AMAC Exclusive – By Shane Harris
Amid constant leftist fearmongering about the supposedly disastrous consequences of allowing Americans to exercise their Second Amendment freedoms, new data shows that expanding rights for responsible gun owners – and actually punishing gun crimes – makes states safer.
According to a report from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost released in January, “six of Ohio’s eight largest cities saw less gun crime after the state’s ‘constitutional carry’ law took effect.” In June 2022, Ohio became the 23rd state in the nation to legalize constitutional carry, or permitless carry, which allows residents to carry a concealed firearm without having to undergo a burdensome and time-consuming permitting process. Since then, four more states have passed constitutional carry, bringing the total to 27.
Notably, Ohio’s law as well as constitutional carry laws in other states still prohibit certain people from buying or possessing a firearm, such as felons, people convicted of domestic violence, and individuals with serious mental health conditions. Legal gun owners in Ohio are also still prohibited from carrying inside schools and government buildings, and are not allowed to consume any alcohol while carrying, also tracking with other states.
As has been the case wherever conservatives advance pro-Second Amendment legislation, Ohio liberals vehemently opposed the institution of constitutional carry, insisting that it would lead to a rise in gun violence. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther called permitless carry “reckless and dangerous,” while the Ohio Democrat Party predicted the change would “make all Ohioans less safe” and increase gun crime.
But the data cited by Yost’s office shows that the exact opposite occurred. In the capital of Columbus and Ohio’s largest city, the rate per 1,000 residents of crime incidents involving a firearm declined from 10.79 in the period June 2021 to June 2022 (one year before constitutional carry took effect) to 9.55 in the period June 2022 to June 2023 (one year after constitutional carry took effect). Every other major city in the state except Cincinnati and Dayton saw a similar decline.
As Yost emphasized, the report does not “downplay the very real problem of crime in many neighborhoods in our cities – you don’t need a research team to see that gun violence destroys lives, families and opportunity.” However, he continued, “The key takeaway from this study is that we have to keep the pressure on the criminals who shoot people, rather than Ohioans who responsibly exercise their Second Amendment rights.”
But these statistics from Ohio merely re-emphasize decades of data showing that both constitutional concealed carry and open carry laws (allowing those eligible to own a gun to carry it unconcealed on their person in public) are associated with less violent crime and less gun crime.
Back in 2015, for instance, then-State Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida was highlighting how Department of Justice data showed violent crime was 23 percent higher in non-open carry states as he lobbied unsuccessfully for an open carry bill.
However, Sunshine State Republicans successfully passed a constitutional carry bill last year, which Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law. Although there isn’t yet enough evidence to draw a direct link between the passage of constitutional carry and a decrease in gun violence (the bill only went into effect on July 1, 2023) Florida did see an overall 10 percent decrease in gun deaths and injuries in 2023 compared to 2022, including decreases of up to 20 percent in some cities.
In Alabama – a state that consistently ranks among the worst per capita for gun violence – constitutional carry took effect on January 1, 2023. Again defying liberal predictions of more violence, gun deaths saw a modest drop from 1,277 in 2022 to 1,141 in 2023. Meanwhile, the city of Birmingham saw its first drop in homicides in five years, while violent crime in Montgomery was down 10 percent last year compared to 2022.
Just to the east, Georgia legislators implemented constitutional carry in April 2022. In 2021, there were a total of 2,200 gun deaths in the state. In 2023, that number dropped to 1,897. In Atlanta, homicides dropped 21 percent in 2023 from 2022 as police focused on targeting illegal gun ownership and criminal gangs.
It’s also worth noting that the state which has had constitutional carry the longest – Vermont, which has never passed any restrictions on the practice and thus effectively has had permitless carry since its admission to the Union in 1791 – also has the lowest homicide rate in the country, along with ranking among the states with the lowest violent crime and gun crime. Vermont’s two neighbors, New Hampshire and Maine, have also had constitutional carry since 2017 and 2015, respectively, and consistently rank among the top five safest states in the country, per CDC data.
And of course, many of these gun death statistics are already inflated by adding in figures for suicide by gun.
However, despite ample data suggesting that upholding the Second Amendment leads to less gun violence, blue states and Democrats in Washington are still trying to further restrict the rights of responsible gun owners. On this issue as well as many others, it seems that the left still can’t just trust the science.
