Opinion
Fairfax, VA – -(Ammoland.com)- Disgraced Governor Ralph Northam and his anti-gun allies in the newly elected legislature have made it clear they are hell-bent on enacting gun control. They want to take your guns and they want taxpayers to fund it. They’ve seen the same research that has shown that gun control doesn’t work.
Violent crime in Virginia fell for the second consecutive year, and the Commonwealth has the fourth lowest violent crime rate in the nation – also for the second consecutive year. Virginia had the 25th largest decrease in the violent crime rate from 2017 to 2018 while holding its spot as the fourth safest state. Virginia is outpacing the nation in reducing violent crime; the national rate decreased by 3.6% while Virginia’s decreased 5%.
It isn’t just overall violent crime that has decreased in Virginia. The murder rate fell by 17.3%, and firearms-related homicides specifically fell by 13.8%. For all of the Bloomberg talking points, Northam and his minions regurgitate, there were eight homicides with a rifle of any type in Virginia in 2018. There were 3.75 times more homicides with knives (30 total) than rifles of any type and about twice as many fatal assaults with hands, fists, or feet (15 total) than rifles of any type.
Virginia has 14 times the population of Baltimore but 1.4% of the homicides (391 in Virginia statewide compared to 309 in the city of Baltimore). Clearly firearms aren’t the problem, and gun control doesn’t work.
The robbery rate fell 17.3% in Virginia from 2017 to 2018, and there was a decrease in both the number of robberies committed with a firearm (down 7.5%) as well as the percentage of all robberies that were committed with a firearm (down 2.4%).
The rate of aggravated assaults increased 0.7%, and changes in the number of aggravated assaults committed with a firearm tracked with the number of overall aggravated assaults (increases of 8.1% and 7.9%, respectively). The share of aggravated assaults that involved a firearm was steady while the percentage of assaults involving a knife or other cutting weapon increased 1.4%. There was a larger increase in the number of aggravated assaults committed with knives (9.2%).
So violent crime decreased. Homicides and robberies committed with a firearm both decreased while the percentage of aggravated assaults involving a firearm held steady and the overall aggravated assault rate only marginally increased. One might think, to listen to anti-gun legislators and activists, that Virginia is some kind of apocalyptic frontier with no law, no order, and danger around every corner. The data shows that Virginia is safe, both comparatively and categorically.
None of this is to suggest that any level of crime is acceptable. There is still a violent crime in Virginia, and there are still criminals to find, arrest, and prosecute. However, the best way to tackle the crime that does occur in Virginia is to focus on those who commit the crimes – not criminalizing gun ownership and lawfully owned firearms.
Virginia would be best served by efforts focusing on criminals rather than bringing Bloomberg’s fantasy of criminalizing legal gun ownership to life. These efforts have been acknowledged by the Bloomberg-funded researchers at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and have had actual real-world results. Anti-gun researchers, found that so-called “universal background checks” don’t reduce crime just as we know that bans on commonly owned firearms don’t reduce crime.
Focusing on actual criminals does work.
Please contact Gov. Northam and let him know you oppose his unconstitutional gun control measures. You can contact Northam using the Governor’s Office contact form or call his office at 804-786-2211.
Help us hold the line. Join us in Richmond on January 13th and sign up to volunteer to help us defeat Northam’s unconstitutional gun control agenda.
About:
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org
Virginia cannot possibly enforce any of these laws en masse. They have neither the manpower, handcuffs, jail cells, or finances, and cannot operate if the state lost the tax revenue resulting from locking up all the gun owners. Which is why they won’t even try. They will be happy with 4% compliance, just like CT. Yet the laws will be on the books, and every gun owner will be a criminal, with a felony over their head. Eventually the ATF will copy all the Bound Book data, all the 4473 forms, and firearm owners will get fines by mail, eventually… Read more »
@Az and Will, I agree! Bureaucrats turn to bureaucratic solutions.
Thank you both! … now here’s hoping VA gun owners do it right, and by a demonstration of thousands make the government back down.
Arizona, there will be thousands of us in Richmond on the 20th.The evil democrats will probably pass their unconstitutional laws anyway.
I agree 150% with you about getting fines by mail if we don’t all stand up against them.
Virginia is making more criminals rather than going after current criminals and violent offenders, while having absolutely no authority to disarm the public. The Constitution very specifically listed the powers granted to the federal and state level, and reserved all other powers to the people.
Nowhere does it grant the power to disarm us.
IT IS ABOUT THE DEMOCRATS DEMANDING A TOTALITARIAN COMMUNIST AMERICA. WHY does everyone keep acting like it is something else?
I take it you have never watched a DNC convention.
According to a CBS News report, 71% of violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders. 71%. If reducing violent crime were an objective, every violent criminal convicted would get life in prison with no chance of parole. I’m not sure what the economics are of the cost of more prisons vs eliminating 71% of violent crime, but I’d be willing to bet they’re better than taking guns away from honest Americans.
