Brady Grades the States

NRA ^ | 1/14/04

[epow]

Brady Campaign "Grades" The States

Every year since 1997, the group has "graded" the states on their gun laws. It released its 2003 grades on Jan. 8, 2004. Since Brady`s pretense with the grades is that there aren`t enough "gun control" laws, it ignores the fact that federal gun laws apply in every state.

Brady`s rhetoric about crime, and about firearm-related deaths among "children" (which the group defines to include not only children, but also juveniles and young adults through the age of 19), is only for show. As indicated in the table on page 2, there is no correlation between Brady`s grades and those issues. Brady`s approach is simple. It is a gun-prohibition group, it wants gun prohibition laws and those that inch closer to gun prohibition, and it gives out its "grades" on solely that basis.

Brady gives 31 states an "F" or a "D" for having too little "gun control" (including low-crime states like Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming). But less gun control coincides with less crime. Since 1991, the number of guns in America has risen by about 60 million, the number of Right-to-Carry states has risen from 17 to 37, and the violent crime rate has decreased every year, 35% overall, to a 27-year low (FBI).

Brady also demonstrates either a fundamental misunderstanding about the American system of government, or contempt for it. For states that have "shall issue" Right-to-Carry laws, that provide for carry permits to be issued to applicants who meet uniform statewide standards established by the legislature and signed into law by the state`s governor, Brady says that the state "forces police to let people carry hidden handguns in public." (Emphasis added.) Perhaps Brady would prefer a state in which the police make the laws (by definition, a "police state"), but police officers and nearly everyone else in America would oppose such a scheme.

Finally, in the midst of its state-level gun laws grading gimmick, Brady claims "crime could rise" after the federal "assault weapons" ban expires in September. The ban has no effect on crime, of course. A study for Congress, follow-up studies, police reports, and felon surveys have all shown that the guns are used in only a fraction of violent crime. Moreover, there is nothing functionally different between those guns and millions of other guns. And the ban, after all, bans only gun attachments, like angled grips, adjustable stocks, and flash suppressors, which have nothing to do with crime.

There is no correlation between Brady grades (thus, "gun control") and either state violent crime rates or firearm-related death rates (incidents per 100,000 pop.) among persons ages 0-19. In the table below, the data are the most recent available: crime, 2002 (FBI); firearm-related death, 2001 (National Center for Health Statistics). For consistency with the data, Brady`s 2002 grades are used. They are almost identical to its 2003 grades.

[arm958]

Hey! For once Louisiana can be proud of our F. (We are #1 in Gonorrhea; however.)

Yeah, but look at your murder rate; what the heck is going on down there? You're making the rest of us "F" states look bad.

- Loving my freedom in Wyoming

[GunnyHartman]

I'm from Montana and I demand he give us an F minus!

[Joe 6-pack]

"Yeah, but look at your murder rate; what the heck is going on down there?"

That's just them crazy folk over in New Orleans...

[epow]

I am disappointed that Georgia got a D. Maybe we can make improvements and shoot for an F or even and F+.

Yeah I know what you mean, sad isn't it? Maybe we could light a fire under Perdue's rear and get some of the GA gun laws repealed or at least improved. I don't like the CCW provison that won't let me carry in my pocket without a pocket holster. Sometimes in warm weather I like to just slip a little Beretta 950 in my jeans pocket when I take my walk around the neighborhood and the pocket holster is a nuisance. I usually carry a K-frame .357 snubnose, but the little 11 ounce Beretta is a lot more comfortable. And since I live on a dead end gravel road 15 miles from town I don't expect to run into any gangsta types hangin out around here.

Oh well, at least we're a lot better off than those poor slobs in MD.

[TheBigB]

Proud to say that my two home states of Tennessee and Alabama received a D+ and an F, respectively!

[Ladysmith]

Wisconsin: C+ shootin' for at least an F.

But less gun control coincides with less crime. Since 1991, the number of guns in America has risen by about 60 million, the number of Right-to-Carry states has risen from 17 to 37, and the violent crime rate has decreased every year, 35% overall, to a 27-year low (FBI).

Gotta send this to Rep. Larry Balow - the override vote is planned for next week and I want him to know we're paying attention.

[American_Centurion]

Bad news - I live in MD.

God News - I will soon be moving to AL.

sidebar note to Sarah Brady - yes I will definitely be applying for a Concealed Carry permit as soon as I'm eligible (and paying far less taxes to boot!)

[correctthought]

You know, you can cut and paste this into excel and sort it by violent crime. What you have is only 4 states with a "B" rating and above in the Lowest 20 states for violent crime. I'll try to cut and paste it back in my next post, hopefully, the formats won't get too screwed up.

[NEWwoman]

it seems that there's no correlation whatsoever, and some of the so called "failing" states seem to enjoy low crime rates.

Good point. Let the truth be known.

[gieriscm]

That's better than Virginia, my home state. We got a C-.

