Gun control is losing in this country. Since the mid-eighties, gun rights have slowly begun to pick up speed with the vast majority of states adopting more lenient gun control laws and passing concealed carry legislation. The gun ban movement has lost one Supreme Court fight (Heller) and is on the verge of losing another (McDonald). Reports are in from all over the country that concealed carry licenses are being issued at record rates. Ohio, for example, issued more licenses in 2009 than it did during the first year the program was enacted back in 2004.
Now that the American Public has seen through one set of lies it is time for another. In the past, most of the effort has focused on blaming the gun for the actions of the person, now they are going all out to demonize gun owners themselves.
The latest attempt is by the Violence Policy Center who has done "research" and is keeping a tally of all stories they can find where a person with a concealed handgun license has killed someone. Currently, they claim a number of 151 deaths since 2007.
It is unfortunate that the licensing process is not a magic indicator that a person is a fine upstanding citizen. However, it can be shown that as a whole, the kinds of people who jump through the hoops to get one of these licenses are among the most law abiding segments of society. The very number reported proves that. 151 deaths over three years works out to 50 per year. While every loss of life is tragic on some level, we do need some perspective on the issue. So, let's look at a few things that kill more than 50 people per year to see if maybe we should focus our efforts there instead.
- People with driver's licenses killed 37,261 in 2008
- Medical personnel are estimated to kill 225,000 people per year due to mistakes
- An estimated 1,500 children per year are killed by their parents
- 73 people per year die from lightning strikes
- 3,500 people drown
- 63,000 die from the flu
The list goes on and on. We can't punish the many for the acts of the few. We don't take away everyone's driver's license just because a drunk driver kills someone. We punish the person who committed the crime. But, that kind of logic doesn't further an agenda.
So the anti-gun forces will continue their efforts to marginalize gun owners, especially those that choose to carry guns for self-defense. But with the number of people who do exercise those rights continuing to grow, it is more and more likely that John Q. Public will know a concealed carry licensee and will realize the truth: that those people are not that much different from the rest. There are good and yes there are some bad. But the good far outnumber the bad and that's why the gun grabbers will continue to fail
Comments
I would like to compare that yearly stat with the number of people murdered by LEO's.
They only hate us until one bad guy is raping their wife or 12 year old daughter, and the other bad guy is holding a knife or gun on them. Then they're praying that someone with a gun comes along and saves them.
The word in your article is "Kill", not "Murder". You will have to examine their statistics closely. It may be self defense.
The gun is not the culprit in a crime. Absolutely, but the government issued "permit" is not a magic wand either.
The good folks of Vermont and Alaska have shown that people do not need a government permission slip in order to responsibly exercise their HUMAN right to self defense.
The constant emphasis on the "permit" gets very tiresome. I don't have to "jump through hoops" to be a responsible gun owner and self defender.
I liked the graphic map. Washington State was "shall issue" ten years before Texas? What's up with that?
I've read some of the stories behind the 151 killed the Violence Policy Center has on their website, many of them DON'T even have a license to carry, some only have a locally issued licenses to purchase a firearm, and others had a concealed carry license in the past, but weren't licensed at the time of their crime. If licensed carriers actually were a problem, they wouldn't have to stretch their imagination so much to fabricate a story for their website.
Personally, I always like to throw that number back in their faces. I've seen the total number of ccw estimated at 6 million. If the Brady bunch number of 151 is true, and every one of those should be challenged for veracity, but even if they are all valid, then what does it say that the ratio of permits to violations is so infinitesimaly small? As JL points out, it's certainly as good as if not better that the record for trained law enforcement personnel. So with such a low incidence of trouble if you concede that there is any positive benefit to armed self defense, then the Brady numbers make the case for our side, not theirs.
In short; Between what the Federal Congress refused to do, ( secure ‘rights’ ) what the D.C. rulers did do, ( violated ‘rights’ ) and what the SCOTUS sanctioned ( all violations of ‘rights’ on both levels with but a minor exception ) any question one might have entertained as to the Federal government’s current position of ‘reasonable restrictions’ on the IRKBA has now been quite thoroughly answered.
Nat’l healthcare (?) legislation will prove to be the new Trojan horse for GUN CONTROL.
As for the Brady Campaign to promote violation of 'rights', empower themselves and gov't while assuring an endless supply of victims-in-waiting & demonize the law-abiding Citizens...
"Once a cause, morphed into a business, now just a racket."
***
“Until all governments are stripped of powers to tax personal income--no American can rightfully claim himself a Freeman. Until this arduous task is accomplished, Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness will never again be actualized.” CIDGofOne
While many view the outcome of the D.C. v. Heller case a ‘victory’ for the IRKBA, my view, in part, is that members of the SCOTUS cleverly maneuvered around revealing the most rudimentary fact that the Federal gov’t has been in violation of the prohibitive law written into the IIA since the 1930’s. Additionally, SCOTUS member’s final opinion resulted in effectively sanctioning every ‘rights'-violating law already enacted by the local rulers in D.C., giving exception only to the legal minutia which made keeping a functional firearm or handgun in one’s own home legally impossible. Worth noting also is the Federal Congress has jurisdiction over the D.C. Council and has the authority to strike any law written in the District.
Lets see "the right to keep and bare arms". To keep means you can own it. To bare means you can carry it. Where does it say you need a government permit?
Statistics prove that CHL holders are just as likely to commit crimes as anyone else. To believe otherwise is pure delusion.
The second amendment is the reason why criminals, terrorists and psychopaths are well armed. Organizations like the nra help them to do so.
Alex, please post the source of these "statistics" or you're full of crap.
Also, you don't seem to know how the black market of supply and demand works. Even if guns were COMPLETELY banned, criminals could always still get one, probably EASIER than they can today, because the black market will always meet the demand of those willing to break the law.
Alex, buddy I hate to tell you but you are wrong. Perhaps if you have been to college you should have paid attention, or if you haven't been you should go. Cite your sources! 75% of all statistics are made up... lol.
I have hard facts and here they are:
Fact: People with concealed carry permits are:301
• 5.7 times less likely to be arrested for violent offenses than the general public
• 13.5 times less likely to be arrested for non-violent offenses than the general
public
In Florida, a state that has allowed concealed carry since late 1987, you are twice as
likely to be attacked by an alligator as by a person with a concealed carry permit.303
301 An Analysis of the Arrest Rate of Texas Concealed Carry Handgun License Holders as Compared to the
Arrest Rate of the Entire Texas Population, William E. Sturdevant September 11, 1999
303 Concealed Weapons/Firearms License Statistical Report, Florida Department of State, 1998 – Florida
Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, D
Alex you’re an idiot the stats prove time and time again the CHL holders are far less like to commit crimes as a matter of fact they even are better drivers and get less traffic tickets. Find me one case across the whole country were a CHL holder knock off a liquor store of robbed an old lady you can’t know why they don’t happen.
I abhor guns. I don't think the government should tell us what we can own, but I don't think anyone should want one. I don't need a gun any more than I need a hippotamus. And neither do you.
My husband is a life member of the NRA. He and my son are avid hunters. Most of my friends are very anti-gun. I can tell you that what my friends think of when they hear about "gun rights" is not you or my husband. They don't conjure an image of a tax-paying, law-abiding, responsible citizen. what they see in their mind's eye is the gun goon. And yes, you know what I'm talking about.
Yes, it's stereotyping, and prejudice. But that's what they think of. And if you want to change that image in their minds, then maybe all of the responsible gun-owners groups can launch a PR campaign, or some such thing.
And by the way. Maybe someone should tell certain politicians that talking about "second amendment remedies" to those who disagree with you politically doesn't help.
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