Gun control advocates in true mad dog mode after school shooting

John Lott:

Gun control advocates often bank on scaring people into supporting their agenda. That’s how they’re fighting a “reciprocity” bill that requires concealed handgun permits to be honored in all 50 states — just like driver’s licenses. The scaremongering was on full display last Sunday, in CBS News’ “60 Minutes” lead segment by Steve Kroft on the dangers of concealed carry.

It comes at a strange time considering Wednesday’s Florida high schoolattack, where 17 people died in a “gun-free” zone. For that matter, all mass public shootings in Florida have been in places where general citizens weren’t allowed to defend themselves, and since 1950, over 98 percent of mass public shootings in the U.S. have occurred in these gun-free zones.

In November, the House of Representatives passed the reciprocity bill by a 231 to 199 vote. Senate Democrats are pledging to filibuster it, and Fox News reported that Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), would give “his blessing only for a handful of vulnerable lawmakers to support it.”

New York Police Commissioner James O’Neill Tweeted out a summary of what he told Americans on CBS: “Some states require no background check, no license, & those who've committed violent/domestic or gun-related crimes, the mentally ill, & drug & alcohol abusers can legally buy/carry guns. CCRA effectively makes that the national standard.”

Is CBS News unable to afford fact-checkers? Even if people don’t understand the concealed carry laws, they ought to know that people can’t carry unless they can legally own a gun. And you can’t own a gun if you have committed any violent crime, let alone a crime with a gun. People can't own a gun if they have been adjudicated as mentally ill; if they have ever been involuntarily committed for treatment; or if they use illegal drugs. People can check the federal prohibitions here.

There’s been fear-mongering every time a state has passed laws letting law-abiding citizens carry concealed handguns. The debate is always rife with speculation about blood in the streets and permit holders irresponsibly trying to take the law into their own hands. But those fears have never materialized, and now every state in the country has a law allowing people to carry concealed handguns. Today, there are over 16.4 million Americans with permits.
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Permit holders are extremely law-abiding, being convicted of firearm violations at thousandths of one percentage point, and usually for fairly minor offenses. Permit holders are even unusually law-abiding drivers, being 12 times less likely to drive recklessly or under the influence.

Despite the claims made during that episode of 60 Minutes, the vast majority of police have consistently been ardent supporters of civilian concealed carry. Listing off a dozen police chiefs gave viewers a misimpression of what police think.
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Some Texas schools have signs indicating that teachers are armed and will defend students from attacks.  For some reason, no one has ever attacked one these schools.  Instead, the current hysteria repeats the anti-Second Amendment lefts' attempt to respond to a heinous crime by disarming the innocent.  Such collective punishment will not solve the problem.