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Update on the Misleading Murderer You Know Lie, Latest Data  Ammoland Inc. Posted on December 6, 2021 by Dean Weingarten

U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Those who follow the debate on restoring Second Amendment rights have probably heard the other side proclaim some variant of:

“Most victims are murdered by people they know.”

The implication is defending yourself from a murderer is futile, because there is no point in trying to defend yourself from a person who is close to you.

This is a way of lying with statistics. The truth is far different.

Few Victims Are Murdered By Someone They Live With.

In 2013, this correspondent published an essay on the Misleading Murderer that you Know. The numbers were from 2010. This update uses the latest numbers. They are from the FBI Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) for 2019.

The most accurate crime statistics involve homicides, particularly murders. The most easily solved homicides are murders of passion between intimates. The hardest homicides to solve are those where there is no connection between the murderer and the victim.

The largest category of victims in the FBI reports of victim relationships to their murderer is unknown. In 2019, those victims are 49% of the total. It is a huge number. Some of this is because FBI Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) are often filed before an investigation is complete. As murders of passion among intimates are the easiest to solve, this means a much higher percentage of strangers and acquaintances fall into the unknown category when the UCR report is filled out.

The clearance rate for murder in 2019 was 59%. This means 41% were not solved. About 84% of the murderers who are unknown by the time of the UCR report remain unknown. It is likely most of the 16% solved are not intimate partner murders. Those that are, are unlikely to have been living with their victim.

The clearance rate for murder in 2020 dropped to 54.4%.

So-Called Known Murderers

The next largest category of murderers is acquaintances. It is 20%. These are included in people you “know”.

The slightest connection to you counts as you “knowing” them. The gang-banger who was in your remedial English class in community college, the drug dealer you filed a report about, the laborer who cleaned up your neighbor’s yard, the person who involved you in a fender-bender, the high school classmate who was always in trouble, are all counted as an acquaintance. So are addicts’ suppliers, criminals’ associates, and members of a gang.

The next largest category is members of the immediate family. They are 11%. This is who most people place in the category as “known”.  This includes estranged and ex-family, such as ex-wives and ex-husband.

Then come strangers, at 10%. These are the hardest murderers to catch.

• Boyfriend/girlfriend is at 5%. This includes ex-boyfriend/girlfriends.
• Other family is 2%.
• Friends are at 2%.
• Neighbors are 1%

Employers/employees are just a trace, at .16%, too small to show up on the chart.

Acquaintances Aren’t Family

To create the misleading statistic that most murderers are “known” to their victim, those who want you to believe self-defense is futile, include acquaintance with family, friends, and neighbors.

Then to inflate the “known” numbers, they assume the murderers who are unknown have the same percentage of immediate family and relationships as those where the relationship is known. It is a bad assumption.

Applying the misleading math used by Gun Control Advocates to the 2019 figures creates that false figure that 80% of murderers are “known” to their victims.

A more realistic appraisal is unknown, stranger, and acquaintance categories make up 79% of murderers. Of the remaining 21%, a large number are ex-spouses, ex-boyfriend/girlfriends, and estranged family and friends.

The numbers of exes and estranged are not reported. A great many domestic homicides occur between ex-spouses, ex-boyfriends/girlfriends, and estranged others.

It is likely the number of people who murder someone living with them, when determined, will be less than 10% of the total.

More and more people are effectively defending themselves against people they know who have become deadly enemies.

Just because you know someone, doesn’t mean you cannot defend against them. Legal measures such as restraining orders make a self-defense claim clearer to police, prosecutors, and courts. This correspondent refers to these as cases of domestic defense.

Taking a quick look, 20 cases of domestic defense were reported by the media in the last three months. The vast majority involved firearms as a defensive tool, where the attackers were wounded or killed. It is likely most defensive uses do not result in shots fired or in people wounded or killed. Most are not reported to police, and of those reported, few are mentioned in the media. Actual domestic defense uses of guns are probably 50-100 times greater than those reported in the media.