The cost of crime is worth the risk right now. Dems are letting them all out, and were already plea dealing cases to nothing. Criminals assess the risk/reward just like investors. There is no disincentive now.
We need to make criminals accountable. Make the punishment fit the crime. Instead, the Left is rewarding criminals with no bail, light sentences if any, and increasing the standards to qualify for a felony!
The Left is inciting and encouraging and rewarding crime! Of course it’s gonna spike now!
NRA screwed up…again. The real rally is on the 20th. Just saying.
NRA is no more about gun rights than the Democrats are about public safety. Anyone still sending money for Wayne Lapierre’s wardrobe and travel, is just throwing their money away. From what I’m seeing in Virginia, we should all be supporting Second Amendment Foundation, and gun owning lawyers in Virginia should be volunteering to assist SAF in preparing to take all the VA legislature’s illegal actions to the courts they day they’re signed.
Will. I did. Screw the NRA. Because they’ve bee; screwing us since the 1930s!
You mean to tell me that crime dropped without the benefit of gun control? Knock me over with a feather. As the article suggests maybe the focus should be on the violent criminals not the weapons they use.
Marxist wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing.
WHY write along diatribe about crime falling in Virginia? A percentage here, a percentage there. Almost 100% of this crime is caused by welfare animals and the illegal aliens, along with the muslim terrorists. Darn few regular Americans cause crime. ONCE AGAIN, a diversion because Americans REFUSE to accept that the America-hating democrats want a communist America. BUT, what KKK Northam is doing is DISARMING THE AMERICAN CITIZENS in Virginia and giving cover to the police to kill gun owners. WHY do you try to find some weird reason? Why try to make sense of these actions? IT IS ABOUT… Read more »
Tete, you are correct again. We know that the proposed laws will only affect law abiding gun owners, who have not committed crimes and are not going to commit crimes. Our Texas DPS finds that License to Carry Texans are 5% as likely to be convicted of a felony as the population as a whole, and only 40% as likely as a Law Enforcement Officer. Further, Obama’s CDC study concluded that armed Americans stop or prevent as many as 3 million crimes a year. We’re not the problem. We know it, and the politicians know it. Therefore the politicians’ objective… Read more »
@B46 – Isn’t that the entire point of the article? Northam claims he is doing something to promote safety – while statistics (with which he should be entirely familiar) utterly refute efficacy of his proposed “solution”. Article addressing logic does so purely to expose Northam’s hypocritical power grab.
The real felons were elected to the legislature in Virginia and other states because certain people falsely calling themselves Americans refused to vote because they were to self righteous to get out to vote. Now they want to complain about what is coming about because of their unwillingness to take part in how the country turns out.
I agree, but it is becoming more difficult for the LEGAL voters in the US to override the ILLEGAL and multiple voters. The Dimmocrap party has committed such extensive voter fraud that it will soon be (if not already) impossible for the LEGAL voters to have any say in elections.
That’s not to say we should sit on our butts and not vote, it is still our only chance to save the USA from the evil Dims.
For the scripture to be completely fulfilled, evil must totally uncover itself. That is the only way it can be purged from humanity, and those who choose the left for their cover will be totally exposed. Sadly, by the time these people give their all to the anti Christ there will be at least 4 billion people slaughtered on this planet. Then there will be only three and half years left till the left and its ultimate leader is put down. The only progress the “progressives,” will make, from now on, will be to try to make this planet uninhabitable… Read more »
Anti-constitutionalist’s sense of morality is situational, based on incident and emotion, instead of rooted in God’s word and law. Anti-constitutionalist’s stand for nothing. The situation determines their support for an issue and their emotions rule, not reason and rationality. Moreover, they recognize the contradiction, but still cling to their situational justice. Situational justice is the tool of dictators, tyrants, despots, and unjust, unrighteous monarchs. It has no place in a free constitutional republic. In which the United States of America is………………. Anti-Constitutionalist’s=Anti-Americans=Enemies of the United States… “The Constitution is over 200 years old and societies change. It must change with… Read more »
BlackFace good……..Black Guns Bad?
BATF and Feds have used this ploy of creating criminals out of law abiding citizens for decades. Pass a new law, or create one through “Administrative Law” (unconstitutionally). As a result, suddenly citizens who have been owning something or doing something for most of their lives are now criminals. It’s win-win for the Feds. These “new” criminals are easy to apprehend as they have homes, families, jobs, property and for the most part comply with laws. Of course the “real criminals” are too smart for the Feds (especially BATF) to find and locate easily and it actually takes effort and… Read more »
Statistics and facts mean nothing to Northam and the other dumbocrats trying to steal our guns and take away our rights.
They are being funded by Bloomberg and his likes.
Soros has funneled $18 billion to his Open Society foundation which “In the early 2000s, Open Society also gave support to gun control groups such as the Million Mom March, the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, and Women Against Gun Violence. Further, the group funded various frivolous lawsuits against the gun industry, including a high-profile case brought by the NAACP.”
