Women, Firearms Training & Self-Defense

Demographic Context:

Female gun ownership growth: Female gun ownership rose from roughly 10% in 1980 to 25% in 2024.(1)

Permit growth outpacing men: From 2012 to 2024/2025, concealed carry permit numbers grew 106.1% faster for women than for men across the seven states tracked over that period, and in 2025 women made up 28.5% of permit holders in the 14 states that report by gender. (2)

Gallup trend: Gallup found 15% of U.S. women reported owning a gun in 2016, rising to 22% by 2022. (3)

Motivation gap: 27% of women cite self-defense as the only reason they own a firearm, compared to 8% of men. (4)

Documented Self-Defense Examples:

The following incidents are drawn from NRA Women's “The Armed Citizen®” series, which compiles reports originally published by local news outlets. Each entry below lists the original outlet, location, and date where available.

1. Domestic violence — attacker disarmed mid-assault

A man called 9-1-1 to report he had been shot in the head. Responding officers discovered he had been strangling his wife until she was able to grab a gun and defend herself. She said her husband had threatened to kill her. He was arrested on a felony assault charge; the victim was reported safe. (5)

2. Domestic violence — gas station ambush

While pumping gas, a woman was attacked by her ex-boyfriend, who had been harassing her by text. He hit her with a rock, punched her, poured diesel fuel on her, and threatened to set her on fire. As she tried to escape to her truck, he grabbed her; fearing for her life, she drew her handgun and fired, hitting him. Police found her with blood and diesel fuel on her shirt when they arrived.(6)

3. Weapon disparity — machete attack

A Florida woman was attacked by a man with a machete after the two had separated following an earlier altercation. Fearing for her life, she drew her firearm and fired; the man's wound was non-life-threatening. (7)

4. Home invasion — property theft in progress

A woman was awakened at about 5:45 a.m. by banging on her front door and discovered a man attempting to steal property, including her dog. She ordered him to leave.  When he refused, fearing for her life and property, she fired multiple times. He was later found roughly 200 yards away with gunshot injuries and was charged. (8)

5. Armed carjacking — outnumbered five to one

A woman in her car around 1:30 a.m. was confronted by five armed carjackers carrying rifles. She was armed with a handgun and fired back in self-defense as the group returned fire while fleeing; her car was not stolen. Police later used license-plate-reader technology to apprehend the group. (9)

6. Vehicle break-in with a weapon

A legally licensed Philadelphia woman was forced to defend herself after a man smashed her passenger-side window with a crowbar. Fearing for her life, she fired, hitting him. (10)

7. Unprovoked public attack

A woman was attacked without provocation by another woman inside a grocery store at 10 a.m. Legally armed and fearing for her life, she fired once, wounding her attacker, who was later arrested for assault causing bodily injury. Police reviewed witness statements and surveillance footage and ruled the shooting self-defense. (11)

8. Stalking after a protective order

A former police officer with a documented history of domestic violence, dating back to 2012, and two prior protective orders against him, showed up at his ex-girlfriend's home, in violation of a current order requiring him to stay away and surrender his weapons. She was able to protect herself. (12)

9. Parking garage — deterrence without a shot fired

A woman, shopping with her mother, was approached by a man who continued closing in on her despite her attempts to disengage. After scanning the area, she showed him her holstered firearm and warned him to leave her alone. He left without further incident and no shots were fired. (13)

Sourcing note: Cases above are compiled from advocacy and trade publications (NRA Women, The Well Armed Woman) that in turn cite local news reports. Where a specific outlet and date are listed, that report can be independently verified through the original news source. For court-verified case files with fuller legal documentation, the USCCA's member case archive and NRA-ILA's Armed Citizen database are searchable directly.

