A recent buyback in New Bedford, Massachusetts, however, may take the cake for stupid.

About 40 weapons were collected during a “Groceries for Guns” program Saturday at the Pilgrim United Church in New Bedford. Police Chief Joseph Cordeiro says the haul included 18 guns and 22 BB and pellet guns, some of which looked like the real thing. “I’m always concerned about the BB and pellet guns because they look so realistic,” said Cordeiro. “Many times guns of this type are used in robberies, so its good to get them off the street.”

Oh boy.

Now, it should be noted that at least one of these air guns still has the orange tip on it. That means that literally no one should mistake it for a live firearm unless they’re too braindead to comprehend reality in general.

Further, it appears they paid the exact same thing for the BB guns that they did for the actual firearms.

Among the haul looks to be an old, beat-up Red Ryder BB gun–and so close to the holidays? Ralphie will be quite disappointed in someone–the obligatory junk .22 rifles, and some very old revolvers. Another goodie looks like a Krinkov pistol but, frankly, it may well be an airsoft or another air gun. After all, that looks like the kind of thing they’d have bragged about.

At the end of the day, though, nothing about that buyback made New Bedford safer. Especially since BB guns aren’t generally used for murder or to seriously injure someone else. They’re used to scare someone who doesn’t know any better.

If only Massachusetts didn’t hamstring its law-abiding citizens with their use of force rules. I promise you, a few would-be robbers getting popped because they pointed a BB gun at the wrong person would put an end to their use for that kind of nonsense quick, fast, and in a hurry.

That’s the real problem in places like New Bedford. It’s not about BB guns or similar weapons floating around out in the wild. No, the problem is that citizens aren’t trusted to act in their own defense. Not really.

Change those rules and BB guns suddenly cease being a “threat” too much of anyone.

That is, except for young children who desperately want a particular gun but who are told over and over that they’ll shoot their eye out…then almost do. The Raphies of the world will still have that threat looming over their heads. The rest of the population, though? Not so much.