Shane Harris is a writer and political consultant from Southwest Ohio. You can follow him on Twitter @ShaneHarris513.
Well written article. I would, however, change the term “liberal myths” to “leftist propagandizing LIES”; more inflammatory, but more accurate.
This will never be reported on legacy media.
The Left will make up all kinds of convoluted ways to disarm everyone. Let us not lose sight of the fact why the Left is so anti-gun — they know they cannot enslave people with guns.
Americans were given the right to bear arms to protect themselves by the founding fathers. Today with the astronomical jump in crime, it is imperative that this right still remains. The Blue Cities are cutting funding for police departments, while crime escalates. When criminals strike only the armed will be able to protect themselves; others will be defenseless as our limited police force will not be there.
Go to the FBI crime stats: Nobody wants to discuss the “elephant” of what I call a “culture of violence” that exists in minority demographics. The fact that the risk a young black man being killed by another is the #1 cause of death proves it. Hope no one wants an In and Out Burger in Oakland, they’re closing it up because of crime and its not because of “white supremacists”.
So what else is new? All this information has been known for years, but we still have the Dem’s and Rino’s trying to disarm us so they can have complete control.
Let’s look at this in a slightly different way. There are two types of Animals on this earth, Predators and Prey. None of us can argue the right of the Gazelle roaming on the Serengeti the right to use its antlers to defend itself against a Leopard that’s chosen the Gazelle for his next meal…correct? Yet our government would have the Gazelle (Prey), cut off his antlers and not have the ability to defend itself against the Leopard (Predator). All this will do is create more predators.
So remember this, an armed society is a polite society and a man with a firearm is a citizen where as a man without one is a slave.
Trump 2024
I cannot think of many ideas or policies from Democrats that are good for us citizens. This is a good article and example with data, of more misguided actions from Dems.
VICTORY FOR GUN CARRIERS HOORAY
“…it seems that the left still can’t just trust the science.” The author of this article is being too kind to the anti-gun liberals. What the liberal elite fear is an armed population. They know that one cannot abuse the rights of an armed people.
The Democrats and RINOs know what the statistics on crime show, and they don’t care. These “leaders” also know that the Second Amendment was inscribed into the Bill of Rights to enable the people to resist a government that might become tyrannical.
EVERY society has its criminal element even the communist Chinese. And the best way to reduce criminal behavior is to jail the perpetrators, and throw the cell lock key away. It’s not a “mistake” to threaten, injure or kill a law-abiding citizen with a gun. Anyone who misuses a firearm needs to perform hard labor until he needs a walking aid to get around.
If you had some good on.carry laws ,you would see it drop futher. Pity the law aabiding people in Chicago. Kyle L.
Dr. Lott has repeatedly shut down the LIES from the Left. When Florida passed open carry, the LIBS said it would be like the Wild West. What actually happened? Crime went DOWN!
I would like to see automatic death penalty for those who shoot or kill any one while committing a crime and should be by hanging, it was ok with the founding fathers, but now we have people that want to protect criminals. my opinion.
Remember: “Beware of being tolerant of tolerance” and
“Speaking the truth is offensive only to those who don’t want to hear it”
Carrying a gun: Permit issued 1791
Expiration Date: NEVER
It is not, never was, about the “science.” It is, always has been, about population control. For the record and additional perspectives, review all the nations which have passed laws forbidding all their citizens from owning personal firearms of any kind and see how many have devolved into totalitarian governments. Citizens have no means to protect themselves from their governments, all of which are very heavily armed.
AMEN TO THAT! THAMKS TO AMAC FOE PRINTING THE TRUTH BASED UPON THE REAL FACTS!
Finally some truth !
There are a myriad of studies showing that America with guns is one of the safest countries in the world. If you remove 5 or 6 cities, (HINT all are Democrat run with the strictest gun laws), from all gun related incidences we rank 3rd or 4th in the world for fewest gun deaths/violence.
They don’t want to trust the science. Otherwise who has to kill all those people the criminals kill now? Under the guise of guns kill people they want to take the guns away from honorable citizens and put them in the hands of criminals. This article points out if the citizenry have guns the criminals commit less gun violence. They never know in an open carry state who has a gun and who doesn’t. They don’t want to be killed either. The dems don’t want ordinary citizens to carry a gun. And especially not the police. The perp in a police shooting is always made the victim. Defund the police is a tactic to get rid of the white people. That is why they come across the border by the millions to replace us. Only ole Joe wants to disarm the opposition first under the guise we are all racists. Everything is a plan and taking guns away from law abiding citizens is number one.
all gun control is bad. further all laws, regulations, and opinions that restrict the right of a citizen to protect themselves and their property are bad.
