WaPo Fact Checks President's Claim That States With Most Gun Laws Tend To Have Fewest Gun Deaths

Washington Post fact checkers give two Pinocchio's to President Obama's claim that states with the most gun laws tend to have the fewest gun deaths, which means the statement included "significant omissions and/or exaggerations," although the author notes he waivered between two and three Pinocchio's, with three being in the "mostly false" category. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2015/10/05/obamas-claim-that-states-with-the-most-gun-laws-tend-to-have-the-fewest-gun-deaths/?tid=pm_politics_pop_b

In the article the WaPo explains that when you exclude suicides, which account for 60% of gun deaths, then there is a significant change in where a state might rank in the number of gun deaths per 100,000 people.

First, the WaPo notes that the data is "mixed" on whether stricter gun laws lead to fewer suicides:

District of Columbia

Continues to lose in court with respect to its draconian and unconstitutional gun laws.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/us-appeals-court-strikes-down-one-gun-a-month-law-in-district/2015/09/18/137fa290-5e22-11e5-8e9e-dce8a2a2a679_story.html

In a 2-1 ruling, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for D.C. knocked down several provisions of the District’s Firearms Amendment Act of 2012, including requirements that gun owners re-register weapons every three years, bring their firearm with them to be registered and pass a knowledge test of local laws.


Writing for the court, U.S. Circuit Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg, a Reagan appointee, said the District government’s claim that limiting residents to registering one pistol every 30 days promotes public safety by reducing the number of guns on the street, “does not justify restricting an individual’s undoubted constitutional right to keep arms (plural) in his or her home.”

He continued, “Taken to its logical conclusion, that reasoning would justify a total ban on firearms kept in the home.”

Interesting story from the WaPo

That supports the argument (even if they didn't intend to) that the problem isn't guns, the problem is felons with guns.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/how-dc-police-seized-nine-illegal-guns-on-one-of-the-citys-most-violent-nights/2015/09/05/e9078ff0-5269-11e5-8c19-0b6825aa4a3a_story.html

Of the nine guns seized, the vast majority were in the hands of convicted felons who were barred from owning a firearm. And Police Chief Lanier made the interesting comment that

There is a small number of repeat violent gun offenders who commit violent crime after violent crime after violent crime, and they are not spending any time in jail,” Lanier said.

This is an interesting article from the Washington Post

Regarding expanding Second Amendment rights. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/07/20/a-survey-of-legislative-action-on-second-amendment-issues-in-2015/

"The Outcry Worked"

I believe someone posted the story here 6-8 weeks ago about locals protesting a proposed gun store in Arlington, VA in a strip mall in the Cherrydale neighborhood. The person who wanted to open the store is a former marine who owns NOVA Firearms in nearby McLean. Locals didn't want a gun store in the neighborhood because "guns are bad" apparently. The owner of the strip mall announced today that NOVA Firearms would not be opening a store in Cherrydale because he had canceled the lease. Details aren't clear but story implies that the owner of NOVA Firearms agreed. Funny thing is that there is a pawn shop literally three blocks away that has sold guns for 20 years, which nobody has ever protested, and if you want a broader selection you can go to the NOVA Firearms location in McLean or to Silver Eagle Group in Ashburn. I drive by the strip mall (and two minutes later the pawn shop that sells guns) on the way to work and hate that this guy wasn't able to open his store.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-outcry-worked-arlington-wont-be-getting-a-new-gun-shop/2015/