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The FBI’s Annual Crime Report Is Out, and the Anti-Gun Crowd Won’t Like It

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation released its Uniform Crime Report for 2018 on Monday, and the numbers indicate that more people were killed by knives than rifles.

The annual report touts an overall drop in violent crime for the second consecutive year, according to the Bureau’s news release on the numbers. However, the numbers specifically on homicides in the United States offer some insight into America’s ongoing gun control debate.

Due to multiple shooting massacres that took place in August, gun control proponents have once again turned their animus toward semi-automatic rifles such as the AR-15. Perhaps the most salient example of this is 2020 Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke’s pledge, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.”

However, as has been the case in previous years, the numbers show that rifles in general — including semi-automatics as well as others — only account for a fraction of a percent of the total homicide rate in the United States.

Here’s what the FBI’s 2018 homicide numbers show us:

Overall, the number of homicides dropped from 15,195 in 2017 to 14,123 in 2018. The overall number of people murdered with guns dropped as well.

10,265 were committed with firearms, out of which handguns accounted for 6,603.

Rifles were used in 297 homicides, shotguns in 235, and “other guns” in 167.

2,963 homicides were listed as “firearms, type not stated.”

What does this show us? According to the available information, rifles accounted for just 2.1 percent of total homicides last year — and 2.9 percent of gun homicides.

Once again, deaths from knives and “personal weapons” like hands, fists, and feet were higher than the number of homicides committed with rifles. More than five times as many murders were committed with knives (1,515) as with rifles, and more than twice as many people were killed with “personal weapons” (672). Other years included in the FBI report’s table — which spans 2014-2018 — show similar disparities between the same weapon types.

Again, these numbers are just for rifles as a whole. There’s no further breakdown for what kind of action or cosmetic features the rifles had.

But despite the facts, the question of what to do about the AR-15 and other widely used semi-automatic rifles — sometimes referred to as “assault weapons” — will likely remain as one of the main focus points in America’s ongoing debate about guns and the Second Amendment. (For more form the author of “The FBI’s Annual Crime Report Is Out, and the Anti-Gun Crowd Won’t Like It” please click HERE)

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CEO Says Bank of America Will Now Fight for Gun Control

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Bank of America Corp. Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan said the company can’t just produce profits — it also has to wade into thorny debates.

The head of the second-largest U.S. bank said Wednesday that the firm needed to act on issues such as gun control, particularly because of the impact on employees who were affected by mass shootings.

“You had teammates in every one of those situations that led our team to say we’ve got to take a stand on something,” Moynihan said at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum. Companies have to both “produce a great profit, and make progress” for society, he said. (Read more from “CEO Says Bank of America Will Now Fight for Gun Control” HERE)

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Sheriff Proposes ‘Sanctuary County’ That Will Not Enforce Any New Federal Gun Laws

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Sheriff Roger Deeds of Hoods County, Texas, has proposed turning his jurisdiction into a “sanctuary county” that would ignore any new gun laws introduced by the federal government. . .

“We’re not going to be messing with the Second Amendment,” the sheriff told audiences at a campaign forum last week.

If his plans go ahead, Hoods County will become the latest of a number of rural counties refusing to comply with federal or state-wide regulations on gun ownership. Other Second Amendment sanctuaries are popping up in states including Washington, California, and New Mexico. This is often a response from rural conservative counties to steps taken by Democratic policymakers regarding bolstering background checks and other gun restrictions designed to improve firearm safety.

Typically, sanctuaries refer to the dozens of cities and counties who have declared themselves a refuge for immigrants facing tough enforcement measures. Indeed, that is where, according to Reuters, Second Amendment sanctuaries got the idea from.

In most cases, as in Needles in California or Effingham County in Illinois, sanctuaries have been declared following laws introduced at a state level by Democratic politicians—but Deeds’ announcement in a Republican-held state appears to be a response to federal calls for tighter gun control following a number of high-profile mass shootings, including the shooting at El Paso, 580 miles from Hood County. (Read more from “Sheriff Proposes ‘Sanctuary County’ That Will Not Enforce Any New Federal Gun Laws” HERE)

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WATCH: Dem Confuses AR-15 for 10 Moving Boxes and a Heavy Machine Gun

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. . .Introducing her new gun control legislation, Congresscritter Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) proved conclusively that she’s just too uninformed to go anywhere near the subject. She claims to have “held an AR-15 in my hand,” which weighed as much as “10 boxes that you might be moving.” She also claimed the rifle fired a .50 caliber round, and that “these kinds of bullets need to be licensed and do not need to be on the street.”

If Lee wants to ban 90-pound .50 caliber AR-15s, I say, “Why not?” While she’s at it, Lee could put a ban on flying cars, unicorns, and doing seven impossible things before breakfast. If Lee wants to get heavy .50 machine guns off the streets, well, first she’s going to have to get some on the streets.