However, our General Assembly session just started this week and quite a few pro-gun bills have been introduced. I'm hoping we can improve that grade to at least a D- or even an F+ during the next few weeks.

[correctthought]

Here's the resorted table, lowest rate of violent crime to highest: 2002 "Grade" VC Rate M-Rate DeathRate

NDakota D 78.20 0.80 1.20

Vermont D- 106.70 2.10 1.90

Maine F 107.80 1.10 1.60

N Hamp D+ 161.20 0.90 2.30

S Dak D 177.40 1.40 3.60

Wiscsin C+ 224.90 2.80 4.00

W Virg D 234.30 3.20 2.90

Utah D- 236.90 2.00 3.50

Idaho F+ 254.90 2.70 6.30

Hawaii A- 262.00 1.90 1.50

Minn C+ 267.50 2.20 2.60

Wyoming F 273.50 3.00 6.40

Kentcky F 279.00 4.50 3.20

Rhode I B- 285.20 3.80 2.20

Iowa C+ 285.60 1.50 3.40

Virg C- 291.40 5.30 4.00

Oregon C- 292.40 2.00 1.80

Conn A- 311.10 2.30 1.70

Neb B- 313.90 2.80 3.80

Missi F 343.30 9.20 4.10

Wash D+ 345.40 3.00 2.30

Ohio D+ 351.30 4.60 2.70

Montana F 351.50 1.80 5.20

Colo C- 352.40 4.00 4.20

Indiana D- 357.20 5.90 3.30

N Jery A- 374.50 3.90 1.10

Kansas C+ 376.60 2.90 4.70

Penn D+ 401.90 5.10 3.20

Ark D 424.40 5.20 4.20

Alabama F 444.20 6.80 5.20

Georgia D 458.80 7.10 4.50

N Carol C 470.20 6.60 3.80

Mass A- 484.40 2.70 1.50

N York B+ 496.00 4.70 2.60

Okla D- 503.40 4.70 4.30

Missou C 538.70 5.80 5.90

Mich D+ 540.30 6.70 3.70

Arizona D 552.90 7.10 5.10

Alaska D- 563.40 5.10 9.00

Texas D- 578.60 6.00 3.60

Calif A- 593.40 6.80 3.70

Del C 599.00 3.20 1.90

Ill B+ 620.70 7.50 4.90

Nevada D 637.50 8.30 5.00

Louis F 662.30 13.20 7.10

Tenn D+ 716.90 7.20 4.20

N Mex D+ 739.50 8.20 4.80

Mland A 769.80 9.40 5.40

Florida D+ 770.20 5.50 2.70

S Car C- 822.00 7.30 3.90

Sorry, best I can do.

[Viking2002]

Maryland is my home state (I was born and raised in Cumberland). I currently live in Alabama, and want to move back, but Virginia is as far as I will go. It's a shame, too - that state, overall, is actually fairly conservative. But that strip down the center of the state, along I-95 - Montgomery, Prince Georges, Howard, and Baltimore counties - is stacked with your garden-variety urban rabble, and the rest of the state pays for it. I find it amusing when I hear the seni-annual talk about Maryland re-absorbing the District of Columbia because of the ongoing fiscal and corruption problems. My view is the opposite: give the I-95 gauntlet to DC, and liberate the rest of the state. We'll just consider I-270 and the Beltway 'flyover country'. LOL

[aomagrat]

South Carolina got a C-? It must be that pesky 1 gun a month law bringing up the score. We need to get rid of that crap. I have to wait 5 more days before I can buy another gun, since I bought one last month.

[epow]

. I have to wait 5 more days before I can buy another gun, since I bought one last month.

If you can only buy 1 gun a month, make it a really big one. Do you already have a .500 S&W Mag? Or a Desert Eagle? How about a 10" BFG .45-70?

So many choices, so little money. At least that's my problem.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Oh look; New Mexico scored a D+. (*yawn*)

The Brady bunch has never been pleased with NM; I think it has something to do with NM being an "open-carry" state...and the fact that we don't really have a waiting period before walking out of the gun shop with a new firearm (well, I haven't anyway)...and I know that she certainly was not pleased to see NM approve the concealed carry laws last year...

Anyway, the entire group can just bite me; maybe then they will find a hobby to occupy their time

[Nakota]

How come North Dakota only got a D? "Shall issue" state and full auto is OK if you comply with the 1934 Firearms Act. Must be that pesky 78 violent crime rate and 0 accident rate.

[CFC__VRWC]

bflr

[Vision]

What don't you like about Alabama?

[Noumenon]

F+? Damn. We're not trying hard enough. Should've been an F sub minus.

[ExSoldier]

I don't understand how Florida rates a D+ since we are the model for everybody elses CCW permit these days and have state level reciprocity with just about all the Deep South contigious states.

Maybe so many antis have winter homes here that the Brady's don't want to scare off potential time shares!