Self-defense against intimates is almost never counted as justified homicide in the FBI UCR, because of the extremely limited definition of justified homicide the UCR uses.

The bottom line: Firearms are effectively used for self-defense when confronting attackers, both known and unknown. Don’t fall for the anti’s propaganda war hide the truth.

Read more: https://www.ammoland.com/2021/12/misleading-murderer-you-know-lie-latest-data/#ixzz7ENBdvFkk
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SCOPE Annual Banquet Followup

The weather outside was wet but 200 people braved the rainstorm to hear Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North speak at SCOPE’s annual banquet on Saturday the 16th.  This year’s event was held at Breeze’s in Utica. 

Prior to the banquet, Oliver North posed for pictures with attendees and signed autographs as a large crowd enjoyed the opportunity to meet living American history and also “rub elbows” with other Second Amendment supporters.  Many people had the opportunity to talk, personally, to North and hear stories about his life experiences.

Colonel North entertained the audience with stories about his own military service in the Marines, his deep Christian faith and his role as a father and grandfather.  He volunteered that he gave a Bible, a compass and a shotgun to his children and grandchildren, on their birthdays, as things to guide them through life.    

He talked about the difference in American attitudes between the days after 9/11 and today and then praised those who enlisted in the military right after 9/11. 

North pulled no punches in criticizing the Afghan pullout debacle.  He expressed his concern about whether Joe Biden was mentally up for the job of President but expressed even greater concern that it is Kamala Harris “sitting in the wings”.  

North weaved references to SCOPE in his speech, quoting our mission statement and the principles we follow.  He had obviously done his homework on SCOPE.

Showing that he was as on top of current gun control issues as he was when he was President of the NRA, he also talked about the absurdity of several laws being proposed or enacted and how they are meant to chip away at the 2^nd Amendment.  He called upon members of the audience to get active in opposition to those laws and contact their representatives. 

In a question-and-answer session after the speech, he answered several questions from the audience.  When asked about Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, he explained that Joe Biden was apparently advised by his military advisers to leave troops in Afghanistan until after everyone and everything were out.  North then asked: If so, who was it that advised Biden otherwise? Who was pulling the strings behind the scenes?

When asked about the way Marine Lieutenant Colonel Stu Scheller has been treated for remarks critical of the way the Afghanistan evacuation was held, Colonel North explained that Scheller had violated Marine Corps’ regulations but the way he is being treated is way out of line.

In a surprise at the end of the speech, Colonel North donated $500 to SCOPE and challenged the audience to match it.  Sixteen people responded positively, in an unexpected - but happily received - fund raiser.

Colonel North’s speech was videotaped and will be made available for chapters to use.

Several politicians also attended to show their support of the 2^nd Amendment and SCOPE:  NY State Senator Ed Rath, Congressional Candidate Joe Sempolinski, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, Assemblyman Joe Angelino, Lewis County Sheriff Michael Carpinelli and Oneida Count Sheriff Rob Maciol.

Many attendees enjoyed the tour of the Remington Arms factory.  One of the tour attendees, Tracy Marisa, described it this way: “Earlier in the day, many attendees took advantage of the opportunity to tour the Remington Arms factory in Ilion, a few minutes’ drive from Utica. Management as well as other employees volunteered their time and expertise to guide us on an over-1/2-mile walk through the four-floor historic facility. Plant manager Bob Skinner started things off with a brief history of the company founded by Eliphalet Remington and continuing down to the present day, when the new owners have taken up the mantle of Remington Arms and returned to Ilion from Alabama”.

“RemArms is not producing any handguns at the moment, but they are making rifles and shotguns for both the general public as well as police and military uses”. 

“Without giving away any trade secrets, our tour guide took us through many of the areas necessary to turn blocks and tubes of steel into Remington firearms: milling, broaching, hammering, adding sights, polishing, heat treating, coating, assembly, test firing, and boxing. Many of these processes are “robotic” in the sense of being computer-controlled, but there are also benches where craftsmen assemble guns by hand”.

