit against the Department of Justice in an attempt to make public new FBI surveillance rules that allow the bureau to spy on Americans even without any suspicion of terrorist activities."

"The Electronic Frontier Foundation has been tracking the FBIs new surveillance rules, in effect since late last year, which broadly expand the bureau's ability to use surveillance methods previously limited only to terrorism investigations."

"Now, the group has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice, asking the government to 'detail the Bureau's procedures and standards for implementing the Attorney General's Guidelines on approved surveillance strategies.'" ...
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Hat tip to www.antiwar.com

TN: Men Face Charges After Police Raid Wrong House
Submitted by: Larry

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"A father and son are furious after surviving a terrifying experience. They face criminal charges after police responded to their home by mistake."

"Murfreesboro officers responded to a 911 emergency call and somehow ended up at the wrong apartment."

"Roger and Justin Chilton woke to a pounding on their door at 3 a.m. Sunday. Justin - a decorated military policeman who had just returned from Iraq - answered the door holding his gun."

"The officers then arrested Justin and his father."

"'They held us at gunpoint, slammed us to the ground, stomped my hands and butted me in the back of the head with a shotgun,' said Justin."

"The officers charged the Chilton's with resisting arrest and aggravated assault for the incident." ...
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Hat tip to The Survivalist Blog.

NY: Endangering Lives to Protect a Government Cartel Submitted by: Larry	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"Some French tourists mistakenly got into an unlicensed taxi after arriving at JFK Airport, so New York police chased the van for several miles, putting the lives of everyone in danger before the driver crashed the van. The AP dispatch makes it sound as though the police were heroes and the van driver was a villain:" ...

PA: Pittsburgh Judge: Police Are Above the Law
Submitted by: Larry

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... "Abel, 35, was put on unpaid suspension (a rarity) and was brought up on charges of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and DUI. ..." ...

"Predictably, Judge Manning ruled in favor of Abel, insisting that while the off-duty officer's conduct was 'inappropriate, imprudent and ill-advised,' it was still justifiable, since police enjoy broad discretion in the use of force. Apparently that 'discretion' extends to driving under the influence of alcohol, in addition to pistol-whipping and shooting a completely innocent bystander."

"'It is not the obligation of this court to police the police department,' pronounced Manning as he placed his imprimatur on Abel's unprovoked assault on an innocent man." ...

NY: Guns for Groceries program
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"A local church is trying to keep guns off the streets with its "Guns for Groceries" program. The St. James Church in Johnson City is offering a $150 gift certificate to Wegmans to anyone who turns in a working handgun or automatic weapon."

"People can bring the guns in no questions asked. Police will check them out to make sure they weren't involved in any crimes and the weapons will then be crushed."

"The program was started last year and the effort was renewed after the American Civic Association shootings." ...

MI: Gun-toting picnic to be held in Traverse City
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

Gun advocates have a bang-up idea for a picnic in Traverse City.

A group called Michigan Open Carry Inc. plans to host a gun-toting picnic at Sunset Park on Saturday.

It's part of the nonprofit's ongoing effort to promote the legal, open carry of firearms and the Second Amendment to the Constitution.

Picnic attendees will walk around with pistols in hip holsters in a public park.

Not everyone is thrilled with the idea.

Virgilene Warren lives a few blocks from the park. She tells the Traverse City Record-Eagle she finds the picnic to be "a little disturbing."
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Submitter's Note: I wonder if the paper would be so ready to legitimize Virgilene's bigotry if it were a NAACP picnic?

Nigeria: FG Should Pay for Militants Guns, Says Princewill
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"Prince Tonye Princewill, the Action Congress (AC) gubernatorial candidate in the April 2007 general elections is very passionate about Niger Delta issues. ... In this interview with Ahamefula Ogbu, he maintains that unless certain initial faulty steps in the Niger Delta amnesty deal of President Umaru Musa YarAdua was corrected, the programme would fail. He also spoke on other issues" ...

"I believe that a gun should produce some kind of redemption not just for the person bringing it but for other individuals. If you ask me, I will say that if one gun is given in and it will be for the training, reintegration and rehabilitation of three people, those people may not necessarily be militants or ex-combatants." ...
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KABA Note: Interesting twist on the classic "gun buy-back".