Tucson Melting Guns… Again

We banned this by law. They’re ignoring it. But this law has teeth, and it’s biting.

Burning Guns
In Arizona we banned destruction of guns by law. They’re ignoring it. But this law has teeth, and it’s biting back…
Alan Korwin
Alan Korwin

USA – -(Ammoland.com)-Tucson is melting down guns it acquires. Again.

Arizona passed law specific banning this wasteful practice, and now state attorney general Mark Brnovich has taken action, required by law (this law has teeth!), to stop Tucson from illegally melting down guns.

State law requires cities to preserve this property, worth millions, instead of the politically correct nonsense happening there. But the case exposes something even deeper than withholding state shared funds, the $170 million penalty Tucson faces, that has one of our local columnists concerned.

If Tucson, regardless of its political structure, somehow has the power to destroy guns it acquires, (it does not have the “right,” as the paper incorrectly says repeatedly, more grating to the nerves than hearing democrats constantly call our Republic a democracy), then nothing stops it from destroying cars it impounds — or anything else.

The city must have an obligation to preserve, protect and defend the assets it acquires. This is public property of enormous value and cannot be wantonly senselessly destroyed. The reason these guns are being municipally melted is a sign of a sickness — hoplophobia — and pure gunism, blind hatred, with flagrant disregard for private property and the rule of law.

The people who implement these policies need remedial counseling, possibly even penalties. Does destruction of public property come with no repercussions? Who covers the loss?

Can you imagine demanding the destruction of impounded vehicles, because they are more dangerous to life than guns? And they pollute Earth? Do they realize firearms have to move through FBI background checks, they’re not “put on the streets” as media likes to help these weird politicians frame it. Cars are on the streets. Melting guns is irrational fear run wild, by politicians barely fit to serve.

FBI background check registrations are insufficient to these people. They begged and pleaded and campaigned for background checks, and now want more, but they’re obviously not enough. The smelter is the real issue.

This is the topic Tucson raises — violation of law by elected officials in pursuit of the same irrational perverse goal their fellow leftists pursue at everyone’s dangerous expense. It is an impossible attempt to quench their paranoid fears by suppressing the rights of innocent people everywhere. The notion of guns in the public’s hands is simply unacceptable to them. It’s not political, it’s medical, they’re hoplophobic, and a dire threat to freedom. Their unbalanced actions qualify them for removal from setting public policy and destroying valuable public property in the process, in violation of law.

My White Paper on melting guns details the counterproductive nature of these feel-good plans, and the unintended harm they actually cause, written with a Harvard expert: www.gunlaws.com/mesamelt.htm

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Elmer

Destroy the tools and recycle the criminals? It’s the Obama way….should be the other way around, but it appears their is far too much profit in crimes today. Do they also burn the victims as well? NYC does that with stolen cars & motorcycles & ATV with a crusher machine. The vehicle owner gets nothing in return, not even an insurance check for a replacement vehicle. Before the 1930’s there were very few prisons, just justice and armed citizens. Now we kill twice as many people to drunks on the roads and drug overdose than from guns, how is this… Read more »

Bob in Florida

Recall does not appear to be a solution that works. You have to get enough involvement (including by apathetic and anti-gun members of the community – for whom it isn’t an issue) to get the recall effort on the next ballot. (See my response to an earlier post above) If you can get a few state legislators to be upset that the laws they passed are being ignored by the subordinate politicians, you can persuade them to take measures to see their laws are complied with. It seems like we should be able to rely on our local officials to… Read more »

circle8

Tucson and Pima County has been controlled by crooks, inside and outside government, for as long as I can remember.

Gregory Armand

When police no longer obey the law we no longer have law. Somewhat quoted from an old 1970’s movie and very valid!

Ronald Wright

Why are the “individuals” who are violating the law not being jailed and fined? The “city” is the people; it is OUR money. Better yet, put the “criminal” in jail where they belong.

WHO is telling someone to destroy these firearms? Name/position etc. Why aren’t THEY being prosecuted?

It is past time these “politicians” get what’s coming to them. Prosecution!

Alan

What next? WIll you expect these “special persons” to stop at red traffic signalas, just like you are required to do?

A. X. Perez

Cut all state funds to the city for a hundred years. Then arrest all the politicians involved, begin though, five year investigation of their activities not covered by statute of limitations and hold in jail as flight risks, that time counting as sweet time if anything sticks. I know this is a trashing of their Constitutional rights, but why extend people protection of a Constitution they don’t believe in? (and yes I know the answer. Still what I really want to do is send them to Guantanamo as enemy combatants and treat them like the most radical members of the… Read more »

Alan

The recommended action might well be described as Returning The Favor, and perhaps has more than a little to re ommenting it.

Thom Paine

Get out ! ARIZONA isn’t your state you lefty scum . You aren’t wanted here. Or anyplace else that you haven’t ruined allready ! So I repeat GET OUT !

Alan

If I may pose a silly question re what appears to be wanton violatio of law by city officials, when will we be reading about the prosecution of these “criminals”, they being city officials?

OldCowboy

Alan, NOT soon enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Forrest

Well said Jim S .

