One day after the U.S. Supreme Court smacked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for exceeding its authority when it reversed its long-standing policy on bump stocks by banning them, the Biden re-election campaign released a new advertisement touting the president’s gun control agenda while blasting Donald Trump for doing nothing.
As noted by The Hill, the Biden administration has defended the ban. The ad, which may be seen here, also brags about Joe Biden’s creation of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Biden also reminds viewers how he has taken steps to expand background checks, and that during his term, violent crime has gone down.
What he doesn’t mention is the fact that gun ownership has also gone steadily upward during the same time period. This tends to rebut the long-standing claim by the gun prohibition lobby that more guns in private hands translates to more violent crime.
The FBI has released its first quarter crime report for 2024 in which it is noted, “A comparison of data from agencies that voluntarily submitted at least two or more common months of data for January through March 2023 and 2024 indicates reported violent crime decreased by 15.2 percent. Murder decreased by 26.4 percent, rape decreased by 25.7 percent, robbery decreased by 17.8 percent, and aggravated assault decreased by 12.5 percent. Reported property crime also decreased by 15.1 percent.”
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms refers to another report, from Ammo.com, which notes, “Firearm ownership increased by 6.7% in the U.S. (all demographics) between 2017 and 2023. During that same time period, women increased ownership by 13.6%, and Hispanics increased ownership by 33.3%.”
“This is a significant report,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “because it literally destroys a myth that has been perpetuated for years by the gun prohibition lobby, that more guns results in more violent crime. Today, 29 states have passed laws eliminating the need for permits to carry firearms for personal protection, yet crime is down. More than 21 million Americans are licensed to carry, according to the most recent available data, suggesting they aren’t a problem, but might be part of the solution.
“More guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens is probably a deterrent,” Gottlieb said.
News Nation is reporting that at one time, “more than 520,000 bump stocks were in circulation” prior to the ban.
The high court ruling on ATF’s overreach further solidifies gun control as a major campaign issue.
