Are we in the grip of an epidemic of gun violence? Writing in Reason magazine, Brian Doherty notes that the gun homicide rate in 1993 (when there were approximately 192 million guns in circulation) was 7 per 100,000 Americans. In 2013, the gun murder rate had declined to 3.8 per 100,000, by which time there were approximately 300 million guns in private hands. More guns do not seem to equal more gun murders.

If we’re not awash in gun violence, we are certainly in the grip of bad journalism about gun violence. As a 2015 survey published in Preventive Medicine magazine showed, only a tiny percentage of criminals purchase their guns from shops. Most obtain them through informal networks or gangs. Is the “gun show loophole” responsible for lots of guns in the hands of bad actors? Doubtful. A 2001 survey of federal prisoners found that only 1 percent had purchased their weapons at gun shows, and as Charles C.W. Cooke has patiently explained, the “gun show loophole” is a misnomer in any case. FFLs (federal firearms licensed sellers) must perform background checks no matter where they transact business, and private sellers are under no obligation to perform checks whether they sell from their kitchen or at a gun show.

Source: Guns: Bad Journalism and Bad Politics | RealClearPolitics

that President Obama is working to adopt executive orders that will unilaterally restrict gun rights. Only a month ago, the New York Times openly advocated gun confiscation on page one.

The Times urged outlawing civilian ownership of “certain kinds of weapons” and acknowledged, “yes, it would require Americans who own those kinds of weapons to give them up for the good of their fellow citizens.”

Americans should consider where this leads. Seventy million mothers, fathers, sons and daughters died in genocides during the twentieth century. These citizens’ governments murdered them after first promulgating so-called gun control regulations that preemptively limited their citizens’ right to self-defense.

Source: Where Tyranny Thrives: History Shows Obama’s Push To Limit Gun Rights Is First Step To Genocide And Oppression | The Daily Caller

This year, Chicago is expected to eclipse the 2014 milestone of a shooting every 3.38 hours in 2014 with a total victim count of 2,587.Chicago ranks as one of the most regulated cities in the nation for gun control. Concealed carry is almost nonexistent. To purchase a gun or ammunition requires a Firearm Owners Identification card in the entire state of Illinois, and additionally, a Chicago Firearm Permit – which is required to possess a firearm in Chicago.

Source: Someone Is Shot In Chicago Every 2.8 Hours | The Daily Caller

BELLEVUE, Wash., May 28, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today said a White House suggestion that more gun control is one solution to the kind of violence that rocked Baltimore over the holiday weekend in that city’s continuing unrest is “simply ludicrous.”

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was quoted by various news sources suggesting that stricter gun regulation might be necessary to stem the violence that claimed nine lives last weekend in Baltimore.

“Obviously there’s some common sense things we could do – certainly passage of some gun safety laws in Congress that could keep guns out of the hands of criminals would be one thing that we could do to try to limit the violence,” Earnest reportedly stated.

CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb said the notion that more gun control would solve the problem shows just how out-of-touch with reality the administration is on violent crime. (more…)

There’s just a few problems with that suggestion. Maryland already has strict gun control laws. In fact, it was just two short years ago that new gun control measures were passed through despite overwhelming opposition. …

I guess the criminals just haven’t been paying attention to the new rules and laws…The criminals are armed and unabated, the innocent are defenseless and the police aren’t around. That’s the problem, not a lack of gun control in the state of Maryland or the city of Baltimore.

Source: Seriously: White House Suggests More Gun Control In Strict Baltimore After Bloody Memorial Day Weekend – Katie Pavlich

A gun group is picking a fight that could raise new conflicts between proponents of arms control and free speech.

Source: 3-D Printed Gun Lawsuit Starts the War Between Arms Control and Free Speech | WIRED