Turn in What?

Turn in guns? For what?

• Holding up an assault weapon surrendered for cash, Mayor Daley urged Chicagoans today to turn in their weapons on May 8 to stop the violence that prompted two state lawmakers to suggest bringing in the National Guard.

• Last summer, the prolonged recession forced a drop in corporate donations and a cut in the bounty —from a $75 pre-paid MasterCard for every gun surrendered to $50. The take dropped along with the prize. Roughly 1,900 guns were turned in, 44 percent below the average for the previous five events.

  This year, the bounty is back up to $75 per gun and remains at $100 for every assault weapon and $10 for each BB gun, air gun or gun replica.

  However, former Chicago Police Superintendent Terry Hillard, who is chairing the fundraising drive, acknowledged that only $50,000 has been raised so far to bank-roll gun turn-in bounties.

  Unless there’s a last-minute surge in contributions over the final week, that would only be enough to cover 666 prepaid MasterCard at $75-a-pop.

So they can only cover the cost of the first 666 guns turned in? Leaving aside the obvious biblical references of "666 guns," why would anyone even thing about turning in the one thing that's going to keep you safe in the current economic downturn and manpower crisis?

Guns are about to become legal across the board. Why surrender anything unless it isn't functional, and then you can use the $75 toward a more reliable weapon. Silly mayor.