Here’s Jason Howerton again to show you the difference between the .223 rounds fired by most AR-15s and an actual .50 caliber machine-gun round. Lee’s claim is a lot like mistaking a Cadillac Fleetwood 75 for a Smart Fortwo.

My AR-15 weighs about 7.5 pounds unloaded, and a bit more with a 10- or 30-round magazine filled with common .223 rounds. Or rather I should say it did, before I lost it and my banned 30-round magazines in a tragic fishing accident shortly before Colorado’s 30-round magazine ban went into effect. Other popular AR-15 attachments and modifications include scopes, laser designators, the chainsaw bayonet, and of course under-barrel landshark launcher. But even a fully-loaded and heavily modified AR-15 isn’t going to weigh anything near the same as ten moving boxes. (Read more from “Dem Confuses AR-15 for 10 Moving Boxes and a Heavy Machine Gun” HERE)

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Liberal Media Tries to Show Public Support for Gun Control — and Fails Spectacularly at It

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Progressive cable news channel MSNBC posted an online poll to try to measure support for gun control, but they were likely disappointed with the overwhelming result.

The poll showed that 93 percent of respondents supported the right of citizens to carry guns in public.

Only 4 percent who responded to the decidedly unscientific poll said they were opposed to people carrying guns in public.

Another 2 percent responded that people should be allowed to carry guns in public, but only for self defense.

The poll on the MSNBC website garnered more than 633k votes, the vast majority of which were in support of gun rights. (Read more from “Liberal Media Tries to Show Public Support for Gun Control — and Fails Spectacularly at It” HERE)

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WATCH: Beto Unleashes Foul-Mouthed Rant on Buttigieg Over Gun Control

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Beto O’Rourke launched an expletive-fueled defense of his call Sunday to ban assault-style weapons and impose mandatory buybacks of AR-15s and AK-47s while also pushing back at critics — including fellow 2020 Democrat Pete Buttigieg.

During last Thursday’s presidential debate, the former Texas congressman said, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47, and we’re not going to allow it to be used against your fellow Americans anymore.” Three days later, O’Rourke appeared on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” where host Chuck Todd pointed out that there was “a lot of hand-wringing” about the presidential contender’s full-throated call on national TV for confiscating such rifles.

As O’Rourke had put the issue of gun violence at the center of his campaign effort, some fellow Democrats chastised him and were concerned that his statements may have made things harder for gun control supporters as they negotiate with President Trump on legislation to respond to this summer’s mass shootings. . .

Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and agreed with Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., saying the clip of the former O’Rourke’s statement about AR-15s and AK-47s “will be played for years at Second Amendment rallies with organizations that try to scare people by saying Democrats are coming for your guns.” . . .

[Beto] later tweeted, “When candidates say, ‘At least Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell are pretending to be interested,’ sh–, that is not enough. Neither is poll-testing your message. Gun violence is a life or death issue—and we have to represent the bold ideas of people all over the country.”

(Read more from “Watch: Beto Unleashes Foul-Mouthed Rant on Buttigieg Over Gun Control” HERE)

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Gun Sales Surge Following Spike in Anti-Gun Rhetoric

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The number of firearm background checks conducted in August surged 15% over both the previous month and the previous year, meaning Americans are suddenly buying more guns, just as members of the 2020 Democratic field are proposing strict crackdowns on weapons purchases, and even “gun buyback” confiscation programs.

The Washington Examiner reports that “background checks done for security, concealed carry permits, and gun sales” soared over the summer, making August the best month for gun sales since the National Shooting Sports Foundation began keeping track of how many individuals apply for a federal background check — and thus try to purchase a firearm — per month.

The NSSF does caution that it’s likely not every background check resulted in a gun sale; the background check system exists for a reason, and it does turn down some potential buyers. Individuals interested in purchasing a firearm can also complete a background check but may not ultimately buy a weapon.

“NSSF said that the FBI told it that the overall NICS number for August was 2,341,363,” according to the Examiner. “That is 310,702 higher than July and 268,067 higher than August 2018. The FBI hasn’t posted the number yet on its NICS page.”

The surge, WashEx says, comes on the heels of increased pressure from Congress to stiffen the country’s gun laws. Democratic Congressional leaders Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced last week that they plan on introducing a bill in both Houses to expand federal background checks and create a universal gun registry system that would keep track of Americans owning and purchasing firearms. (Read more from “Gun Sales Surge Following Spike in Anti-Gun Rhetoric from 2020 Dems” HERE)

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Support For Gun Control Declines After Texas Shooting

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We’re still reeling from a rather violent spate of mass shootings. El Paso, Texas Dayton, Ohio, and Odessa, Texas each saw some lunatic commit senseless acts of violence. Still, mass shootings are still rare. Violent crime is still down. And rifles still commit the smallest share of gun deaths. It’s well below 500. And yes, it’s a numbers game. It shouldn’t be, but the anti-gun Left decided to combine homicides with suicides to inflate the numbers and manufacture a narrative that the U.S. is a shooting gallery. It’s not. And neither are our schools, which have never been safer.