(1) Pew Research Center, cited in "Women are Now the Fastest Growing Demographic of US Gun Ammo.com, "Gun Ownership by Gender in 2026: Closing the Gender Gap," citing Cassandra McBride, "Gun Ownership by Gender in 2024," Ammo.com, updated Jan. 22, 2026) Owners," MrColionNoir.com, June 6, 2025)

(2) (John R. Lott, Carlisle E. Moody & Rujun Wang, "Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across the United States: 2025," Crime Prevention Research Center, Nov. 30, 2025, as reported by NRA-ILA, Dec. 22, 2025)

 (3) (Gallup survey, cited in "Women are Now the Fastest Growing Demographic of US Gun Owners, "MrColionNoir.com, June 6, 2025)

(4) Pew Research Center, cited in "Women are Now the Fastest Growing Demographic of US Gun Owners," MrColionNoir.com, June 6, 2025)

(5) krdo.com, Colorado Springs, Colo., 04/30/21 — via NRA Women, The Armed Citizen® Reload, July 24, 2026

(6) Via NRA Women, The Armed Citizen® Reload, July 3, 2026

(7) weartv.com, Escambia County, Fla., 08/14/25 — via NRA Women, The Armed Citizen®, Feb. 6, 2026

(8) Via NRA Women, The Armed Citizen® Reload, April 24, 2026

(9) 11alive.com, Atlanta, Ga., 03/01/22 — via NRA Women, The Armed Citizen® Reload, May 8, 2026

(10) Via NRA Women, The Armed Citizen® Reload, March 20, 2026

(11) foxnews.com, Des Moines, Iowa, 06/19/22 — via NRA Women, The Armed Citizen® Reload, May 22, 2026

(12) Via NRA Women, The Armed Citizen® Reload, June 26, 2026

(13) The Well Armed Woman, “Women's Stories of Survival” (reader-submitted account)

Save the Nine  by Tom Reynolds

The radical left cannot get the 2nd Amendment revoked so they attack it in different ways.  One of their most popular efforts is to use judges who put their personal philosophy ahead of the law when making their decisions.  This is especially prevalent in judges appointed by Democrat presidents and governors. 

But they can’t wait for opportunities through deaths and retirements so another approach is to create new positions, especially on the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS).  Many current Democrat candidates are pledging to create a dozen new SCOTUS positions if they get the power.  (The number of justices on SCOTUS is not in the U S Constitution, it is set by laws passed by Congress and the number nine has been in place since 1869)

The Republicans are currently in power and they are not threatening the same sort of end-run around the Constitution.  Instead, the Republicans are trying to preserve the Constitutional balance.  Representative Claudia Tenney explained such efforts in a recent e mail.

H.J.Res. 1 proposed a resolution that would create an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring the U.S. Supreme Court to consist of 9 justices: one chief justice and 8 associate justices.   

Radical proposals to pack or abolish the Supreme Court threaten the separation of powers and would transform an independent judiciary into a political instrument. Allowing future congressional majorities to manipulate the Court’s membership whenever they dislike its decisions would undermine public confidence and weaken our constitutional system. This amendment would preserve the Court’s independence, provide institutional stability, and prevent partisan court-packing schemes.

Under Article V of the Constitution, if two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate favorably propose an amendment, then it shall be submitted to the states for ratification.

H.J.Res.1 did not reach the required two-thirds majority and failed in the House by a vote of 212-206.  1 Democrat voted for it and 1 Independent (who caucuses with Republicans) voted against it.

Keep this in mind when you vote for your U S Representative in November.

Random Thoughts  by Tom Reynolds

Democrat New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed an executive order that is so far reaching that Republican candidate Bruce Blakeman must feel his campaign is doomed.

Previously, bar license applications in the New York State required bar owners to tell officials if they intended to allow dancing.

That requirement is gone thanks to Hochul’s new policy that allows bar owners to leave the questions blank on applications for operator licenses; if they do, licensing agencies are instructed not to allow that to affect the approval of applications.

This is so big that she got movie actor Kevin Bacon to appear in a video announcing it.

Thank you, Governor Hochul, for addressing the things that really matter to New Yorkers.

