GUN CONTROL NOT HELPING: New bills passed in Vermont to restrict access and usage of guns have not appeared to have the impact that lawmakers were hoping for.
The National Rifle Association has put out a commentary highlighting Vermont’s slew of new gun laws over the past decade as an example of why gun restrictions not only fail to reduce crime, but they cause crime rates to go up.
As recently as 2018 Vermont was one of the few states in the nation with few state gun laws — federal law, including open-carry protections, had defined Vermont’s policy on guns up to that point. In doing so, Vermont was considered one of the safest states in the nation.
Then things changed.
“Then in 2018, Vermont lawmakers rejected the state’s independent tradition to become just another New York satrapy,” the article reads. “That year politicians enacted a ban on commonly-owned firearm magazines and criminalized the private transfer of firearms [sometimes inaccurately termed “universal” background checks]. The legislature also instituted “Red Flag” gun confiscation orders that deprive a person of their Second Amendment rights without due process.”
There was also a 72-hour waiting period for private firearm purchases.
The idea behind these laws was to prevent or reduce gun violence. That’s not what happened according to data from the CDC.
“According to CDC fatal injury data, the total number and crude rate of “violence-related firearm deaths” (which includes suicides) increased from 2017 to 2021,” the report states. “Both the total number and crude rate of “violence-related firearm deaths” fell during the same period in neighboring New Hampshire. In Vermont, from 2017 to 2021 “violence-related firearm deaths” among kids ages 0-26 increased 40 percent.”
The story continues about just how much Vermont’s crime rates started to rise after the gun legislation was passed.
“According to FBI data, the violent crime rate increased in Vermont from 2017 to 2020,” the report states. “From 2017 to the first full year of Vermont’s 2018 gun control measures (2019) the violent crime rate rose by nearly 20 percent. Over the same period, New Hampshire’s violent crime rate fell by 19 percent. Maine’s violent crime rate also fell over this period. For 2021, Vermont slipped to 48th in violent crime, with New Hampshire taking the 49th slot and Maine taking 50.”
The author concedes that it’s difficult to conclude that these gun laws specifically may or may not have contributed to Vermont becoming less safe, but at best these laws in no way are found to have made the state safer.
“To the extent these laws inhibit the ability of law-abiding individuals to defend themselves, yes,” the report states. “Is the data presented above strong evidence that gun control is making Vermont, in general, less safe? No. At best it’s mildly indicative of what common sense would dictate – that Vermont’s gun control measures had no salutary impact whatsoever in the already peaceful jurisdiction.”
Vermont leader in gun advocacy agrees
Bill Moore, a firearms policy analyst for the Vermont Traditions Coalition, told True North in an interview on Tuesday that while he’s held reservations over the years about fully supporting the NRA due to past compromises, he still appreciates some of their efforts.
“I am pleasantly surprised and completely agree with the entire thesis of that article!” he wrote in an email. “They should be applauded for the depth of their research.”
Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.
Re: “Both the total number and crude rate of “violence-related firearm deaths” fell during the same period in neighboring New Hampshire. In Vermont, from 2017 to 2021 “violence-related firearm deaths” among kids ages 0-26 increased 40 percent.”
Keep this unspoken data set in mind: 87% and 88% of gun-related deaths, in VT and NH respectively, are suicides… mostly by males.
If this data says anything, it’s that the VT and NH governments are promoting failed policies in mental illness, childhood sexual abuse (gender dysphoria), substance abuse, hopelessness (the economy), and healthcare in general.
With friends like these, who needs enemies?
The fox just blames the National Rifle Association and the chickens don’t know any better.
Of course, they don’t read your e-mails and letters they dont care. Soon they will try to pass a law to register all firearms or require insurance. (And don’t forget to list them all with the insurance company) They can’t confiscate weapons without a registry. The whole purpose of Universal Background Checks that the “Eunuch” Phil Scott, King of Castrati signed into law was to create a registry to confiscate guns.
https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2023/06/17/montana-ag-sounds-alarm-armed-irs-agents-rounding-up-gun-purchase-records/
History Is Repeating Itself.
FROM THE FOUNDERS 2nd AMENDMENT by Stephen P. Halbrook
1774 – British General Gage takes over as governor of the Massachusetts colony and 36 Tories are appointed to the Massachusetts council by King George III
Gage restricts the distribution of gunpowder and has 300 barrels of gunpowder seized. Gage realizing, he is outnumbered restricts powder & shot trying to use “ammo control” to disarm the people. Guns, powder and shot were however considered private property.
On October 17th Gage is ordered to confiscate arms especially long guns but knows this is not practicable and as the colonies get wind of what is happening in Massachusetts start arming themselves.
King George III bans the importation of guns to the colonies also the importation of gunpowder, saltpeter and lead.
1775 – On April 16th the Battle of Lexington & Concord takes place and the British start seizing arms in earnest. Women are hiding guns and children are making cartridges.
April 17th Gage starts to disarm Boston and on June 17th Gage proclaims that anyone in Boston who has not turned their arms are to be considered enemies of his majesty. On July 6th in Virginia Jefferson and Dickenson draw up the Declaration of Causes of Taking Up Arms and militias start to form.
On May 10th Ethan Allen captures the British Fort Ticonderoga. September 16th the New York Provincial Congress orders the seizure of arms with the promise to be compensated
for them. (The First Buy Back? ) Bills of Attainder’s, or legislative trials are held without the ability to rebut the charges.
