Joe Doakes from Como Park follows up yesterday’s report from the Saturday “gun buyback”:

I sent this email to the Star Tribune reporter, liz.sawyer@startribune.com

“Your article “After Strong Response” regarding the Minneapolis gun buy-back stated they handed out $25,000 in gift cards. I don’t think that’s correct.

I was the sixth person in line at the South Minneapolis fire station. They ran out of cards before I got mine. Five people at 3 pistols per person is $3,000 maximum, I can’t imagine they handed out $22,000 at the North Minneapolis fire station.

After a couple of hours of dithering, the cop in charge said they’d mail out cards if we wanted to leave our names and addresses, which I did. Today, I called Breanna Brailey at Pillsbury United Communities and Sgt. Cathy Michal, the Public Affairs Officer for Minneapolis PD, to ask when I could expect to receive my cards, but have received no response from either of them. [update: Sgt. Michael called back to say the PD didn’t fund the program, officers were merely there to safely collect weapons, they have no money and aren’t sending any; she directed me to Pillsbury United].

Reporter Libor Jany’s August 24th Star Tribune article stated gun buy-backs generally net 300 guns. This one took in 150 guns but only because the owners extended credit to the cops, who promised to pay after running out of cards. The cops offered to accept voluntary donations but nobody accepted that offer, we only relinquished our guns on promise of payment.

It looks as if Pillsbury and Minneapolis PD are claiming success for PR purposes despite the historically poor result, and the silence about payment hints they are intending to stiff citizens who participated in good faith. A follow-up investigative report would be welcome.”

I don’t expect a follow-up, of course, because what’s in it for the Star Tribune to make a Liberal foundation look bad? Nothing.

But think about it: the PD and Mayor are spinning this event as a Crime Fighting Victory. But they only bought two dozen guns. By historical standards, that’s pitiful.

They took a few dozen more because middle-class White people still have faith in the police: the cop said we’d get paid, we took his word for it. Even with seller-financing, the whole charade netted half of historical levels and intentionally closed six hours early because there was no money. Think of how many guns they’d have gotten if the doors had stayed open for the whole time? People in line wouldn’t have sold to me if they could have sold to the cops. And everybody knows gang-bangers work late hours so they aren’t early risers — no wonder we didn’t get any of their guns.

The gun buy-back was a half-hearted, under-funded FAILURE but it’s being spun as a success. We need to keep reminding people that it’s a pathetic lie and the people peddling it are pathetic liars.

Joe Doakes

I’m not sure Strib reporters actually respond to peasants anymore, but we’ll keep you posted.