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Back in June, Governor Hochul signed a new law that requires all 3D printers to have technology installed that prevents the printing of firearms; any printer that cannot scan printable files for guns and gun parts for such items would be banned in the Empire State. If a company doesn’t come up with a solution to satisfy New York State, it could face a civil penalty of $ 5,000 per product sold.

There is one teeny, tiny, little, small issue…the technology to do this does not exist!

California just passed a similar law but it does not take effect until after the technology exists.

Can you believe it…California is now saner than New York.

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A warning about ‘Free stuff’ to New Yorkers and especially those who voted for Comrade Mamdani for Mayor of New York City.

As one pig said to another pig about the farmer: “Sure he feeds us every day but I sense a hidden agenda.”

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Comrade Mamdani promises grocery prices 30% lower in his city run grocery stores. 30% lower than what?

A ‘Consumer Reports’ national survey* puts Walmart prices 39.7% lower than Whole Foods.

According to the ‘Manhattan Contrarian’, Whole Foods has one of the two biggest presences in Manhattan and there are no Walmart’s in Manhattan, in spite of Walmart’s past efforts to locate there; whenever Walmart has picked a site and tried to get a project going, local activists rise up and protest, and get the local politicians on their side, until Walmart backs down.

Walmart charging 30% less than other stores is unfair and evil, but NY City doing the same thing is “social justice.”

* Most and Least Expensive Supermarkets - Consumer Reports

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The new Iranian Navy has glass bottom boats so they can keep an eye on the old Iranian Navy.

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If you believed there could not be a worse candidate for President than Kamala Harris (and Tim Walz for VP)…

The Democrat Party said “Hold my beer…”

Their current leading candidates for 2028 are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and Pete Buttigieg.

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And Mark Twain seemed to foresee A O-C:

“Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”

- Mark Twain, a Biography

(With apologies to those members of Congress who are sane.)

Survey Says…  by Tom Reynolds

The Supreme Court’s (SCOTUS) decision in District of Columbia v. Heller held that arms “in common use” for lawful purposes cannot be banned.  But that hasn’t stopped the Left from ignoring SCOTUS and trying to outlaw commonly held guns, especially AR15’s (Modern Sporting Rifles) that the left likes to characterize as “Assault Weapons.”

To counteract that effort, William English’s 2026 National Firearms Survey provides evidence that AR-15s and similar rifles are “in common use”…if you believe that tens of millions qualifies as “in common use.”

English surveyed 51,398 American adults and identified 16,688 valid gun owners.  The survey asked about firearms that the respondents personally and currently owned and separated AR-15-type rifles from other similarly styled semi-automatic rifles.

32.7% of U.S. adults personally own firearms; approximately 88 million American adults.  (That’s in line with most estimates of 80 to 100 million.)

30% of U.S. gun owners currently own at least one rifle commonly labelled by the left as an “assault weapon;” 26.4 million adults.  (Also, in line with most estimates of 20+ million.)

25% of U.S. gun owners currently own an AR-15-type rifle; 22.1 million adults.

12.9% of other gun owners own a similarly styled semi-automatic rifle with a pistol grip.

7.9% of U.S. gun owners own rifles in both categories.

On Monday, I wrote about Defensive Gun Use.* (DGU.)  The survey backs up the higher estimates of DGU’s in that article and adds more details:

guns are used defensively by firearms owners in approximately 2.2 million incidents per year;

76.3% reported that no shot was fired;

34.7% of gun owners reported that the mere presence of a gun has deterred criminal conduct;

70.6% of incidents resulted in no crime reported to the police.  (This is why DGU surveys based only on police reports or media reports show lower numbers and are meaningless.)

Then there is the attempt to outlaw “large’ capacity magazines.  (If the left had their wishes, two rounds would qualify as large capacity).  The survey tells us why we need large capacity magazines: “50.8% involved more than one assailant.”

And as to whether or not large capacity magazines are “in common use; ”50.5% of gun owners (44.5 million adults) report that they currently own magazines that hold more than 10 rounds (539 million such magazines, in total) and 88.0% of these owners cite a defensive purpose for owning them.