If someone tries to steal your car or even your lawn mower it needs to be legal for you to use the force of your choice. Especially now when we knwo the police are not goign to do a damn thing and the insurance is going to give you 10% of the value of the property.
Love it.
Demoncraps will just go out and hire hit men to bump up the percentage…
Full disclosure: I live in one of those blue states (New York) where democrats have never met an attempt to infringe on the second amendment rights of law-abiding citizens they didn’t like. The only science they follow is the science that fits with their gun control agenda. The only thing people who ate concerned about the infringement of their second amendment rights is VOTE THE GUN CONTROL CROWD OUT OF OFFICE AND VOTE IN PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THE SECOND AMENDMENT!
Gun violence in North America is certainly a problem but it’s not the problem media makes it out to be. North America’s largest problem is the news media itself and an all but useless educational syste that preaches media-driven indoctrination. But, North American politicians are second to none in most categories of corruption…. Plan accordingly.
I absolutely believe in gun control !!!
I’ve stated this before (albeit somewhat tongue in cheek) on this forum before but it bears repeating.
Maintain a firm grip on the pistol using both hands in a modified Weaver Stance and hitting your target with a well placed “double tap” with zero collateral damage.
Now THAT is gun control we can use. Want more gun control? Along with freedom comes great responsibility, so, I would highly recommend you attend a premiere firearms training facility such as Gunsite Academy or other reputable facility near you so you can control your weapon like a professional.
Excellent article telling the TRUTH.
The Fascist liberals have been lying about so-called gun violence since Clinton. Remember, the term gun violence was created by democrats (Clinton) from the true term Criminal Violence so they could pass Illegal and Unconstitutional so-called anti-gun laws against law abiding American citizens instead of prosecuting the person committing the crime.
From the Unconstitutional 1968 Gun Control Bill to today there has NOT been one single murder stopped by ATTACKING Americans 2nd Amendment Rights. Nor has any of the so-called anti-gun laws have ever lowered crime (FACT). In every single State that has passed Unconstitutional so-called anti-gun laws crime INCREASED (FACT). Just look at NY, IL, and CA alone. Instead of prosecuting the person committing the crime the Fascist democrats blame everyone and the gun for the person committing the crime.
So the Fascist democrats blame the gun for the crime when in the entire history of guns in existence NOT one gun has killed one single person all by itself. Meaning, the gun is NOT a living person and therefore cannot operate without a living person.
What the Fascist democrats, FBI, and FAKE news don’t tell you is that thousands of guns are used DAILY by law abiding citizens to STOP crimes and PROTECT themselves and their FAMILIES, and their BUSINESSES from VIOLENT CRIMINALS.
So, each Fascist democrat that has voted on an Illegal and Unconstitutional so-called anti-gun law is and has Violated their Oath of Office to Protect, Defend, and Uphold the U.S. Constitution.
So now they still want to take away your Right to Protect yourself, Family, and Business while they encourage and allow MILLIONS of their ILLEGAL ALIEN TERRORIST INVASION to VIOLENTLY KILL YOU.
All while they hide behind the military and heavily armed guards with Assault Weapons to only protect themselves.
That’s reality.
The Socialist Democrats politician’s, District Attorney’s, Judges and lawyers are the reason for gun violence! They let the criminals loose to continue to put fear in law abiding citizens! This helps the weak to say it is the guns and to take guns from law biding citizens! The Socialist Democrats want to seize the guns from law abiding citizens, so they have total control! The criminals will still have theirs, so they can continue to kill the innocent citizens!
You have an European country calling to arm its citizens and to even train them to fight to protect their country! Our Socialist Government wants to make us even weaker for their gain!
Dems know all this but seek gun bans anyway because their long term plans call for things armed people wouldnt put up with. Its just that simple, in spite of biteme yapping about needing f16s. The lust for the ability to go door to door herding sheep into ‘facilities’.
If you take away the gun violence in Democrat run cities, the numbers fall dramatically. In fact, taking away Democrat city violence makes the US one of the safest countries in the world.
