Returning fire to Gary Haynes
In the Feb. 27-March 4, 2008, issue of The Rock River Times, Mr. Phillip Wilson wrote a letter to the editor titled “He’s not a ‘straight shooter’.” It was in response to one of my previous columns that dealt with gun buyback programs.
In his letter, Mr. Wilson said, “I believe that our Rockford mayor swept the gun buyback program under the rug because he didn’t want to be bothered with the disposal of them (smelted down).”
Not that it’s that big of a deal (or expense), but most communities that do have a gun buyback program don’t smelt down the guns. There are any number of ways to dispose of firearms collected in these buyback programs. Many are crushed at a salvage yard, many are buried, many in seaside communities are dumped in the ocean or great lakes. Any competent gunsmith can render a firearm permanently disabled in minutes at very little cost.
Gun disposal is not the problem with gun buyback programs; the problem with gun buyback programs is they simply don’t prevent crime or gun violence and are, therefore, a waste of time and taxpayer expense.
If “hizzoner” really thought it may save a life, the notion that he wouldn’t do it simply because he is just too lazy to dispose of the guns is just plain ridiculous, Mr. Wilson.
Wilson calls me an “opportunist” for offering to buy people’s guns, like the term “opportunist” is some kind of a dirty word. I am an opportunist, unabashedly so, and proud of it. This is the land of opportunity, Mr. Wilson. Ingenuity and free enterprise are what made this country great—capitalism at its best. If people take the opportunity I give them to sell me their guns at a fair price instead of virtually giving them away for $25-$50 in a buyback program, would you call them “opportunists,” Mr. Wilson?
I invested considerable time and expense in getting my FFL (Federal Firearms License) because I saw a real need for those services, as well as an opportunity for myself. Owning, buying and selling firearms is perfectly legal, Mr. Wilson, and the degree of success I have had doing that is proof that I am supplying a real need here in our community.
Wilson goes on to say, “I’ll bet ya, he won’t buy any unregistered firearms.” I’ll bet ya I would, Mr. Wilson, and here’s why. We have not come to the totalitarian state here (yet, thank goodness) where we register firearms. That means virtually ALL firearms bought and sold in Illinois are unregistered. The only exception to that is Class III (fully automatic) weapons that are not even available to the general public.
Historically, registration is the first step in confiscating guns. First, they find out who has them and where they, are and then they come and get them. I buy, sell and trade firearms for a living, Mr. Wilson, and I know my business. If you are going to criticize me for that, at least you ought to know what you’re talking about.
Of course, I would not knowingly buy stolen guns. Knowingly buying stolen guns, or any other stolen property, is a crime in itself, Mr. Wilson. Anybody who does that is certainly not going to turn them in to the police.
Criminals know trafficking in stolen arms on the black market is a lot more lucrative than the $25-$50 they would get in a buyback program. Criminals may pay several times what a gun is worth on the black market, because that is the only way (other than stealing one) they can obtain one.
In the unlikely event a law-abiding citizen should come across a firearm that is not theirs (lost, stolen, whatever), it is their civic duty to turn it in. I know of no law enforcement agency in the country that would not be more than happy to accept it with no questions asked, whether they have a buyback program or not. Law-abiding citizens don’t need to be bribed with $25-$50 to do the right thing.
Bottom line is that government gun buyback programs are ineffective and are just another example of BIG GOVERNMENT gone wrong. What we need in this country is more personal responsibility, not more ineffective government programs. There are very few government programs that can do a job better than we can do it ourselves. Let’s let Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey (I) worry about things that local government can do something about (like the pothole problem) and leave private commerce alone.
Here’s a bet I’ll make with you, Mr. Wilson: I’ll bet ya that if I had offered to buy used cars, appliances or anything other than firearms, it wouldn’t have generated a silly letter to the editor from you.
Eric R. Sonnenberg is a Federal Firearms Licensed gun dealer who owns Forest City Firearms, 137 N. Chicago Ave., Rockford or online at www.forestcityfirearms.com. He can be reached at (815) 262-4279 or via e-mail to forestcityfirearms@insightbb.com.