For some more on large capacity magazines being necessary, read this article in Ammoland:  Survey: 180,000 Gun Uses Against Animals Each Year

As for the male stereotyping of gun owners, the survey says 45.7% of validated gun owners are female, which leaves 54.3% as male.  (The survey did not attempt to characterize based on gender dysphoria.)

And the Left always wants to yell “racism.”  But the survey finds the gap in ownership rates between White Americans (34.6%) and Black Americans (33.0%) has narrowed to less than two percentage points.

*S.C.O.P.E. Shooters Committee On Political Education
- DGU’s Return by Tom Reynolds

DGU’s Return  by Tom Reynolds

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Defensive Gun Use (DGU) “…is generally defined as the use of a firearm to protect and defend oneself, family, other people, and/or property against crime or victimization.” 

Gun control advocates avoid discussing DGU’s like Dracula avoids Holy Water, crosses and stakes

Ammoland wrote: “Defensive gun use data matters because it provides context for the broader debate over firearms policy. When only criminal misuse and suicide statistics are highlighted, the full picture of civilian firearm ownership, including its role in deterring or stopping crime, is obscured.”

Politics should not trump science but, unfortunately as seen in the following and the COVID cover up, it too often does just that.

In 2013, the CDC published the following about DGU*: “Defensive use of guns by crime victims is a common occurrence, although the exact number remains disputed. Almost all national survey estimates indicate that defensive gun uses by victims are at least as common as offensive uses by criminals, with estimates of annual uses ranging from about 500,000 to more than 3 million in the context of about 300,000 violent crimes involving firearms in 2008.”

SCOPE: Annually, 300,000 violent crimes involving firearms are committed but there are at least 500,000 DGU’s (or more).

The CDC continued: “A different issue is whether defensive uses of guns…are effective in preventing injury to the gun-wielding crime victim. Studies that directly assessed the effect of actual defensive uses of guns (i.e., incidents in which a gun was “used” by the crime victim in the sense of attacking or threatening an offender) have found consistently lower injury rates among gun-using crime victims compared with victims who used other self-protective strategies.”

SCOPE: Crime victims using a gun in defense have “…found consistently lower injury rates…compared with victims who used other self-protective strategies.”

The CDC published this on its web site: “Estimates of defensive gun use vary depending on the questions asked, populations studied, timeframe, and other factors related to study design. The report** indicates a range of 60,000 to 2.5 million defensive gun uses each year.”

SCOPE: The 60,000 figure comes from the survey of the Gun Violence Archive (GVA) which only counts incidents that make it into media reports or police reports.  (But, how many police and media reports did they find?)   

The CDC continued: “Firearm violence and injuries are a serious public health problem that impact the health and safety of Americans. “

SCOPE: This statement is deceiving as it focuses on crimes and ignores DGU’s, which have a positive effect on public health.

The Reload published this in December 2022***…”Despite initially standing behind the description in the defensive gun use section of its “fast facts” website on gun violence, the CDC backtracked after a previously-undisclosed virtual meeting with the” (gun control) “advocates on September 15th, 2021…The half-hour meeting was conducted over Microsoft Teams, but a transcript of the call either wasn’t kept or wasn’t turned over as part of the FOIA request.”

After this meeting, the CDC scrubbed its website of this DGU information.

Now, under President Trump and Secretary Kennedy, the CDC is returning the statistics to its web page.**** The restored language again notes that estimates of defensive gun use vary by study design and cites the range of 60,000 to 2.5 million each year.

In an average year, the United States has about 16,000 non-suicide gun deaths from all sources, legal and illegal.  And murders are overwhelmingly committed by illegal guns and users. 

Without question, lawful possession of a gun by the average citizen is beneficial, not harmful, and the numbers clearly outweigh gun usage by criminals.