“Attendees were also able to visit the Remington Museum.  It has been (and at least for now) closed to the public, but was staffed by volunteers and opened especially for us SCOPE members. It contains everything from historic guns and an 1880s bicycle (yes, RemArms made bikes at one time, too), to a video of the manufacturing processes in the factory and original paintings produced for advertising purposes by famous American illustrators such as NC Wyeth”.

“All in all, the visit to the plant and museum were well worth the time and effort. Kudos to our SCOPE organizers as well as the RemArms folks who gave up their Saturday so we could have an informative and enjoyable field trip”.

The banquet, itself, was a success because of the efforts of Gene Nolan and Kandee Tabor in organizing it, Marsha Devine in putting together the program and numerous volunteers doing the behind-the-scenes work.  As always, our chapters and Sue Maressa continued to step up.

Schuyler County S.C.O.P.E. “meet the candidates night” held October 14.  Candidates graded on Second Amendment.

Date/Time:    October 14, 2021 at 7:00 pm

Location:       Montour Falls Moose Lodge, 2096 State Rt 14, Montour Falls, NY

The Schuyler County Chapter of Shooters Committee on Political Education (S.C.O.P.E.) invited candidates for county and state office to attend its October 14 (Thursday) quarterly meeting as a “Meet the Candidates Night.” 

Candidates were given the opportunity to make a few brief remarks and answer questions from the membership.  The public was invited to attend as well.     Over fifty members of S.C.O.P.E. and the general public were in the audience.

Among the topics addressed were each candidate’s belief in the right to keep and bear arms, possible “Constitutional County” legislation for Schuyler County, pistol permit procedures, support for law enforcement and related issues.  Each candidate in attendance affirmed his or her strong support for the Second Amendment.

The following candidates attended and addressed the audience:

·      Kevin Rumsey, Republican Candidate for Sheriff

·      Breck Spaulding, Independent Candidate for Sheriff

·      Theresa Philbin, Republican Candidate for County Clerk

·      David Reed, Republican Candidate for County Legislature (District I)

·      Laurence Jaynes, Republican Candidate for County Legislature (District II)

·      James Howell, Republican Candidate for County Legislature (District IV)

Following the meeting, the S.C.O.P.E. executive committee determined that each candidate who attended should receive an “A” rating from the group, based on their presentations and/or responses to a written S.C.O.P.E questionnaire.  An “A” grade means that S.C.O.P.E. believes these candidates will work to preserve, protect and defend the right to keep and bear arms, as enshrined in our Constitution.

The following candidates were invited but did not appear or send a representative in their place:

·      Joseph Fazzary, Republican Candidate for District Attorney

·      Howard Cabezas, Democrat Candidate for County Legislature (District I)

·      Michael Lausell, Democrat Candidate for County Legislature (District III)

·      Molly Fitzgerald, Democrat Candidate for Supreme Court Justice

·      Elizabeth Aherne, Republican Candidate for Supreme Court Justice

·      Patrick O’Sullivan, Republican Candidate for Supreme Court Justice

Because these candidates did not appear or submit responses to the written S.C.O.P.E. questionnaire, these candidates received a “No Grade-Incomplete” rating from the group. S.C.O.P.E. cannot say that these candidates will  or will not work to preserve, protect and defend the right to keep and bear arms.

S.C.O.P.E is a non-partisan statewide organization dedicated to preserving Second Amendment Civil Rights through public education and promoting voter participation.  Because of its non-partisan nature, S.C.O.P.E. does not endorse candidates, but does grade candidates, based on their perceived support for the right of the people to keep and bear arms as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.

