A gun buyback program disguised as a youth gaming event is taking place today in New Orleans, offering PlayStation 5 consoles and other electronics in exchange for firearms.
Fox 8 New Orleans reports the NOLA Grown organization hosted the event at Milne Recreation Center from noon until 4 p.m., combining a citywide video game tournament with a firearm surrender program.
What Critics Say About Gun Buyback Programs
Gun rights advocates have questioned the effectiveness and constitutionality of buyback programs for years, arguing they collect firearms from law-abiding citizens while doing little to reduce crime. Research shows criminals rarely participate in voluntary surrender programs. The National Shooting Sports Foundation pointed out that "while no peer-reviewed research proves buybacks prevent or reduce violent crime, there are studies demonstrating their ineffectiveness."
"For example," the NSSF wrote, "SUNY Buffalo State researchers analyzed the impact of five gun buybacks held from 2007-2012 and found that they do not work. In a recent news article related to gun buybacks, one of the researchers, Scott W. Phillips, an associate professor of criminal justice said, 'Does it work? No…Should they keep doing it? I wouldn’t bother wasting their time.'”
These initiatives amount to symbolic gestures that chip away at Second Amendment protections without improving public safety.
Schools Receive Funding for Student Participation
The New Orleans event targeted youth through gaming incentives, offering tiered prizes including virtual reality sets, Nintendo Switch consoles, and PlayStation 5 systems as the top reward. Organizers set different prize levels based on the type of firearm exchanged.
Schools with five or more students participating in the tournament received $250 for their STEM programs. The winning school was promised $500. The tournament champion will also receive a PlayStation 5 console.
This setup uses public or organizational funds to encourage youth involvement in firearm surrender programs. Constitutional advocates consistently worry about government-backed disarmament initiatives targeting younger generations, which do little to stop gun violence but risk misinforming younger generations on the issues of gun rights and gun control.
Constitutional Concerns and Effectiveness Questions
Second Amendment organizations have challenged the premise of gun buyback programs. They create registries of firearm owners who comply, while criminals keep their weapons. The programs often collect older, non-functional firearms or weapons unlikely to be used in crimes.
Then there’s the financial aspect: taxpayer or donor dollars funding electronics purchases to convince citizens to surrender constitutional rights without due process or demonstrated criminal activity. The New Orleans event offered high-value gaming equipment, including PlayStation 5 consoles, which retail for several hundred dollars.
Combining youth-focused marketing through gaming tournaments with substantial prizes looks like a manipulation of younger citizens who don’t understand their Second Amendment protections.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member