* Read "Priorities for Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-Related Violence" at NAP.edu

** Priorities for Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-Related Violence 

*** https://thereload.com/emails-cdc-removed-defensive-gun-use-stats-after-gun-control-advocates-pressured-officials-in-private-meeting/

**** About Firearm Injury and Death | Firearm Injury and Death Prevention | CDC

Concealed Carry is back  by Bo Rabarsky Will Republicans deliver for gun owners or kick the can down the road once again! In March of 2017, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (CCRA) was first introduced by North Carolina Congressman Richard Hudson in the 115th Congress. It passed the lower house in December 2017 after being combined with the fix NICS background check improvement bill, but stalled in the Senate without receiving a formal floor vote. In January 2021, the 117th Congress, CCRA was reintroduced with co-sponsor support, but remained in committee and never went any further. In January 2023, with the 118th Congress, CCRA basically had the same results as in previous years. January 2025 in the 119th Congress, CCRA was reintroduced as bill HB38 and in the Senate as SB65.  In the Senate, it was referred to the Judiciary Committee where it sits.  The House Judiciary Committee presented an amended version and it has been on the list ‘scheduled for action’ since October 2005.  The Constitution should be the foundation of any political party. The 2nd Amendment is in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights and without the 2nd Amendment, the others wouldn’t exist. Neither of the two New York Senators (Schumer and Gillibrand) have signed on to the bill.  (Not exactly a surprise!) New York State has 7 Republican Congressional Representatives of which three have signed onto this bill. In addition, Nick Langworthy (23rd) and Claudia Tenney (24th) were original co-sponsors and Elise Stefanik (21st) signed on in April 2026. Nicolas LaLota (1st), Andrew Garbarino (2nd), Nicole Malliotakis (11th) and Michael Lawler (17th) are the four Republican representatives that have never signed onto this bill.  Why?  Probably because their districts happen to cover or surround New York City or Long Island. They probably believe that if their constituents saw them as openly supporting gun bills, they would not get re-elected.  They’re representing what they believe their constituents want, but along the way have given up their principles of supporting the Constitution.  Especially in Long Island’s 1st and 2nd Districts which often vote Republican. I would recommend constituents in those four districts remind their representatives that they took an oath to defend the Constitution and demonstrate it by signing on to HB38. As to Schumer and Gillibrand, it might not hurt to remind them that they took a similar oath of office to defend the Constitution and there are legal gun owners in New York who will vote this November for a party that supports 2A.

NYS Congressional Delegates

Microstamping: "Feels good but little practical use"  by Tom Reynolds

One of the favorite approaches of the anti-2A faction is Microstamping. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently sent a letter to Congress about microstamping*.  NIST did not conduct independent research on microstamping but offered a summary of published data from state agencies, academic institutions, forensic science professionals, and advocacy groups.

First, here is NIST’s definition of microstamping: “Microstamping involves using a laser to engrave a unique microscopic identifier (microstamp) onto one or more firearm components, such as the firing pin or breech face.  When fired, the gun imprints this microstamp onto the cartridge case before it is ejected from the firearm…The goal is to allow law enforcement to link expended cartridge cases found at crime scenes to a specific firearm make, model, and serial number through a database, even if the gun itself is not recovered.”

Per the NIST’s letter, here are a “few” shortcomings of microstamping:

“…legibility is inconsistent and that transfer rates vary by firearm (and by) firing pin shape, and the type of ammunition being used;”  

“Microstamps on firing pins can be defaced or obliterated with basic household tools…firing pins naturally wear over time…replacing a firing pin can be part of routine maintenance;”

“…firearms produce residues such as propellant (gunpowder) and primer particles that can accumulate in the microscopic engravings, potentially obscuring the code;”

“The composition and hardness of the primer material also affect legibility…rimfire ammunition is considered more challenging, as the harder material of the cartridge rim causes lower quality impressions and lower durability;”

“The presence of lacquer sealants on some ammunition can degrade the transfer quality;”

“Manufacturer branding on the primer surface of the ammunition may also impact microstamp visibility by obscuring or preventing the code transfer;”

“…microstamping may obscure some of the features used in traditional forensic firearm identification… and could result in less conclusive determinations that lead to more ambiguity in a criminal case;"

“…firing pin motion, such as repeated strikes and drag, during discharge, can significantly impact the readability;”

“…duplication of the code with other vendors" is an issue.

