Debunking the Violence Policy Center

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This alert comes from the TSRA. I hope someone finds it useful; it’s long,
but probably necessary for folks in Ohio or elsewhere.

***GRJ***
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>MEDIA RELEASE
>
>TEXAS STATE RIFLE ASSOCIATION
>
>Violence Policy Center’s License To Kill IV: In their own words, “Just
more rhetoric.”
>
>VPC misinforms public with improper use of statistics, unsupported
statements, and outright fabrication to attack the successful CHL law in
Texas.
>
>Texans often have unusual and colorful ways of dismissing the views of
their adversaries in debate. Famed Texas hero Sam Houston once attributed
a political opponent’s differing views as being the result of the man’s use
of “water as a beverage.”
>
>I must confess to having similar thoughts when I recently saw the
information released by the Violence Policy Center in its dramatically
titled “License to Kill IV.” This study uses skewed statistics and
misinformation about the Texas Concealed Handgun Law to make the case to
the citizens of Ohio and their elected representatives that these laws are
a recipe for disaster.
>
>The truth of the matter is that the exact opposite is true. Since the
passage of the law, Texas is a safer place. Violent crime is down.
>
>The Violence Policy Center used statistics from the Texas Department of
Public Safety, which show the raw number of arrests of Concealed Handgun
License Holders since the law went into effect on January 1, 1996. There
are a number of significant problems with these statistics:
>** The statistics used by the VPC are for arrests, not convictions. These
arrest statistics were recently compelled by state law to be removed from
the DPS website and replaced with CONVICTION rates. To this day, the
website simply contains a notice that the mandated information is “coming
soon.” The VPC is not interested in these new statistics because they will
show that only 26% of CHL holders have ever been convicted of the crime of
which they are accused, thus making their small problem even smaller.
>** By using the number of arrests (as opposed to convictions), 5,314, with
no comparison to anything else, they attempt to bring about a knee-jerk
reaction because that SOUNDS like a big number. But in fact, when compared
to the large number of CHL holders in Texas (about a quarter million), it
creates a minute percentage. Further, when compared to the general
population, CHL holders are 7.5 times LESS likely to commit a crime than
someone without a permit. There is a good reason that this comparison
wasn’t made. It doesn’t fit their spin.
>** The VPC cites figures that CHL holders are arrested at a rate higher
than the general population for weapons related offenses. In most cases,
if a CHL holder uses a firearm to defend himself, they will be placed under
arrest. Even in the most justifiable of situations where deadly force is
applied, it falls upon the proper authorities and grand juries to decide if
charges will be pursued against a CHL holder. That CHL holders are
arrested for weapons related offenses at a higher rate than the general
population should surprise nobody. They have a much higher percentage of
weapons than the general
>population. What the VPC will not share with you is how many of these CHL
holders have ever been CONVICTED of a weapons-related offense. Again, it
just doesn’t fit their spin.
>
>When Texas elected to pass a Concealed Handgun License Bill, it took a
great step forward in allowing its citizens to exercise their inherent
right to self-defense. The Texas law is one of the strictest in the
nation, in regards to the qualifications needed to obtain the license. CHL
holders in Texas are among the most scrutinized segment of our state’s
population. Licensees have passed state and federal background checks,
fingerprint checks, complied with all tax and child support requirements,
attend classes and pass a written test on all pertinent state laws, and
pass a qualification test to ensure their
>competence with their weapon. Texas also has the highest licensing fee in
the nation, at $140. The required classes focus on safety, responsibility,
conflict resolution and use of a weapon as an absolute LAST RESORT.
>
>The VPC also attempts to paint Texas CHL holders as criminals. Karen
Brock of the VPC actually states that, “license holders are committing
crimes, not preventing them.” This statement is utter hogwash. There was
never any expectation that every CHL holder would attain an infallible
level of perfection and live a life free of sin. The fact that our CHL
holders are statistically far safer than the general population speaks
volumes about the efficacy of our program.
>
>Brock also has no data to back up her statement that crimes are not being
prevented. Normally people calling themselves “analysts” require something
called “data.” There simply are no statistics kept by anyone on crimes
prevented by CHL holders. So how did Ms. Brock come up with this
allegation? The answer is simple. In true VPC style, she made it up.
>
>I called Ms. Brock and asked what data she used to support this statement.
In the end, she admitted that there was none, and that it was “just more
hetoric.” This statement did not surprise me, but I think that it might
have shocked those who rely on the Violence Policy Center for their
information.
>
>The vast majority of incidents in Texas are resolved without gunplay.
Almost without exception, incidents involving CHL holders de-escalate the
instant that a handgun is produced. Far from the “rivers of blood” that
critics said would flow down our streets, we have in fact had nothing of
the sort.
>
>Hopefully, the people of Ohio will see the shenanigans of the Violence
Policy Center for what they are and see the true success story of the Texas
Concealed Handgun License law.
>Texas is a safer place today than it was in 1995. Ohio can be a safer
place next year if their legislators come up with a reasonable way to allow
their law-abiding citizens to exercise their inherent right to defend
themselves from criminals.
>
>For Release: Wednesday, June 26, 2002
>
>Contact: James Dark is the Executive Director of the Richardson, Texas
based Texas State Rifle Association. For more information on the TSRA, see
their websites athttp://www.tsra.com orhttp://www.tsrapac.org
>