Good statistics, but only half the story. What was the percentage of gun ownership during the time periods that gun violence went down? Did gun ownership go up?
None of this should really matter, buying and owning a gun should be no more difficult or regulated then buying and owning a hammer!!!
When progressives and socialists gain power you shall be made to care. This is an existential battle. If you are not on the battle lines with groups like Arizona or Virginia Citizens Defense Leagues, Second Amendment Foundation and Gun Owners of America consider yourself a shirker and draft dodger. Huge rally in Richmond this coming weekend. VACDL needs your body there. If you are within driving distance show up. Simple as that. Semper Fi
@ring, Yes, socialism … ideas so good that they have to be mandatory.
@nrringlee – “reasonable driving distance” please. It would take me most of a day to drive there and most of a day to drive back. This is slightly beyond my threshold between driving vs dealing with TSA – but still quite drivable.
Maybe it is shirking my duty – but I’m not willing to take vacation day and entire weekend to spend 40+ hours driving and a many hours attempting to speak to legislators who care even less about what I have to say than they do about their constituents.
Here, Here !! All it takes for BAD people to succeed, is for GOOD people to do nothing ! Sitting on your duff and not taking part in your local elections, is NOT an Option!
They will not tell us how many deaths from DUI DWI or drug overdoses.
@JAMES – Sure they will. Nationwide 14k DUI/DWI deaths and roughly of 80-100k OD deaths per year. Compare to all rifles (including justified self-defense and law-enforcement shootings) at less than 300 and all non-suicide deaths by gunshot at ~12k. Also consider motor vehicular deaths ~35k+ and motorcycle specific <~5k (had number wrong in a prior post…)
Judging by numbers above, we need to focus on the smallest number – in ways which will shift those deaths to other causes, at the greatest possible cost to the largest number of people. :-<
Demo’s. are idiots.
Areas of highest crime rates have the most stringent gun policies and laws.
Oh let’s copy them because we just know something else is causing these results, because we say so, and we know what’s best for ”us”… oh I mean ”you”.
@TLS – TV news this morning was discussing high homicide rate in Dallas (~200). Focus was on new Dallas police chief and some talking heads. They say they are going to focus on three elements which lead to higher homicide rates: gangs, drugs and guns. I’m afraid this will be used to push for Dallas city gun control, Dallas county gun control, TX gun control, and of course US gun control. Note the “highest ever” number of homicides in Dallas was ~2/3 the normal number in Baltimore (>300) – in a city twice the size. I live in a crowded… Read more »
Oh so the prisons are getting empty because real criminals don’t actually follow laws. And they’re usually a little harder to catch & prosecute. Northam looking for easy prey to fill the correctional facilities. Let’s see the finances of these officials. I think that could be a big window into what’s going on here.
Watch what is happening in Iran…… Why do you think the left wants the American people disarmed? They have exposed themselves for who they really are! Pelosi and Democrats are no different from the mullahs.. .. they’ll attempt to hang onto power at all costs, and, eventually, if American people rise up against them, they would murder protesters in the streets…. these evil scum must be stopped!
My biggest question is how do we get rid of every single politician and bureaucrat who violates their oath of office? They are laughing and mocking at everything the Constitution stands for. The system is rigged for the lying tyrants who infest our country’s government and no one can hold them accountable and they know it.
Something we always forget, although gun owners are among the most law abiding, we are also quick to anger and threaten actions that ARE illegal. Most folks aren’t going to shoot it out with the police, but our rhetoric does inflame the grabbers. If they are going for ar-15s we tell them it is the most popular rifle today, just draw a target on yourself, If they are out for “high cap” magazines we shove 30 rounders in their face and threaten to buy larger drums, there are some shown in my e-mail today from main stream vendors What I’m… Read more »
@PMinFl – I agree that angry responses are not effective and that threats of violence are counter productive. However must disagree with your statement that we should not explaining to “grabbers” what it is they are calling for. Many “grabbers” have no clue what they are asking for and no idea who or how many they are harming. They think an AR is an unusual and militaristic weapon and that no-one not bent upon mass murder has a use for ARs or standard capacity mags. Educating them can be a two edged sword as they may learn what to demand… Read more »
Sun downer
Moron.
Virginia and the ‘original’ Virginians are all but lost. The influx of millions of migrants, mostly illegal, has changed the VA demographics which all but assures people like this whack Governor hold the reins of power. If it were not so, at least an attempt at recalling this Northam tool would have already happened!
Unfortunately, none of the statistics presented in the above article have anything to do with the Dumbocrat assault on our rights in Virginia. It has nothing to do with the crime rate or lack thereof; it has everything to do with the unrelenting and vicious hatred of the Left for liberty, the rule of law, and the people who live it, practice it, and are prepared to defend it. We are rapidly approaching Crunch Time represented by the re-election of President Trump and the kicking of the communist insurgents of the Democratic Party finally and utterly into the ashheap of… Read more »