Just The Facts

IN A WORLD WHERE GUN OWNERSHIP AND OUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS ARE UNDER CONSTANT ATTACK, HERE’S A LOOK AT WHAT THE NUMBER SHOW…AND WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THESE STATISTICS.

- Brad Fitzpatrick

IF YOU’RE A GUN OWNER, YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT OUR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS GUARANTEED BY THE SECOND AMENDMENT FACE CONSTANT AND CONTINUAL THREATS IN THE FORM OF NEW LEGISLATION AIMED AT RESTRICTING FIREARM OWNERSHIP. IN THE UNITED STATES, WE ENJOY UN-UNPRECEDENTED LIBERTIES, AND THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS IS ONE OF THE FOUNDATIONS UPON WHICH THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION WAS CONSTRUCTED. IN THE WAKE OF RECENT SHOOTINGS, MEDIA OUTLETS HAVE WORKED TO PAINT GUN OWNERS IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT, BUT WHAT DO THE FACTS SAY? WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THEM? WHAT’S THE TRUTH ABOUT GUNS, CRIME AND GUN OWNERSHIP IN THIS COUNTRY?

Below are a number of statistics gathered by the CDC, National Safety Council and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics that offer a more complete picture. Not only do these statistics need to be known and shared, but they also serve to teach us something about crime and how to defend ourselves.

Violent Crime is Down

Gun ownership is at an all-time high, and those who claim that legal firearm owners are the root cause of violence should be made aware of the fact that, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, firearm-related homicides were down 39 percent between 1993 and 2011, a very substantial decline.

Some of this has to do with the hard work of law enforcement, but it’s important to bear in mind that there has been a massive increase in the number of civilians who are allowed to legally carry firearms during that same period. Since widespread conceal carry laws were passed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it’s estimated that more than 7 million Americans are armed. If, as many people indicate, more guns equal more crime, then the statistics have shown the exact opposite to be true.