How Chicago keeps you safe

       Recently I was in a gun store with my father and brother.  The owner was trying to talk my dad into buying an old revolver from the case because they would be gone soon.  

       "Why, you got a buyer?" my dad says. 

       "No, Chicago's doing another gun buyback.  I get a hundred dollar gift card for each of them, no limit."

       "No limit?"

       "Yeah, you go to one of these things and all the guns have tags on 'em.  They're all from stores."

       So let's review the stupid here.  First, this costs a crap-ton of taxpayer money, in an already bankrupt city.  Sounds like a bad idea, because it is.  I can't imagine the teachers, who did not get a contracted raise, and have already voted in favor of a strike, will miss this item when the city claims it has no money for raises during the coming negotiations.

       Second, these guns are not checked against the database of stolen firearms.  Apply that logic to a car, or computer turn in.  No questions asked, they are destroyed.  The real owner will never see that expensive item again.  Sounds bad, is bad.  Especially when you consider that law enforcement has an obligation to return stolen goods to their owners.  

       Third.  If the firearm had been used in a murder, the odds of solving that murder just went down to zero.  These guns are accepted, "no questions asked", and destroyed.  I guess Chicago figures they can't afford to hire enough detectives anyway, so why have them actually solve murders.  They need to spend their time pressing felony charges against recreational pot smokers... but that is another post.  (I know they are working toward misdemeanor tickets, I just don't think it will happen there, it makes too damn much sense)

       Fourth, as the owner of the gun store pointed out, criminals don't turn in guns at these things, (unless they need evidence destroyed) but store owners with non-functioning junk pistols do.  I do think we should always help our small business owners, but this is not the way to do it.   

       But hey, if you need to plan a murder, the city of Chicago nicely posts the dates and times of all the gun turn in events.  Turn the damn thing in warm and still smoking.  They won't care, as long as they are "Keeping you safe, by keeping guns off the streets"

       Glad I can watch this mess from afar and laugh at it.  (Not far enough, but far).