John Lott’s book, More Guns, Less Crime, about gun ownership and violence, has proven true over and over again since the original edition was published back in 1998. That’s why anti-gun advocates hate Lott so much—no matter how many lies they tell, he’s still right when all the numbers are crunched.
Such is the case in King County, Washington. And it’s a story that likely wouldn’t be told if that County didn’t also serve as home to the pro-gun rights group Citizens Committee to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA).
As CCRKBA leaders recently pointed out, news outlets in Seattle have been reporting on a decline in gun-related violence this year in surrounding King County. But what the reports are omitting is the fact that the declining crime has occurred at the same time as active concealed pistol licenses (CPLs) have increased in the county!
In response to the reports, CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb noted the irony of these declining crime reports when balanced against the rise in gun ownership and concealed carry, not just locally, but throughout the country.
“For decades, we have seen one gun control myth after another used as excuses to restrict our Second Amendment rights,” Gottlieb said in a news release detailing the situation. “Yet here we are, when those rights are being gradually restored thanks to strategic court victories, when 29 states have adopted ‘permitless’ carry laws, when more people own guns and more people are legally carrying them for personal protection, and the data shows violent crime involving guns is declining. Looks like we’ve been right all along, and the establishment media essentially is confirming it.”
For Washington’s most populous—and most liberal—county, August ended with 114,826 active carry licenses in the county, September finished with 115,363 CPLs in circulation and October finished with 115,457 licenses. At the same time, the violent crime rates fell.
Nationally, Lott’s organization, the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC), estimates more than 21 million citizens are licensed to carry, and there are even more legally-armed citizens in the 29 states where no permit is required, who are carrying without a “government permission slip.”
“Gun sales are continuing steady, which is not surprising, considering reports of police manpower declines in many jurisdictions,” Gottlieb added. “In Seattle, there have been two high-profile incidents where legally armed citizens stopped criminals in their tracks this year. Around the country, people are fighting back. Maybe the criminal element is beginning to get the message.”
Ultimately, Gottlieb said the combination of declining crime and increasing concealed carry proves an important point.
“We’re delighted violent crime is on the decline while gun ownership is on the rise,” he concluded. “It demonstrates that responsible armed citizens are not part of the problem, but are part of the solution.”
