‘Rooted in liberty’: Republican lawmaker crashes woke church’s gun buyback scheme with ingenious play

 By Ryan Meilstrup, Daily Caller News Foundation

‘We didn’t just talk about the Second Amendment. We defended it, one firearm at a time’

A West Virginia state lawmaker crashed a May 2 “Guns to Gardens” event held by Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church at a local fire department, saving numerous firearms from destruction.

For decades, those pushing for gun “buybacks” have tried to convince people to turn in their firearms in exchange for a relatively small gift card payment compared to the actual value of the firearm. Republican West Virginia Del. S. Chris Anders told the Daily Caller News Foundation that in response to the church event, he arranged for the presence of both a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL) and a Class III dealer to comply with federal, state and local laws, including the National Firearms Act, and offered those looking to participate in the buyback a better offer for their guns.

The church planned to offer gift cards ranging from $50 for a handgun to $200 for a modern semi-automatic firearm, according to the Hagerstown Herald-Mail. Similar events are organized by state or local governments, a church or some other non-profit entity seeking to have people hand firearms over to them for destruction, often in exchange for a gift card, usually $50-$250, depending on the firearm.

Firearms collected in the “Guns to Gardens” were cut up on site to be turned into either art pieces or garden tools, according to the Herald-Mail.

full story at https://www.wnd.com/2026/05/rooted-liberty-republican-lawmaker-crashes-woke-churchs-gun/