Final Grades:

·      Kevin Rumsey, Republican Candidate for Sheriff: Grade A

·      Breck Spaulding, Independent Candidate for Sheriff Grade A

·      Theresa Philbin, Republican Candidate for County Clerk: Grade A

·      David Reed, Republican Candidate for County Legislature (District I): Grade A

·      Laurence Jaynes, Republican Candidate for County Legislature (District II) :Grade A

·      James Howell, Republican Candidate for County Legislature (District IV): Grade A

·      Joseph Fazzary, Republican Candidate for District Attorney: No Grade/Incomplete

·      Howard Cabezas, Democrat Candidate for County Legislature (District I): No Grade/Incomplete

·      Michael Lausell, Democrat Candidate for County Legislature (District III): No Grade/Incomplete

·      Molly Fitzgerald, Democrat Candidate for Supreme Court Justice: No Grade/Incomplete

·      Elizabeth Aherne, Republican Candidate for Supreme Court Justice: No Grade/Incomplete

·      Patrick O’Sullivan, Republican Candidate for Supreme Court Justice: No Grade/Incomplete

Dear Friend, Suicide is a national public health issue that affects everyone, but especially our veterans and service members, who are 1.5 times more likely to die by suicide than non-veterans. September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Locally, we are fortunate to have the leadership of the Canandaigua VA Medical Center, home to the Veterans Crisis Line, a free and confidential resource for veterans and service members who are in crisis. This support is available to all veterans, even if you’re not registered with VA or enrolled in VA health care. If you are a veteran or service member in crisis, or are a family member or friend concerned about a loved one, there are trained and caring VA responders ready to help.  Call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and press 1. Or text 838255. Online chat is also available at VeteransCrisisLine.net. I am urging Governor Kathy Hochul to sign my bill that will improve the reporting of veteran deaths by suicide so we have better data that can help us assist more veterans in crisis. Senate bill S.2036B passed the Senate and Assembly this year. Thank you to Wayne Thompson and the Finger Lakes Veterans Advocacy Council for their instrumental work on this legislation.  Let’s continue to support and look out for one another. God bless our veterans and the men and women of our U.S. Armed Forces. Sincerely, Pam Helming Senator, 54th District P.S. Help is also available for non-veterans. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides support for everyone. Call 1-800-273-8255. Check with the county where you live to find local resources, too.   Albany Office: 517 Legislative Office Bldg Albany, NY 12247 518-455-2366 District Office: 425 Exchange St Geneva, NY 14456 315-568-9816

November’s Ballot  by George Phillips

Stolen elections are a path to nullifying the 2^nd Amendment.  

As Americans continued to question the authenticity and fairness of the last election, New York State politicians have placed before voters the following referendums on November 2nd in our election:

• First, to make permanent absentee ballot voting for any voter for any reason in every election.  Millions of New Yorkers voting absentee on a regular basis would surely increase fraud – especially when local boards of election are ill-equipped to verify signatures of absentee voters.
• Second, to allow same day voter registration up until election day – negating laws which require voters to register 30 days before an election. Illegal immigrants and non-New York residents could easily register to vote and vote before local boards of elections had time to check for fraud.  If you are not a citizen, you should not be able to vote in our state.
• Third, to amend the Independent Redistricting Commission allowing the liberal Democrat majority legislature to reject non-partisan district maps with a 60% vote and draw their own partisan maps for political gain.  Under current law, the Democrats need a two-thirds supermajority to reject two separate independent maps.

Critical to a free state are fair elections.  Lovers of liberty and rule of law principles should:

• Consider whether absentee voting for an any reason in New York will increase fraud.
• Consider whether same day voter registration in New York will lead to more illegal votes. 
• Consider whether amending the Independent Redistricting Commission will empower New York City Democrats and Pelosi allies from drawing Congressional districts here in New York.

Protect honest elections.  The future of our state depends on it.

George Phillips is an American History teacher from the Binghamton area, former Regional Director of Reclaim New York and a former candidate for Congress.

White House will withdraw David Chipman's nomination as head of ATF  By Manu Raju, Jeff Zeleny, John Harwood and Kate Sullivan, CNN  Updated 9:41 AM ET, Thu September 9, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 23: Former special agent at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) David Chipman testifies during a hearing before the Congressional Gun Violence Prevention Task Force January 23, 2013 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The task force held a hearing on "the comprehensive steps that Congress can take to reduce gun violence while respecting the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans." (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

(CNN)The White House will withdraw the nomination of David Chipman to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, three sources familiar with the decision told CNN.