Jim S

As a significant minority within the US we firearms owners are absolutely ineffective in lobbying our elected representatives. I watch as the LGBT community found a way to rally support for their cause with the end result being SCOTUS denies restrictions on their lifestyle. I watch as pot smokers lobby and after years of being put in prison find a way to get their lifestyle approved in most states (and the rest are coming). Yet here we gun owners that typically work and are probably better off than most of America cannot get our act together to protect our lifestyle.… Read more »

Byron

What is it going to take Real Freedom Loving Americans to get back OUR COUNTRY? Where is John Wayne when you need him?

Edd

Looking at AZ 13-3105 (C) and AZ 17-240 (C,2), any weapon that has been seized that is “prohibited for sale by federal and state laws” (sawed-off shotguns, fully automatic firearms, etc.) or that have been “defaced” (i.e.: serial number removed), can be destroyed.

How many of those weapons that were destroyed fall into one of these categories?

Tionicoi

a number approaching zero. Even if so, there should be documentation of that status prior to destroying them.

Theze bozos need putting on a short leash.

Bob in Florida

“These bozos need putting on a short leash.” Close! But, not good enough. If Arizona truly has a law against destroying seized property (almost all of which has a salvage value) then these lawbreakers need to be punished in accordance with that law. In Florida we were having problems with subordinate entities not complying with the states firearm pre-emption law. They were ignoring the state statutes – by their own admission – because there were no penalties proscribed against their actions. The state legislature (in 2012 or 2013?) modified the statute to make the penalties apply personally to Commissioners, Councilmen… Read more »

Steven

If they are “HOMEMADE” ones, ones that have been modified in a way that makes them unsafe, then OK. Otherwise that is someone’s property, and it should be returned. No matter what it is, a car, a firearm, a box of jewelry. They do not have the right to destroy someone’s else property just because they want to. That would be like someone going into a house and trashing it, just because they want to, and feel it is unsafe. That would get them toss in court and jail. Why is it that people who work in government and think… Read more »

Wild Bill

The trend that liberal/progressive/socialist/whatevers ignoring law when it does not fit their agenda; and saying what is politically correct then doing the opposite; and attempting to seize power any way they can is troubling. We need to push for term limits on judges and politicians, the people’s right to recall judges and politicians, subject Congress to its own laws; and repeal the NFA and the GCA, before it is too late.

Mother Earth

What about saving the fine wood, ivory grips, laser sights and expensive optics. There is, more often than not, more to a weapon than cold steel. Burning the stocks, foreends and grips is a crime in itself. The fine wood lost can never be replaced. Many collectors, hunters and people wanting to upgrade their weapons would be more than happy to get ” aftermarket ” parts for their firearms. STOP WASTEING RESOURCES !!!

Ron H

@Mother Earth, I worked for AZDPS for years in the Firearms Training Unit. The only way to meet or exceed minimal firearms training for the Officers was by trading seized firearms for ammo and equipment. Could not sell firearms or the monies would go into State General Funds and would not have access to it. We were ordered to destroy all weapons by Gov. Symington (91-97). It was disgusting and difficult to accomplish. We smelted them until EPA complained about possible carcinogens being released. Luke USAF Base would take participating agencies out to the Barry Goldwater Air Force range and… Read more »

Alan

Liberals got control??

Rich7553

To hell with the fine. Jail those SOBs!

Schebes

Agreed. They have “stolen” in excess of $1000.00 from the citizens in disregard for the law. They have committed a felony and should be prosecuted, sentenced, fined, imprisoned and be forced to pay restitution in the amount “stolen” as the laws proscribe.

Jim Macklin

Melting guns makes these people “feel” better because they prefer to be unaware of the millions of guns that surround their Ivory Towers. It is a stupid waste of property and a destruction of historical interest. Many of the guns destroyed are stolen and the government fails to search for and find the rightful owners. To a certain extent, destroying guns supports the gun manufacturers who will manufacture and sell new guns to replace the destroyed guns. This is part of the guns confiscated because a crime was committed by a person, the gun is an inanimate object, but these… Read more »

TRUTH BE TOLD

Most laws in american now need backed up with a gun including this one, how long until we attack those who attack us? Not long I hope and I wanna read about it….

HANS GRUBER

NO SHIITE, IT IS LONG OVER DUE. OUR OINKERS ARE JUST THE GESTAPO AND LONG HAVE BEEN. THEY ARE THE ARMED GUN GOONS FOR THE CORRUPT THAT RUN THE SYSTEM FROM SMALL TOWN, USSA TO THE TOP OF THE CORPORATE OWNED FEDERALIST REGIME. THEY ARE THE BLACK & BLUE MAFIA. THEY ARE REWARDED FROM THEIR LITTLE PECKERED, AUTHORITARIAN, PLUTOCRATIC MASTERS HERE IN THE UNION OF SOCIALIST STATES OF AMERIKA!! THAT IS WHY THEY GET TO PISS ON THE CONSTITUTION AND HAVE FOR A CENTURY OR MORE. AS LONG AS THEY KEEP THE MONEYED MASTERS IN POWER AND THE SHEEP IN… Read more »