Last year, Michael Ward's 74-year-old father drew up a trust and named him as the trustee. Not so unusual. However, in this case, it was a gun trust, and Ward is not too thrilled about it, he writes in the Texas Observer. In short, his father loves guns, and he does not. But when his father passes, Ward will legally assume possession of five weapons—two revolvers, a pistol, a shotgun, and a semi-automatic rifle. And in his essay, he writes that this situation is becoming more common, as are gun trusts:
- Baby Boomers "own more guns per person than any other demographic group," he writes. "As many begin to think about their legacies, their guns will have to go somewhere. My 74-year-old father's plans suddenly include me, but I'm not alone. Survey estimates suggest that more than a quarter of gun owners have acquired arms not by purchase but as gifts or inheritances."
The problem for those like Ward, who have little interest in hanging onto the guns, is that it's a little tricky to get rid of them. He can't just toss them out, and they likely wouldn't fetch much interest at auction. Donating to a police department might be an option, though Ward has learned that what happens to the guns after that is "opaque at best." He concludes the essay by noting that "as a gun-loving generation passes, we're facing a wave of unwanted weapons. ... But rest assured, hard decisions are coming." (Read the full essay.)
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