The move comes amid concerns among moderate Democrats and independent Maine Sen. Angus King -- along with GOP senators -- over Chipman's past record on gun control.

"We do not have the votes. We will land him in a non-confirmed job in the administration," one senior administration official told CNN.

Chipman, a former career official at ATF, came under scrutiny from pro-gun rights supporters and the National Rifle Association for his work as a senior adviser to Everytown for Gun Safety and Giffords -- the organization started by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot at an event in her Arizona district in 2011.

Top Democrats had been quietly moving to lock down support for Biden's nominee, but Chipman struggled to gain support because some senators questioned if his past record as an advocate for stricter gun laws would make him a less effective director.

The Washington Post was first to report on the withdrawn nomination.

The White House declined to comment when reached by CNN.

Biden nominated Chipman to head the ATF in April, seeking the first Senate-confirmed director of the agency since 2015 and just the second in its history.

CNN's KFile reported that Chipman failed to disclose some interviews and events dating back to 2012 on paperwork filed with the Senate for consideration of his nomination.

In one undisclosed 2019 talk given to a law firm titled "Can the Right to Bear Arms Coexist with Gun Control?," Chipman said his views and politics weren't typical of most at the ATF and in law enforcement because the groups were mostly "a very conservative bunch, primarily of white men."

The withdrawal of Chipman comes as Democrats have struggled to overcome GOP resistance to measures aimed at curbing the use of guns, and amid a rise in mass shootings in the United States. The House has approved two bills to expand background checks on firearm sales, including one to do so on private and commercial transactions, but that lacks the support of moderate Democrats like Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Sen. Jon Tester of Montana.

While at the ATF, Chipman "disrupted firearms trafficking operations in Virginia that were supplying illegal guns to New York City, served as a member of ATF's version of SWAT, and was named the Special Agent in Charge of ATF's Firearms Programs," according to his bio on the website for Giffords.

In recent years, the ATF has become most visible in the aftermath of mass shootings around the US and at other crimes involving firearms.

According to its website, ATF "protects our communities from violent criminals, criminal organizations, the illegal use and trafficking of firearms, the illegal use and storage of explosives, acts of arson and bombings, acts of terrorism, and the illegal diversion of alcohol and tobacco products."

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN's Paul LeBlanc contributed to this report.

SCOTUS to Hear Challenge to New York Gun Control November 3

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will hear a challenge to New York gun control that will highlight the extent of constitutional protections for carrying a gun outside the home.

The case centers on New York’s requirement that concealed carry applicants show “proper cause” before being issued a carry permit.

The case was brought by the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association and private citizens Brandon Nash and Robert Koch. Nash and Koch were denied a concealed permit based on the “proper cause” requirement.

The defendants are Keith M. Corlett, in his official capacity as superintendent of New York State Police, Richard J. McNally Jr., in his official capacity as Justice of the New York Supreme Court, Third Judicial District, and Licensing Officer for Rensselaer County.

The petitioners contend:

New York prohibits its ordinary law-abiding citizens from carrying a handgun outside the home without a license, and it denies licenses to every citizen who fails to convince the state that he or she has “proper cause” to carry a firearm. In District of Columbia v. Heller, this Court held that the Second Amendment protects “the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation.”

And the petitioners seek a ruling as to “whether the Second Amendment allows the government to prohibit ordinary law-abiding citizens from carrying handguns outside the home for self-defense.”

A federal judge ruled against Nash and Koch in 2018, and his ruling was upheld by a federal appeals court.

Attorney Paul Clement petitioned the SCOTUS to hear the case, writing:

[“Proper Cause’ laws] deny to ordinary law-abiding citizens like petitioners Nash and Koch the rights that the Second Amendment protects. By requiring a permit applicant to submit evidence differentiating him or herself from the body of “the people” guaranteed rights under the Second Amendment, the New York regime is not merely an infringement; the regime is antithetical to the constitutional freedom itself.