1776 – In April the British order the Repression Of Pamphlets (Thought Crime) and firearms and other properties are seized and forfeited.
July 4th The Colonies Declare their independence.
1781 – After the British suffered a major defeat at Yorktown, many politicians in Britain started to highly disagree with continuing the war and the Prime Minister, Lord North handed in his resignation in March of 1782. During the Revolutionary war, shortly after, in April, the British Commons voted that the war in America should be ended. In late November 1782 preliminary peace articles were signed and drafted, but the war only formally came to an end when the Treaty of Paris was signed on September 4, 1783. The last British troops were withdrawn from New York in November 1783 and the Paris treaty was ratified by the U.S. Congress on January 14, 1784.
When you have a super majority of WOKE Progressive legislators, they have their own agenda and what Vermonters like, want and expect is “raw meat” for them to chew on and spit out. One former legislator who ran for Governor a few years ago said she moved to VT to get into politics and change “Vermont for the better”! She immediately went on the anti-gun bandwagon as her main theme. Luckily she was defeated in her bid.
Vermont gun owners, somewhere around 100,000 with about 70,000 holding hunting licenses, should be a formidable voting block. When the legislature has held hearings in the evenings to take input from Vermonters and the pro gun rallies in front of the State House, the best turn out we ever had was about 2600 pro gun people attending. So, gun owners are their own worst enemy and they don’t scare the bejesus out of these left wing (anti-gun) nut cases.
This past legislative session I sent several heavily researched memos to Senate and House members and in several cases copied up to 78 people. I put a tracers on my emails. Not one, I repeat, not one was ever opened by a Dem or Prog. Only three Republicans did answer me. I found out that between the gun bill (H.230), and the Unaffordable heating bill (S.5), legislators received so many irate emails they just deleted them from their inbox without reading them. This is who is representing us in Montpeculiar!
Lastly, we have a statewide environment which is anti-law enforcement. The AG’s recent charges against State Police officers relating to two incidents is alarming and a George Soros style of “don’t prosecute” methodology. The largest number of gun incidents in Vermont have occurred in Chittenden county. These incidents have seen little prosecutorial results, so of course they are proliferating as “one doesn’t have to worry much about punishment” for their deplorable acts. The word spreads rapidly that Vermont is a welcoming state to criminal activity.
Even the shooter in the 2021 University Mall shooting, where one innocent bystander was wounded, has never been publicly charged and is rumored (due to closed records) to only have been placed in a diversion program as he was described as “just a “mere child” at the age of 18.
Bottom line is that we are letting these Progressive transplants come to Vermont, run for office, and change the rules, the environment, heritage, etc. to make it look like the failed liberal states they have “escaped from”. We all own what we are getting.
Beagle,
Your account of legislators ignoring emails and failing to answer to their constituents is all too familiar. Unfortunately, it’s too easy for them and their staff to just hit “Delete” and put all electronic contact by constituents out-of-sight and out-of-mind. Maybe we should re-employ the old-school method of getting their attention by flooding their offices with so many written letters and phone calls that they would find it difficult to ignore.
When you stated, “We all own what we are getting” you are very painfully correct! Some can become “collateral damage” as a result of the lack of action by others regarding the issues. Those who are truly concerned about those issues involving basic rights need exhort and encourage others about taking necessary action to protect and preserve those rights for our kids and grandkids. We’re circling the drain here and, if something doesn’t change soon, all can be lost.
Any laws that restrict or inhibit citizens ability to “…keep and bear arms” are unconstitutional, both with respect to the US Constitution and the Vermont State Constitution. Any and all elected officials who support such laws are in direct violation of their oath of office and should be removed without hesitation. In addition, any federal prosecutors and judges who fail to strictly abide by the plethora of existing gun laws to their fullest extent must be removed from their position. The problem is that this abuse of power has come to exist without any repercussion or accountability. When, and under what circumstances will that change? It’s time for citizens to wake up and start holding officials accountable for their actions!
I think that happened last week in Florida.
While I don’t approve in any way of the gun laws passed here then or just recently, I do have to note that correlation doesn’t always mean causation. I don’t see a connection between those gun laws and the uptick in violent crimes here. I’d lay the blame for the crime increase on several other factors including the in migration of mentally ill and addicted homeless folks drawn to VT by handouts, our harsh Covid policies, and the increasing incursion into VT by drug dealing gang members from MA, CT, NY and similar environs.
This is absolutely the case. The law changes really have no connection to the rise in gun crime. They should be looking at other factors, but are too afraid to be called racist
Re: correlation doesn’t always mean causation.
That Correlation does not prove Causation is a common subterfuge. A false dichotomy. No – Correlation doesn’t prove Causation. But it doesn’t disprove it either. There are many, if not infinite other, options to consider.
Again: Keep this unspoken data set in mind: 87% and 88% of gun-related deaths, in VT and NH respectively, are suicides… mostly by males.
What proves Causation, is the increase of findings on an issue in which a Correlation is occurring. And we are seeing more and more studies showing flaws in the data analysis presented by gun control advocates. Especially when compared to the number and veracity of studies to the contrary.
And while they make stupid gun laws that do nothing but increase crime they encourage the newest form of terrorist killers using guns, Mentally ill Trans freaks. They could cut the suicide rate more by banning trans than guns.
They are not stupid gun laws. If you want to eventually confiscate guns you must gradually pass laws that lead to that. THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE DOING!