Quantcast


Mexican government trades Xboxes for guns; Vatos Locos no more photo

In a rather strange incentive program, Marcelo Ebrard, the newly elected Mayor of Mexico City, is trying to curb gun violence in the city's notoriously bad barrio; Tepito (barrio's are dangerous? Who knew!). But instead of rounding up the usual suspects and putting them in the slammer, the Mayor has decided to take a different approach. You can now trade in your Tek-9 for just plain old tech.

The Mayor is offering to exchange computers for guns (similar to San Francisco Care not Cash program, but waaaay cooler), hoping that this program will encourage a drop in gun violence. The tradeoff works on a sliding scale, though. Trade in that sweet high powered machine gun your madre got you for Christmas, and you can get a nice PC (estimated value $769); trade in that shrimpy, low caliber, it's so small your essay friends laugh at you gun, and you'll score yourself an original Xbox. Odelay!

On the first day of this program, only 17 people traded in their guns. Thus prompting officials to label it a "success", albeit a minor one. (It also prompted those 17 people to no longer be called Mexicans, but Techsicans by their gun-loving amigos). Whether or not the government kicked in for a years worth of Xbox Live, remains to be seen.

All joking aside, anything that gets guns off the street is a good idea, and it is too bad that this couldn't happen in the USA. Anti-gaming morons - the ones that think video games create criminals - would sh*t puppies if they found out that someone was giving actual criminals video game systems. Because that would, like, ya' know ... turn them into super criminals, or something. Right, meng?

[via Engadget]








More gaming stories around the web. Got news? Submit yours to tips@destructoid.com



Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

17 comments | showing # 1 to 17
prev next

noreign's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/28/2007 17:43
noreign
"Marcelo Ebrard, the newly elected Mayor of Tepito, Mexico".
He's not the Mayor of Tepito, he's the whole city's Mayor ;)
deadpixel's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/28/2007 17:51
deadpixel
slow news day
Dyson's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/28/2007 17:54
Dyson
*fixed, thanks!

@dead - welcome to spring.
Hamza CTZ Aziz's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/28/2007 18:02
Hamza CTZ Aziz
TACO KISSES!
yamabushi's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/28/2007 18:30
yamabushi
Im pretty sure I could trade a gun for an X-box in Mexico WITHOUT goverment approval.
deadpixel's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/28/2007 18:41
deadpixel
and summer's right around the corner, hurray for the blahest time of gaming
Roryzilla's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/28/2007 18:41
Roryzilla
AHH RACISM!!!! MY VIRGIN EARS!!!!11111oneoneone
ZeeJayTL's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/28/2007 18:46
ZeeJayTL
[quote="yamabushi"]Im pretty sure I could trade a gun for an X-box in Mexico WITHOUT goverment approval. [/quote]

yeah....I'm sure you can take over Mexico.

Why would I trade my rocket launcher, where I can play Ghost Recon:AW for real?
teknohed's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/28/2007 19:27
teknohed
Do you have to be Mexican? I've got an old Twelve Gauge somewhere in the Garage...maybe I could get a copy a new DVD-R drive for it.
Aaron Mxy Yost's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/28/2007 20:20
Aaron Mxy Yost
[b]X[/b[ for Guns programs never end up working the way they're meant to. People end up turning in old, broken guns that have been rusting away in their basements, while the people actually committing the violent acts continue on. At least some kid will get to play Halo by trading in his grandpa's old .22
Vorin's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/28/2007 20:25
Vorin
In a backwards universe crime would increase cause of people stealing guns to get the computers.
bobafettm's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/28/2007 22:45
bobafettm
In detroit we had a similar program for trading in guns for money... people we robbing people w/ guns for guns to sell them for this program.

Only in detroit...
John Martone's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/28/2007 23:59
John Martone
This story has made my less then stellar day. Thanks be unto Dyson and the Mexican government for making this possible.
moclippa's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/29/2007 01:45
moclippa
Whaaaaat? A criminal buying a computer system... that makes the chances of him murdering you, your family, your dog, and eating all the ice cream in your refrigerator while he's at it tenfold more likely!

Loe the day one of these 17 commits a crime, and all the nuts blame the xbox for it....
Tubatic's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/29/2007 02:12
Tubatic
Blood in Blood out was the bomb yo.
Dyson's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/29/2007 04:46
Dyson
Tubatic +20

(same to you J.M.)

Excel-2011's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/31/2007 08:46
Excel-2011
So how many guns would it take for me to net a PS3?
prev next

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

Comments policy

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?

Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!