The case is New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. New York, Case Number 19-156 in the Supreme Court of the United States.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.

The new and important edition of the Firing Lines, SCOPE's newsletter, is available for downloading at:

https://www.scopeny2a.org/resources/Documents/FL%20July%20August%202021.pdf

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign from office in 14 days

BY SPECTRUM NEWS STAFF NEW YORK STATE,  UPDATED 12:20 PM ET AUG. 10, 2021 PUBLISHED 12:08 PM ET AUG. 10, 2021

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he would resign office in 14 days in the wake of the attorney general's report that concluded he harassed multiple women.

"New York tough means New York loving, and I love New York, and I love you, and I would never want to be unhelpful in any way," Cuomo said.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will assume office.

A New Case Gives the Supreme Court a Chance To Defend Gun Rights  John Stossel 6.30.2021

It's likely that soon, almost all Americans will be legally able to carry guns.

Would carrying a gun make you feel safer?

Robert Nash and Brandon Koch thought so. But the state of New York denied them gun permits, saying they hadn't demonstrated a "special need."

Why did they have to prove such a "need"? The Supreme Court ruled more than 10 years ago that all Americans have a right to keep and bear arms, no matter where they live.

"Many other courts have thumbed their nose at that Supreme Court ruling," Alan Gottlieb of the Second Amendment Foundation tells me. He's excited that the Supreme Court will soon rule on Nash and Koch's lawsuit over New York's law.

I understand Nash and Koch's frustration. I once tried to get a carry permit in New York.

First, I had to read 60 pages of instructions about irrelevant things like "metal knuckle knives" and "kung fu stars," fill out a confusing 17-page form, get it notarized, and then go in person to police headquarters.

There they fingerprinted me, demanded reasons why I should be allowed to have a gun, and charged me $430.

I heard nothing from them for half a year. Then they wrote me saying that my application was "denied."

I called to ask if I could appeal. They said I could try again if I could prove that "special need" to carry a gun. After years of confronting crooks on TV, I actually do have a special need for self-protection. I showed the cops threats on my life.

Not good enough, said the NYC permit department. They turned me down again.

Apparently, my mistake was not bribing the cops. Later it was revealed that the police in the permit department were giving out permits for money.

Scams like that thrive whenever politicians impose too many restrictions on people's freedom. In parts of California, people got gun permits if they donated to a sheriff's campaign.

It's one more reason why Gottlieb is excited about this new Supreme Court case. Court watchers predict his side will win, especially because there are now more originalist judges on the court.

That means it's likely that soon, almost all Americans will be legally able to carry guns.

Some people say that will be terrible.

"Women are less safe!" says professor Lisa Moore of the University of Texas on TV. "Every vulnerable population—LGBT people, students of color—has more to fear!"

But then why are 58 percent of new gun owners Blacks, and 40 percent women?

"An awful lot of women bought a firearm to protect themselves and feel a whole lot safer!" says Gottlieb. "Eight hundred thousand times a year, a person uses a firearm to protect themselves. If you call 911, the police usually get there after the crime is over.

Over the last decades, most states liberalized their gun laws. More allow concealed carry. Gun control advocates predicted that would lead to an epidemic of shootings.

The opposite happened. As concealed carry was legalized, violent crime went down. Especially telling, crime dropped in each state right after the law was changed.

Gottlieb says that's because "an armed society is a polite society."

As a reporter who attended only liberal schools and worked in liberal newsrooms, I'd been taught that more guns means more violence. Even after interviewing violent criminals in prison and hearing many say that what they feared most was "not the police" but that the person being robbed "might be armed," I still believed that more guns meant more crime.

Only when I started researching gun crime and studying the data did it become clear that most of my anti-gun assumptions were wrong.

More guns really does mean less crime.