Shot in the Dark

Triumph Of The Twee

In yet another example of throwing good money after bad, the City of Minneapolis is teaming up with some of their poverty-pimp non-profit friends to host a gun buyback on August 27th, in North and South Minneapolis.

They’ll be offereing Visa gift cards – from $25 for an “antique” to $300 for an “assault weapon”.  The buyback will happen at (Station 14 in north Minneapolis and Station 17 in south Minneapolis).

I’ll let that sink in for a moment as you mark your calenders and locate your ATM cards.

But to add some extra wieselfreude:  there’s public art involved!

Unlike typical gun buybacks, following the August 27 buyback … the weapons will be decommissioned and given to Twin Cities’ artists to create statements about the impact of gun violence in our community.

Building upon the momentum of the national Guns in the Hands of Artists exhibit that PUC recently presented in the Twin Cities, the reclaimed guns will be given to local artists to create statements about the impact of gun violence in our community. This art will be a part of a new campaign called “Art Is My Weapon: a Minnesota Installation of Guns in the Hands of Artists.” A call for artists will be posted soon atwww.ArtIsMyWeapon.com.

And will this ‘art’ be sent to North Minneapolis, where the actual violence is?

Or will this stay in Kenwood and Crocus Hill, like all the other anti-gun protests?

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Mitch Berg

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18 responses to “Triumph Of The Twee”

  1. swiftee Avatar
    swiftee

    “They’ll be offereing Visa gift cards – from $25 for an “antique” to $300 for an “assault weapon”. ”

    These poor things. I’d pay more for an antique to hang on my wall.

    But a guy could buy an SKS for $150 and make a 100% profit on every one.

    In fact, calling the NARN crew to Terry Keegan’s place for a fund raising investment meeting would be a real hilarious, fun time!

  2. Scott Hughes Avatar
    Scott Hughes

    I’m guessing that neither of the Fire Stations is posted. If I were to go to those neighborhoods to turn in a POS weapon I think that strong consideration would need to be given to CC. Just saying.

  3. Night Writer Avatar
    Night Writer

    Have background checks been conducted on the city representatives buying back the guns? Will they be done on the artists receiving the guns? Is the City of Mpls a licensed FFL?

  4. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    I think if they’re “decommissioned” that FFL requirements are void.

    But I’d love to see how they’re “decommissioning” them.

  5. Night Writer Avatar
    Night Writer

    Exactly. Some “de-commissionings” may be different from others. Perhaps they’ll ask the guns how they self-identify, and if the gun feels as if it’s decommissioned then it will be considered as such.

  6. bosshoss429 Avatar
    bosshoss429

    I’m wondering how many of those “artists” would sell those guns for some quick cash?

    As Mitch points out, depending on what the lefties mean by “decommissioning”, they may still be saleable; i.e. removing the firing pin.

    I can see the ads now; “Starving artists gun sale!”

  7. jdege Avatar
    jdege

    I have an old Sears Roebuck single-shot .22 that my grandmother pulled out of a brush fire, about 60 years ago. The stock is a bit scorched, and nobody has ever had the guts to try and fire it, but it’s a firearm.

    Do you think if I spray-painted it black and duct-taped a bit of broom handle as a fore-grip that they’d accept it as an assault rifle?

  8. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    JDege,

    Tape a kitchen knife under the muzzle. $300 guaranteed.

  9. Joe Doakes Avatar
    Joe Doakes

    Two questions:

    First, does “decommissioning” a firearm involve actions that make Minneapolis PD a “manufacturer” under the State Department’s brand-new redefinition?

    http://pmddtc.state.gov/compliance/Applicability%20of%20the%20ITAR%20Registration%20Requirement%20to%20Firearms%20Manufacturers%20(Publish).pdf

    Second: is there anything prohibiting me from standing in front of the station with a sign “Cash for Guns, No Questions Asked” to offer consumers a better value than the city is offering?

  10. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    Cant’ speak to the first question. I don’t know.

    Second: There are people talking about that sort of thing. Stay tuned.

  11. Scott Hughes Avatar
    Scott Hughes

    I like Joe’s question. Maybe a public auction, let the city place it’s best bid. Someone’s going to sell a AR-15 or the like for $300.00, not very likely!

  12. The Big Stink Avatar
    The Big Stink

    I left Minneapolis for a host of reasons. This is one of them.

  13. bikebubba Avatar
    bikebubba

    Per what Scott notes, it’s only the foolish, along with criminals looking to unload a crime gun, that will benefit. What could possibly go wrong?

  14. Joe Doakes Avatar
    Joe Doakes

    Bikebubba, good point. Maybe I’ll go with several signs: one saying “Cash for Guns” and another saying “Quick Cash for Guns Used In Crime No Questions Asked” and a third “Hard Cash For Stolen Guns” and a fourth saying “Sell Me Your Murder Weapon, I’ll Hide the Evidence.”

    When the cops show up to move me along for the first one, I’ll switch signs and claim a First Amendment right to protest bad public policy. I’m entitled to a dozen police officers as escort plus 16 warnings over a two hour period before we negotiate whether I have to leave or I can stay.

    What . . . that’s the established precedent for protests, isn’t it?

  15. Joe Doakes Avatar
    Joe Doakes

    I wonder if I could hire a couple of 20-year-old African-American actors to wear low-rider pants and pulled-up bandanas, to stand outside the fire station during the buy-back, flashing gang signs while holding signs saying “I Buy Stolen Guns, Too.”

    The photo on Twitter would be priceless.
    .

  16. Seflores Avatar
    Seflores

    “Cash for Guns, No Questions Asked” & “Second: There are people talking about that sort of thing. Stay tuned.”
    Already repainting the “Food Truck” I sto… Commandeered for Public Purposes and extorte… Reasoned With a juvenile delinq… Misunderstood Youth graffiti tag… Urban Artist to repaint the rig so it will be a stealth re-purchase vehicle. I’m a regular Bill Davis. I’m gonna get rich, bee-ot… Female Dog.

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