Everytown for Gun Safety, supported by billionaire funding and known for its gun prohibition lobbying, recently grabbed headlines with a new state-by-state scorecard that ranked California as the leader in strict gun control laws. This designation was covered by the Sacramento Bee, which featured comments from a volunteer with the California Moms chapter of Everytown, praising the state's tough gun laws for their impact on reducing gun violence.
However, an important detail was omitted from this narrative. Recent statistics from Statista show that California also led the nation in the number of homicides in 2022, presenting a stark contrast to the group's claims.
In the backdrop of this report, California's latest restrictive gun law, SB2, faces legal challenges in federal court. The Second Amendment Foundation and the California Rifle & Pistol Association have filed a lawsuit, known as May v. Bonta, contesting this law.
Everytown recently made another appearance in the news when CNN reported their prediction that nearly 298,000 lives could be saved if all states implemented gun control measures similar to those in California.
However, a closer examination of the states with the top homicide rates, as reported by Statista, raises questions about the effectiveness of strict gun control laws. States like New York, Illinois, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Maryland, all of which follow California in the rankings, also have high homicide rates.
In contrast, states like Montana and Wyoming, which have high gun ownership rates but low rankings on Everytown's list, reported significantly fewer murders in 2022. This discrepancy points to potential flaws in Everytown's approach and raises doubts about the correlation between strict gun control and reduced firearm-related homicides.
This discussion occurs as the National Rifle Association faces a civil trial in New York, with senior leaders including Wayne LaPierre accused of financial misconduct. LaPierre recently announced his resignation, effective January 31.
Everytown, headquartered in New York like the NRA, has been scrutinized for its scoring system and its stance on California's gun laws, especially in light of some law enforcement agencies' refusal to enforce provisions of SB2.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms has criticized Everytown's research methods, particularly regarding their evaluation of Washington State's gun laws and the corresponding increase in homicides. CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb expressed skepticism about Everytown's findings and their implications for public safety.
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