June 21, 2010

Hartford Courant Ignores More Gun-Less Crime Data

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NSSF responded to a Hartford Courant editorial last week with the following letter-to-the- editor that was printed last Saturday.

To the Editor:

Readers (and editors) should be wary of information from anti-gun groups like the Violence Policy Center, whose latest “study” unfortunately served as the basis for The Courant’s June 16 editorial, “Fewer Guns Means Fewer Deaths.”

That headline doesn’t square with reality. Americans purchased more firearms in 2009 than ever before, yet FBI statistics show violent crime is down overall and has dropped to historic low levels in major cities across the country. This decline has been happening since the early 1990s, while during that time gun ownership in the country has increased by many millions.

Additionally, accidental firearm-related deaths are at their lowest levels since record-keeping began in 1903, falling approximately 42 percent over the last two decades, with accidental fatalities involving children down by 61 percent in the last ten years.

Americans–an estimated 85 million–use firearms safely and responsibly for hunting and target shooting. Many own firearms for home and personal protection as well, with 48 states–Connecticut among them–allowing concealed carry.

These are facts about gun ownership that many readers will be surprised to learn.

Respectfully,

Stephen L. Sanetti

President & CEO

National Shooting Sports Foundation

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Categories: Media Inaccuracies