Gun buybacks don’t work.

Let’s get that out of the way right now, they simply don’t work. They don’t reduce crime and they don’t get guns out of criminals’ hands. They’re a waste of time and money.

That’s not just my opinion, either. There are studies that back that up.

None of that is stopping the Orange County, FL Sheriff’s Office, though.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is teaming up with Crimeline to get guns off the streets. “Kicks 4 Guns” is a gun buy back event is happening Thursday.

“What we are trying to do is prevent the next tragedy,” said Sheriff John Mina.

After the mass shooting in Buffalo, New York and gun violence on the rise across the country, Sheriff Mina says this year’s event is about keeping Central Florida safe.

…

For more the 20 years “Kicks 4 Guns” has successfully taken thousands of firearms off the streets. The sheriff says those who give a gun, will get a $50 gift card. No questions asked, no I.D. required.

Oh, wow. A whole $50 gift card?

I’m sure that’ll make all the difference. I mean, that’s enough that people will be clamoring for the opportunity to turn their firearm in, won’t they?

Look, gun buybacks don’t work, but they especially don’t work when you’re offering absolute crap in return.

All they’re going to get are junkers, guns criminals want to dispose of, and the guns anti-Second Amendment people inherited and don’t know what to do with. That’s it.

You’re not making anyone safer.

Instead, what Mina is doing is virtue signaling. He’s appearing to do something so the people who vote for him will feel like he’s trying to be proactive, but all without having to actually be proactive about anything.

I mean, it’s a whole $50.

That’s not even a tank of gas in today’s dollars, for crying out loud, and this is supposed to entice people to bring their guns? Seriously?

This isn’t an event meant to make people safer. It’s a joke being perpetrated on the people of Orlando.

If you want to actually accomplish something, how about taking that money and putting it toward mental health services instead? How about conducting outreach to troubled kids and try to turn them around before they screw up their entire lives?

But no, that would require work and isn’t nearly as showy.

Sheriff Mina wants people to see him doing something without having to actually do anything, much like most of these efforts.

If he were just a bit more honest about what the gun buyback will accomplish–it’ll let people dispose of guns they’re too clueless about to dispose of themselves–I could at least respect it better. After all, we all know that crooks looking to dispose of guns that will tie them to their crimes will take advantage of these as well, but most folks will fall into that category.

But those guns aren’t the ones that are likely to be used in a problematic way. So instead of being honest, Mina wants to pretend this gun buyback will stop a mass shooting.

It’s almost adorable, really.