The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence hailed the 2008 presidential election as “a decisive victory for common sense gun laws.” Sarah Brady said: “There is no indication that any candidate, at any level, lost their election because of their support for reasonable gun measures.”[1]
But what exactly qualifies as “common sense gun laws” or “reasonable gun measures?” A recent paper answered this question by noting certain correlations for states considered the “best” by Brady in terms of how many “common sense gun laws” they have passed:
- Brady’s highest-rated states have the highest average violent crime and murder rates. These states also have the lowest levels of gun ownership.
- Only 2 of these states have shall-issue concealed carry laws.
- Brady’s “failed” states (not enough “reasonable gun measures”) have the lowest violent crime and murder rates, and the highest levels of gun ownership.
- All have shall-issue concealed carry laws.[2]
Click here to read the entire op-ed by Howard Nemerov.