Where are the millions of voices shouting, “No, we will not give up our weapons; we have that right!
Don’t like it, stuff it! Don’t carry and be victims of criminals who have their guns. Wake up, dweebs, wake up!” Better yet, stop shouting stupid mantras and educate yourself (you look stupid), as research after research is clear. Decent and good people carrying guns ARE NOT THE ISSUE.
Force prosecution by Dip S*** prosecutors who refuse. Demand tough laws. But, nooooo! liberalism is off-kilter, seriously so.
“An armed society, is a polite society.” – Thomas Jefferson
The hands and tools of those who perform abortions take far more innocent lives than all the guns in our country combined. Where is the outrage? Abortions demean the value of human life
Let’s remember one thing here. In America there are millions of “guns” or correctly, firearms. If the legal owners of all of those guns were unlawful, there would be a civil war and many people would die. The overwhelming evidence suggests that the majority of lawful gun owners do not cause harm or crime. If the court system was strong and did it’s job, those who commit crimes with guns would face the harshest convictions. You do the crime, you do the time. In short order we could clean up crime waves in Chicago and many other cities.
“…left…can’t…trust the science.” You mean won’t, because the left wants tyrannical control, which can’t happen with a well armed citizenry, which is why the Founders wrote it into our Constitution.
There not liberals their brainwashed communists .That no the only way to take America is to disarm us . The second amendment was not to protect hunting.
Allowing citizens to defend themselves may make criminals think twice about using a gun (If they think at all).
I think big media’s failure to report incidents involving “good guys with guns” contributes to the upside down perceptions by the public and lawmakers that more guns cause more crime.
Lets go Murphy——let New Jerseyans protect their families from illegals!
Although the majority of the article is spot on I vehemently object to the commonly used phrase “gun violence”. There is absolutely no such thing. A gun cannot be violent and the use of this phrase adds to the confusion and logically bankrupt opposition to individual right of self protection as rooted in common law for centuries. The tool used is irrelevant, violence of one human towards another is an issue of the heart and human nature. “You cannot slander human nature, it is far worse than words can paint it”.
“Have Gun – Will Travel” About a million cops and 20+million American citizens licensed to conceal carry weapons while now there are those uncounted by the permitless carry laws. The late pre-eminent law enforcement and armed civilian handgun trainer, Colonel Jeff Cooper, USMC WW2 veteran, once mused that the most effective deterrent to criminal predators is their aversion to the risk of getting shot by victims as certainly they would be by the cops. Time to end gun free zones and institute nationwide reciprocity of pistol carry credentials.
gov needs to control guns. after all they will protect us from the bad guys,( never… they are becoming the bad guys) In reality our forefathers saw the harm in government control of guns. gun control is required to make the government all controlling ( sounds like a full dictatorship, not a free nation.) Thank you Vermont…
Until you enforce the existing gun laws and put gun toting criminals behind bars for significant time, this firearm violence on the streets will continue. The problem is not with legal concealed carry, it is with felons committing crime after crime. No bail, low bail, wrist slapping repeat criminals by liberal judges is why we have the lawlessness we have now.
You can provide all the positive information you want about the benefits of Constitutional Carry and Open carry. You can talk until your blue in the face. The Democraps, (Leftists) gun haters and other conspiracy theorists won’t respond. Why because the refuse to listen to or read about the truth. The only thing they read or listen to is information that supports their cause. The only way to combat this issue is to figure a way to vote these idiots out of office, and silence those not in office. We need to start using the democraps methods, tactics against them.
I’m going to “Share” this on F-book and see how long it takes them to debunk (or, whatever that other term is) this.
See if their “Fact-checking) kicks in 🙂
Regardless, one should get a state issued permit to carry, especially if they travel. My OH permit is valid in 38 states, (guess which states are not included). My CT permit ups my “legality” to 39 states, DC not included.
How true Barrett, Something crooks don’t like is when you shoot back at them. A then again is the irresponsible gun owner who does’t lock his guns up and allows his/her children to have access to them.
If there is to be equality than every citizen must be allowed to carry a gun not only the criminal and every person must face justice not only the innocent
the dumbocrats are too stupid to believe real statistics about any type of statistics.
do your homework. Dick’s does not sell firearms
Dick’s does not sell firearms
We don’t need GUN control, We need GOVERNMENT control