Firearms reporter Stephen Gutowski of The Washington Free Beacon wrote today that despite these shootings gun control is trending downward, though expanding background checks remains high (via Free Beacon):

Polls from Quinnipiac University and an ABC News/Washington Post partnership asked about the gun control debate in America and specific gun control proposals. Both polls showed a general downward trend in support for new gun control measures even in the immediate aftermath of mass shootings in Texas and Ohio.

Neither poll found heightened enthusiasm for any gun control proposal which had been polled more than twice. Instead, they found support for gun control policies either relatively stable or declining, though still substantial.

The September 5 ABC/Washington Post poll found support for “a nationwide ban on the sale” of undefined “assault weapons” fell 6 points from last April. It now sits at 56 percent support, up 9 points from its low in 2015 but a full 24 points down from its high point in 1994, when the federal assault weapons ban went into effect. The August 29 Quinnipiac University poll had similar results on an identically worded question with support dropping 3 points to 60 percent since May 22, 2019, and down 7 points from its highest level on February 20, 2018.

(Read more from “Support For Gun Control Declines After Texas Shooting” HERE)

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To Prevent Mass Shootings, Trump Looks into ‘Controversial’ Proposal

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By Daily Wire. The Trump White House is looking into a cutting edge but “controversial” proposal that seeks to prevent mass shootings prompted by mental illness.

With studies finding that about a quarter of mass shooters have been diagnosed with some form of mental illness, Trump has repeatedly pointed to psychological as well as ideological causes behind many mass shootings. In his speech following the horrific shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, Trump outlined a series of steps his administration is promoting to address the growing problem, including “reform[ing] our mental health laws to better identify mentally disturbed individuals who may commit acts of violence, and mak[ing] sure those people not only get treatment, but when necessary, involuntary confinement.” He added, “Mental illness and hatred pulls the trigger, not the gun.”

One of the new ways of proactively addressing the issue that the administration is considering involves the development of a new research agency and the use of a technology that will help detect those suffering from mental illness who may pose a risk to themselves or others.

“The White House is considering a controversial proposal to study whether mass shootings could be prevented by monitoring mentally ill people for small changes that might foretell violence,” The Washington Post reported Monday.

The proposal, presented by former NBC Chairman and long-time Trump associate Bob Wright, seeks to create a new agency called HARPA to “come up with out-of-the-box ways to tackle health problems,” the Post reports. (Read more from “To Prevent Mass Shootings, Trump Looks into ‘Controversial’ Proposal” HERE)

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Ex-DNC Official: Trump’s Position on Gun Control Is Unclear, He Has Backed Away from Changes in past

By Fox News. As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer wait for President Trump to make a move on gun control legislation, former DNC communications director Mo Elleithee said Monday the commander-in-chief has appeared ambivalent on the issue.

Elleithee told Dana Perino on “Daily Briefing” that “the president has sort of danced with this a little bit in the past, only to back away.”

He added that Trump held a “meeting with a bipartisan group of senators saying he was in favor of background checks” — but then “pulled back after talking to the National Rifle Association.”

Calling the moment “critical,” Sen. Chuck Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent the president a letter Sunday urging him to expand background checks and use his influence to sway Republicans in the Senate who blocked the bill passed by the House earlier this year. (Read more from “Ex-DNC Official: Trump’s Position on Gun Control Is Unclear, He Has Backed Away from Changes in past” HERE)

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State Police: No One in New Jersey Has Surrendered a Single Large Cap Magazine Since State Ban

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New Jersey’s “large-capacity” magazine ban hasn’t resulted in lawmakers’ desired effect as no magazines have been turned over and the state’s residents are reportedly hiding the banned magazines.

When the magazine ban went into effect in December of last year, state officials encouraged individuals to hand in their magazines, but residents have taken to stashing them in a massive vault instead of handing them in, according to NJ.com.

A New Jersey State Police spokesman told NJ.com that not a single large-capacity magazine has been turned in in the nine months the law has been in effect.

The law, which bans magazines with more than a 10-round capacity, does permit owners of the banned magazines to hand them over to law enforcement, modify them to only hold the permitted number of rounds, sell them to authorized owners or store them with an authorized company. . .

According to Eric Rebels, a local gun-rights activist, some gun owners have opted to bury their magazines in their backyard or set them behind sheetrock in their garages, despite the risk from these penalties. (Read more from “State Police: No One in New Jersey Is Complying with Large Cap Magazine Ban” HERE)

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