Memphis Gifts for Guns Nets 160 Firearms

According to the mainstream media there are 160 less firearms in Memphis, and according to The Commercial Appeal this included some 111 handguns – with the numbers broken down to include two derringers! Really, derringers? Are riverboat gamblers and saloon prostitutes the type of criminals that need to be relieved of firearms?

In a follow up story, also from The Commercial Appeal it was sadly noted that these firearms would likely be destroyed:

“The police department will check to see if the guns have been used in crimes. Those guns will become evidence. The rest will be destroyed.”

It was noted that many of the guns were inherited, and that some were truly unique, such as one that was believed “to be a World War I Russian-made pistol.” For the record, that firearm could have been sold to a collector or donated to a museum. Instead the previous owner was given a gift care worth $100.

If someone was given $10,000 for an house that was torn down, there would be outrage. It is a shame this type of interest in history and preservation doesn’t include firearms.