Nations Trucks, a local used truck dealership in Sanford, Fla., now offers a deal through which each truck buyer receives a voucher for a free AK-47 assault rifle in addition to the vehicle's pink slip.
Owner Nick Ginetta assures curious bystanders that his dealership is not a Russian arsenal, but that the guns are paid for upon the purchase of a vehicle; buyers must meet all state and federal gun regulations and take the voucher to where they would normally buy the domestic version of the firearm.
Ginetta offers a $400 rebate to those who choose not to receive a firearm. From the standpoint of business sales, Ginetta's method is complete genius. The two-for-one sales pitch is one of the best ways to push a product and to boost sales. Florida demographics, a customer base that buys into guns and trucks, make it that much more of a lucrative plan.
He covers his tracks by strictly adhering to federal and state laws, therefore making it their responsibility to make sure the AK-47s do not get into the wrong hands.
In this sense, he has every reasonable right and reason to take advantage of the regional affinity for big vehicles and firearms.
But perhaps the type of person that would buy into the deal is exactly the person who should not have access or rights to own an assault rifle. Screening tests for firearms in Florida do not have a section for minimum intelligence requirements.
Ginetta unapologetically contributes to the proliferation of a dangerous firearm that should not exist legally in private residences.
Despite state regulations, there is no permanent or practical tether that attaches the registered owner of an AK-47 to his firearm; making the firearms more available can only contribute to violence.
It seems that we should be more critical of the state laws in Florida that allow this activity instead of the man who is only trying to make a buck. To be sure, it is not his fault that all of this is legal.
In too many cases, a person who should not own a firearm is approved for a license, and this occurs right under the nose of government regulations for guns. Even one more case, with the assistance of Ginetta's dealership, is too many.
Gun laws in Florida are obviously too lenient. New York gun laws make it nearly impossible to own a gun, putting each gun applicant through a lengthy rigmarole of paperwork, screening and delays for a license.
But taking on any constitutional amendment, especially any of the first 10, is a daunting task and one that almost never changes anything. To chip away at a citizen's Second Amendment right to bear arms could begin more than just a rally or a march.
Despite having the right to do what he wants in terms of sales and deals, Ginetta's approach is unethical. When some rogue decides to become an amateur sniper with his new AK-47, or when a stray 7.62x39mm bullet kills someone's child, it will be on his conscience and the government's.
Many people will choose the $400 rebate in lieu of the gun coupon. But Ginetta, as a good salesman, is looking for the controversy; newspapers as far north as New York are reporting on his dealership.
We will keep our eyes out for gun related crimes in Sanford, Fla.; perhaps one day, we can say, "We called it."
