Feel good gun buy back

Ken Jones’ “Tunes for Gun Buyback” offer may be noble but there may be more “feel good” and publicity intentions than meets the eye. And Rick Hutto, as a public servant, you should at least know better. This is a “feel good” proposal intended to be more beneficent to the giver (Jones) than the recipients (i.e., gun donors and sundry criminals and street gang members).

For starters, here are three detrimental consequences of this proposal:

1) This is an excellent way for criminals to get rid of criminal evidence — i.e., weapons previously used in armed robberies and even murders — “no questions asked.”

2) The criminals then get rid of bad weapons in this “beneficent program,” only to go and steal newer updated firearms (not previously used in crimes) from law-abiding citizens and use them for renewed criminal activities.

3) Increased burglaries to obtain more weapons, with no reduction in other crimes committed with firearms.

These are some unintended consequences of gun buyback programs (e.g. Richmond, Va.; Miami, Fla.; and elsewhere). Even the federal government stopped HUD’s buyback programs in 2001 because it did not reduce gun violence and benefited criminals more than the law-abiding public.

If Jones really wants to help, he should fund a gun training and safety program with the NRA or the local police department, at least for women and the elderly. My wife and daughter took the one at Eagle Gun Range, and it has given me great peace of mind.

Miguel A. Faria Jr., M.D.
Macon, GA

This article may be cited as: Faria MA. Feel good gun buy back. Macon Telegraph, November 11, 2010. Available from: https://haciendapublishing.com/feel-good-gun-buy-back/.

Copyright ©2010 Miguel A. Faria, Jr., M.D.