The right to sell arms
The Memphis, Tenn., Police Department had previously seized a handgun used in a deadly shooting at the Pentagon on March 4, but later sold the gun as it was required to do by a new state law, according to CNN.com. The gun ended up in the hands of John Patrick Bedell, who was shot and killed after wounding two Pentagon guards using that weapon. American City & County asked the readers of its weekly e-mail newsletter if police departments should sell confiscated weapons or destroy them. Below are some of the responses.
“[Having] a few less lethal weapons in the marketplace is a good thing. Scrap metal is pricey these days and recycling/going green is in vogue, so let’s dispose of these firearms in a like manner.”
— Jay Gsell, Genesee County, N.Y., manager
“If an individual wants a gun for a criminal act, he will obtain it through whatever means available. The sale of seized guns in no way contributes to criminal uses of a gun.”
— George Jones, city manager, Drumright, Okla.
“The real issue is how convicted criminals continue to get guns while law-abiding citizens are denied their rights.”
— Edward McGuire, facility maintenance manager, Henderson, Nev.
“Speaking as a private citizen, I think gun control advocacy groups should be given ‘right of first refusal’ to buy them at their fair market value. If no bona fide gun control group wants to buy them, [the guns] should be sold through the normal regulated procedure.”
— Craig Minor, town planner, Cromwell, Conn.
“The root cause of crime is not the weapon but the person, and these guns are sold to ‘legally able to purchase’ citizens.”
— Frank Staples, safety officer, Vass, N.C.
“[People] who will purchase these firearms from a police auction are not only very unlikely to be involved in any crime or accident, but may very well use them to prevent a crime.”
— Al King, engineer, Lacey, Wash.