Gun Owners of America spokesman Stephen Willeford discusses the report, and why it indicates that restricting guns isn’t the answer.
Over the past few months, there has been a great deal of restrictive gun laws passing in several states, though some have been quickly knocked down thanks to the Second Amendment. However, if you need physical evidence that gun restrictions aren’t the answer, you simply need to look at the latest report from the Heritage Foundation.
Despite California Gov. Gavin Newsom and billionaire George Sonos noting otherwise, the report reveals that Democrat-run “blue counties” that specialize with gun restriction rules actually see a much higher homicide rates than “red counties.”
The report’s co-author, Kevin Dayaratna, broke this down further while speaking to Fox News. “If you look at the analysis on a state-by-state level, it’s 34% higher in red states and blue states, according to the most recent data we analyzed, but then when you look at it as a county-by-county level, it is 60% higher in blue counties than red counties.“
The report noted, “drawing conclusions from state-level homicide data in such a manner is flawed, as each state consists of a combination of federal, state, county, and local law enforcement agencies, as well as prosecutors with different approaches to law enforcement often based on highly divergent political beliefs.”
And a majority of these beliefs, particularly from Newsom, come from attempting to restrictions on guns. States that allow for open-carry haven’t seen a vast increase in criminal activity and homicides, though, surprise, official reports have yet to make note of this.
Joining us now to discuss this report further is Stephen Willeford, the spokesman for the Gun Owners of America. The “hero with a gun” from the 2017 Sutherland Springs incident has spoken in favor of Constitutional-Carry, and sees it as a viable solution with the growing violence problem. He joins us now to talk about the problems with Newsom’s gun measures – and why he should reverse course before legal trouble sets in.
Q&A:
- Why is it that politicians are more concerned about passing gun restrictions rather than seeking active solutions (like Constitutional-Carry) when it comes to decreasing criminal activity? Are they simply concerned about “more guns” being out there?
- Why are Gov. Newsom and George Sonos more concerned about discussing unvalidated facts, rather than the truth that this report is providing? Are they that concerned over their initiatives?
- You’ve often pushed for Constitutional-Carry as a solution to “active shooter” events, as well as decreasing crime as a whole. What do you think makes it more effective than gun bans? And, for that matter, why aren’t more government agencies reporting on the effectiveness of this practice?
- Where do you see gun violence going over the next few months in states that don’t allow Constitutional-Carry? Could we see another report like this in the future with even more devastating statistics?
- You recently wrote a book called A Town Called Sutherland Springs: Faith and Heroism Through Tragedy, revolving around your 2017 “hero with a gun” situation. Tell us more about how this came together, and why it’s such an important read right now.
- Where can people find your book?
- Where can we learn more about you, as well as Gun Owners of America?
- You can learn more at http://www.thebarefootdefender.com. You can also read more about the Gun Owners of America at https://www.gunowners.org/.
About Stephen Willeford…
Stephen represents Gun Owners of America and is known around the country as the “good guy with the gun” for helping stop the largest Texas mass shooting in the history of the state in 2017. He is available to speak about all gun rights issues, as well as the importance of Gun Owners of America. You can read more about him at http://www.thebarefootdefender.com.
CONTACT: Jerry McGlothlin at: geraldmcg@outlook.com or 919-437-0001.
