OpinionBy Salam Fatohi
Skepticism and statistics go hand-in-hand when studying breaking information from the medical neighborhood about firearm rules. Like mainstream media, the medical neighborhood usually leans far left on weapons.
One instance of this problematic partnership was on show when a research was launched in 2022 suggesting that firearms had taken over because the “main reason behind dying amongst kids” in america. Not solely did NSSF take aside the flawed research, even The Washington Put up’s Glenn Kessler deconstructed and fact-checked how the info was lower and manipulated to be able to arrive on the conclusion, usually repeated by former President Joe Biden, Biden administration officers, gun management activists and media throughout the nation.
Leaping again to the current, a more moderen article printed in June 2025 in JAMA (the Journal for American Medical Affiliation) Pediatrics, Firearm Legal guidelines and Pediatric Mortality within the US, examined adolescent firearm mortality after the 2010 McDonald v. Chicago case, which challenged Chicago’s handgun ban. This research investigated the info and tendencies to reach on the declare that limiting authorized firearm entry had resulted in much less adolescent firearm fatalities.
For sure, at face worth the findings are troubling. A more in-depth take a look at the info underlying the research reveals it’s simply extra gun management propaganda masquerading as public well being literature.
Main Trigger and Questionable Statistics
The research opens with the customarily repeated and deceptive declare that firearms are the main reason behind dying for kids in america. As talked about, this false declare was debunked by The Washington Put up which confirmed that firearms weren’t the main reason behind dying for American kids. Older teenagers, 15-17 years outdated, are probably the most prone, predominantly for Black teenagers. That inhabitants is at excessive danger for violence-related disparities.
The authors of this JAMA research got here up with a daring and putting declare: “That permissive firearm legal guidelines contributed to hundreds of extra firearm deaths amongst kids residing in states with permissive insurance policies; future work ought to give attention to figuring out which forms of legal guidelines conferred probably the most hurt and which supplied probably the most safety.”
The research’s authors categorized the states, the place there was sufficient information, by three authorized groupings of “Strict,” “Permissive” and “Most Permissive,” associated to firearm legal guidelines. Predictably, they “discovered” that states with “Strict” firearm rules post-McDonald v Chicago had been related to much less adolescent firearm fatalities.
For the media and gun management allies and politicians, the conclusion is evident: states that respect Second Modification rights are unhealthy, states with strict gun management are higher. The New York Occasions ran with the story. So too did CNN, by no means questioning the manipulation of the info, even blindly repeating the unique debunked declare ABC Information printed the story, as did others. It was syndicated and printed all throughout the nation numerous instances.
However why do the research’s authors manipulate the info through the use of estimated, predicted and crude-rate adjusted figures as an alternative of analyzing the actual incidents?
The reply is apparent. They did so as a result of the uncooked figures printed by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) inform a really completely different story.
Uncooked Knowledge Actual Outcomes
Rebuilding the info set utilizing the identical time, inhabitants and mechanism parameters established by the authors utilizing CDC’s information tells a unique story completely. The eight states the authors rated as “Strict” and having probably the most restrictive gun management legal guidelines – California, New York, Maryland, Rhode Island, Illinois, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey – on common noticed extra unadjusted adolescent firearm mortality than the 11 “Permissive” and 30 “Most Permissive” states.
Solely when adjusting this restricted inhabitants by the crude charge does the narrative flip. California (“Strict”) and Texas (“Most Permissive”), two states with equally excessive populations and diametrically opposing firearm rules present California as having extra adolescent firearm fatalities for the pre- and post-McDonald research interval.
Extra Transparency, Higher Options
Sadly, gun management advocates in public well being lab coats have for years manipulated information to suit preconceived narratives to tug on emotional heartstrings to be able to advance an anti-Second Modification political agenda. And what higher heartstring to pluck than “kids.”
The firearm trade isn’t deterred or distracted by biased research that push political narratives. For many years, the firearm trade has introduced ahead efficient and confirmed firearm security initiatives to maintain firearms past the attain of those that ought to by no means have them. That features unsupervised kids.
The firearm trade’s Actual Options. Safer Communities.® initiatives are prime examples of this holistic effort to scale back tragedies whereas defending rights. Notably, Venture ChildSafe® is the most important and most complete firearm security schooling program in america, created for gun house owners, by the firearm trade. Since its launch in 1999, Venture ChildSafe has distributed greater than 41 million firearm security kits that embrace a locking system and partnered with greater than 15,000 regulation enforcement businesses throughout the nation and 5 U.S. territories to advertise safe firearm storage practices. As this system celebrates its twenty fifth anniversary this yr, NSSF and Venture ChildSafe stay dedicated to educating and offering assets to gun house owners and non-gun house owners alike.
NSSF will proceed the laborious work of teaching People and dealing to scale back unauthorized entry to firearms.
OMG ..No, Youngsters Are Not Extra Seemingly To Die By Weapons Than Automobiles
Gun Deaths & Deceptive Phrases: Spectrum Article vs Letter to the NEJM
About The Nationwide Taking pictures Sports activities Basis
NSSF is the commerce affiliation for the firearm trade. Its mission is to advertise, shield and protect looking and capturing sports activities. Shaped in 1961, NSSF has a membership of hundreds of producers, distributors, firearm retailers, capturing ranges, sportsmen’s organizations, and publishers nationwide. For extra info, go to nssf.org
