The Patriot Post® · Gun Grabbers Smear Permit Holders

As we noted last week, congressional Republicans are working to pass national concealed carry reciprocity. Allowing law-abiding citizens who hold concealed carry permits to use them across all state lines makes sense, both in terms of fighting crime and securing fundamental Liberty. That’s why the gun grabbers are so furiously fighting it. The anti-Second Amendment Violence Policy Center (VPC) released an updated report this week ominously titled “Concealed Carry Killers.” VPC alleges that firearm permit holders have killed at least 921 people in shootings that did not involve self-defense. Since 2007.

We emphasize the decade-long date range for a reason — since 2007, FBI crime statistics show there have been 121,649 murders in the U.S., 81,665 of which were committed with firearms. Thus VPC’s number represents 0.01% of all such homicides over the last decade. There were nearly 800 murders in Chicago in 2016, most by firearm. VPC lists just three permit-holder homicides in Illinois over a decade.

By the way, almost a third of VPC’s 921 murders were actually suicides, and not necessarily using firearms. (Side note: Aren’t leftists all for assisted suicide?) And a great many of the other 600 are still pending cases — i.e., no convictions yet.

There are currently more than 14.5 million permit holders in the U.S. And yet as John Lott notes of VPC’s numbers, “A total of 324 permit holders purportedly killed other people.” What’s more, some estimates are that firearms are used 2.5 million times per year in self-defense. How many lives saved does that represent?

But that doesn’t stop the nefarious effort to paint all gun owners as villains. “As the gun lobby gears up to push for federally-mandated concealed carry, the facts show that far too many people with concealed carry permits commit horrendous crimes on a regular basis,” warned Kristen Rand, VPC legislative director. “Sadly, it is no longer surprising when a mass shooter — such as the alleged Fort Lauderdale airport shooter — is legally licensed to carry a concealed firearm.”

It is true that concealed carry permit holders are human and sometimes commit crimes, even horrific ones. The permit is not, after all, a certificate of angel wings. But American permit holders are also the most law-abiding demographic. Yes, 921 deaths is awful. One murder is. But VPC’s despicable effort to smear gun owners is beyond irresponsible. It reveals a blinding hatred of one of our most sacred rights.

(Updated.)