And then there is that issue that never enters most leftists’ minds: what will it cost!

“…the co-inventor of the technology…estimates the cost of implementation at $3 to $10 per firearm when produced in high-volume batches of over 2,500 units…industry representatives argue that introducing microstamping…could raise consumer costs by over $200 per firearm.”

“For the technology to trace a weapon, a secure database must be established to link a unique microstamp code to a firearm make, model, and serial number. The exact cost of a national database is unknown...the NY Combined Ballistic Identification System, a searchable ballistics image database of cartridge cases fired from firearms legally sold in New York; that program cost $30 million over 11 years before being defunded due to limited efficacy.”  (Emphasis added.)

NIST further warns about the pro-microstamping studies: “While microstamping has shown promise in a small number of initial studies…no large-scale independent (blind) studies have been conducted to establish validity and error rates across a wide range of firearm model and ammunition combinations. Furthermore, the studies are limited to subjective evaluations involving a small number of observers, firearms, and firing pins, and rely exclusively on one manufacturer to produce the microstamps on the firing pin. These limitations currently preclude reliable estimates for error rates under real-world conditions.  (Emphasis added.)

Then there is the minor issue of getting criminals to cooperate.

"…criminals do not typically obtain firearms through retail sources, opting instead to acquire firearms through theft, 'off the street/underground market,' or 'from a family member or friend, or as a gift."  Therefore, efforts to trace back to the original purchaser may not lead directly to the perpetrator, limiting their investigative value.”

But if your real agenda is simply to disarm law abiding citizens; “When the state of California implemented its requirement, the number of approved handgun models on the state' s roster dropped by approximately 50% as manufacturers chose not to introduce new, microstamp-compliant models.”

* HouseSSTChairBBabinMicrostamping.pdf

S.C.O.P.E. Inc. Launches MyVoteMattersNYInitiative to Encourage New Yorkers to Make Their Voices Heard in November New Yorkers deserve a state that puts citizens first—protects constitutional rights, restores safety, spends taxpayer dollars responsibly, & makes it affordable to live,work, raise a family, and retire here. “Two hundred and fifty years ago, our nation was founded on the principle that government derives its authority from the people. That principle is just as important today as it was then. Voting is how citizens hold their government accountable and help determine the direction of their communities, their state and their country.” – John Prendergast, Chairman of the Board, S.C.O.P.E. Inc. Through the MyVoteMattersNY.com website, resources are provided to help New Yorkers: Check voter registration status and register to vote; Understand election dates, deadlines and voting options; Learn about key issues; and Compare candidates’ positions and policies. The MyVoteMattersNY initiative will engage citizens through digital communications, social media, community organizations, participating businesses and other grassroots outreach throughout New York. The election this November is about ONE MISSION – PUT NEW YORKERS FIRST and THREE PRIORITIES: RESTORE FREEDOM, RESTORE PROSPERITY, RESTORE NEW YORK. Protect Second Amendment Rights Defend the constitutional right of law abiding citizens to keep & bear arms Repeal bans on common firearms, excessive fees, & laws that undermine due process Safeguard All Constitutional Rights Protect free speech, religious liberty, due process, & election integrity Restore parental rights in education & healthcare decisions Limit Government Overreach Return decision-making over schools & public safety to local communities & parents Roll back state mandates that reduce local control Make Energy Affordable Repeal costly energy mandates driving up utility bills Support reliable, affordable energy, including natural gas Lower Taxes and Cut Waste Slash the tax burden on working families & small businesses End Albany’s wasteful spending & out-of-control budget Create Opportunity Make it easier to start & grow businesses Protect the future of New York’s family farms Put Citizens First Focus public resources on lawful residents & taxpayers End sanctuary policies that strain budgets & public services Build Safer Communities Support law enforcement & ensure violent offenders are held accountable End policies that put violent repeat offenders back on the streets Keep Families in New York Make it more affordable to live, buy a home, raise kids, & retire Create good-paying jobs so young adults don’t have to leave the state “MyVoteMattersNY encourages New Yorkers to exercise one of the most fundamental rights we have—the right to vote. We are not telling people how to vote. We are encouraging them to become informed, understand what is at stake, and make their voices heard.” – John Elwood, President, S.C.O.P.E. Inc.

