The Memphis Grizzlies have come up with an interesting concept along with a local church to help remove guns off the streets and get more fans to attend their games. Below are the details of the program as per the article in the Memphis Commercial Appeal:
During the event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Bloomfield Baptist Church, the city and its partners plan to hand over a $50 Mapco gas card for each gun a person turns in, limited to three guns, or $150 worth of gas cards, per person. Those who surrender guns will also receive two free tickets to a preseason Memphis Grizzlies game.
“We’re doing everything we can to get guns off the streets,” said Memphis Police Department director Toney Armstrong.
The guns will be taken on a “no questions asked” basis and will be destroyed. The weapons will not be tested or inspected to determine if they were used in a crime, according to police department spokeswoman Karen Rudolph.
While I think the concept behind this promotion was created with good intentions I doubt it will really work. Do you think people that own guns are going to be that intrigued to give up something that is worth more from a monetary and safety stand point? Not a chance. If someone really wanted to attend a Grizzlies game I am sure they could muster up the $20 or $30 bucks required to buy nosebleed seats or even bargin down a scalper outside the stadium.
Furthermore, if you really wanted to create incentive why offer free tickets to a useless preseason game, make it more enticing for someone that is on the fence and considering. What about tickets to a Laker, Thunder or Heat game? Nobody cares about the preseason. Then you limit it to three guns, what if someone has more? You may remove those but they still possess a firearm and if it’s deemed to be dangerous in society that problem has not been resoleved.
Moreover, when you analyze the gun owners in society most people that have one legally registered do because of the right to bear arms. They are usually not the ones going crazy in society causing a ruckus and crimes. So getting them to turn in their guns would not resolve the crime issues. Because no criminal would ever give up their gun if it’s used as part of their livelihood to make a living.
Essentially this program does nothing. It’s nothing more then a publicity stunt trying to cast a positive cloud over the Grizzlies franchise. If society wants to clean up gun violence and crimes blame the GOVERNMENT and those that control them. If guns were never made in the first place these issues would never happen in society. Unfortunately we know that is not realistic due to human nature’s greed and ability to profit off guns and war. So please Grizzlies be more realistic and come up with a more logical marketing campaign for the 2012-2013 season.
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September 11, 2012
