Critical "Evidence" In Favor Of Gun Control Exposed As A Lie By Associated Press

Could This Oft Repeated Lie Cost Democrats The Senate?

The 40% - 2 Million Gun Sale Figure Was
Known To Be False When Graphics
Like This Were Produced

40% of gun sales are done without a background check.  During 2012 and 2013, it was repeated over and over and over.  President Obama said it.  Michael Bloomberg said it.  The news media repeated it over and over again.  Almost nobody outside the gun rights community questioned it's truthfulness.  In fact, it was the touchstone of the call for "universal background checks".  It was used to push through very unpopular gun laws in Colorado.   IT IS STILL BEING REPEATED OVER AND OVER EVEN TODAY.

The only problem is, it isn't true.  It hasn't been true for well over 20 years - and those using the figure have known it wasn't true for years.  Yet, when this was questioned by gun rights groups, virtually every gun control advocate from bloggers to Bloomberg to Pres. Obama all insisted it was an accurate figure.

How did such an inaccurate figure get out there in the first place?  Well, it comes from a study done over 20 years ago that included sales both before and after background checks were required by dealers.  As a result the vast majority of sales done without background checks were sales at dealers done before they were required.  Now all dealers are required to do background checks through the federal National Instant Check System or NICS - effectively making the 40% figure meaningless - unless, of course, you are shopping around for a figure to support your argument for expanding background checks to private sales. 

It has never been difficult to prove that the study was inaccurate due to when it was done.  Anyone who checked the dates over which the data was collected against the date when background checks began being required could have confirmed that this study was fatally flawed.  In fact, the Washington Post - certainly not a pro-gun rights publication - did just that in March of 2013.

However, this did not stop the gun control movement from continuing to use the 40% figure over and over again.  It was extensively used by agents of the billionaire Michael Bloomberg as they shoved a new gun law - which they themselves wrote - down the throats of the good people of Colorado.

When this law was being considered, advocates confidently stated that 420,000 additional background checks would be done each year - in spite of the fact that background checks were already required for all transactions at gun shows.  Based on this figure, Colorado set up a system, hired 12 full time employees and authorized 14 more.  Now we have the figures for the first year. Instead of 420,000 private sales, there were only 13,600 or 7% of the predicted figure.  Instead of 40% of sales, private sales only composed 4% of sales.  Even worse, these figures include checks done at gun shows - which were already being done prior to the new law.  Where do all this figures come from?  The Associated Press.  Of course, local media has been all over this.  Even the liberal Denver Post covered the story.

The reason this is so significant is two fold.  First, Colorado is a hugely pro-gun state.  Democrats were elected to many statewide and federal offices after most of them - including now Governor Hickenlooper - promised "no new gun laws".  Not one Republican voted for these laws - they are 100% the responsibility of Democrats.  Second, in addition to most of the state legislature both the governorship and one Senate seat are up for election this year.

These lies have national implications.  Gun owners are highly motivated to slam the door shut on more federal gun control by handing the Senate to Republicans.  Many of the Senate seats up for grabs this year are in pro-gun states.  This is doubly true of Colorado - where Democrats have become irrevocably associated with this very unpopular law and Republicans have made its' repeal the centerpiece of their campaigns.  This is very likely to result in many Colorado voters voting for every Republican they can - and that could cost Democrats the Senate.

These lies by gun control advocates - and the president - many very well come back to haunt them this Fall.