Excerpts from a recent op-ed by John Lott

Paul Krugman remains one of the left’s most influential voices. In his latest column, he argues that President Trump avoids taking credit for the drop in murders because Trump’s ultimate goal is cruelty rather than public safety. Krugman contends that Trump’s policies have made crime worse than it otherwise would have been. But if Trump’s policies truly reflect “cruelty,” how should we account for the lives they may have saved – particularly the lives of black Americans, who suffer a disproportionate share of murder victimization?

His column illustrates how people on the political left are trying to explain away the truly record-low crime rates under President Trump….

Krugman writes that murders are “approaching lows not seen since the 1960s in a number of big cities.” The national numbers tell an even more remarkable story. Since national recordkeeping began in 1900, the previous record-low murder rate was approximately 4.5 per 100,000 people. The rate stood at about 5.0 per 100,000 in 2024, but fell to just under 4.0 in 2025, and, if the Council on Criminal Justice’s reported 18% decline in murders across the nation’s 30 largest cities during the first half of 2026 reflects the national trend, the U.S. murder rate will fall to roughly 3.25 per 100,000 this year – the lowest rate ever recorded.

Reducing crime is not complicated. Governments reduce crime by increasing the certainty of arrest and conviction, imposing meaningful prison sentences, and allowing law-abiding citizens to defend themselves. Recent developments have moved in all three directions.

The FBI dramatically increased enforcement in 2025. FBI arrests rose 184% over 2024 levels, while total FBI arrests – including many joint operations with state and local agencies – increased 197%.

Voters also replaced several George Soros-backed prosecutors in jurisdictions such as Los Angeles and San Francisco with district attorneys who prosecute criminals more aggressively and seek tougher sentences. Across the country, President Trump’s U.S. attorneys have likewise pursued violent offenders far more aggressively than their predecessors. In Washington, D.C., for example, the Biden administration’s U.S. attorney declined to prosecute 67% of those arrested. Under U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, that figure has fallen to just 4%.

The decline in crime has also coincided with increased immigration enforcement. During the Trump administration, approximately 70% of deported illegal immigrants had either criminal convictions or pending criminal charges. Even those without criminal records understand that contact with law enforcement can lead to deportation, giving them a stronger incentive to avoid criminal activity…It isn’t a coincidence that felony violent crime rates soared by a record 59% during the Biden administration; we had a record influx of illegals coming into the country…

More Americans are also carrying concealed handguns for protection. Surveys show that the share of general election voters who carry concealed handguns increased from 24.3% in December 2024 to 30.9% in July 2026. Hispanic and black voters are carrying at substantially higher rates than white voters. Among those who carry all or most of the time, Hispanics and blacks are 2.6 times more likely than whites to do so. That pattern matters because if you are going to reduce violent crime, you must ensure that the most likely victims can defend themselves.

Krugman instead attributes the decline in violent crime to the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan. Yet decades of academic research find that economic factors such as welfare payments, poverty rates, and similar measures explain only a few percentage points of the variation in crime rates. By contrast, studies consistently find that criminal justice variables – including arrest rates, conviction rates, sentence lengths, and the death penalty – account for over half of the variation.

Krugman ultimately argues that “the cruelty is the point” and that punishment serves no public-safety purpose (“Punishment isn’t a means to an end, a way to fight crime; it’s an end in itself”). According to Krugman, Trump cannot acknowledge falling crime because doing so would prevent him from continuing his policy of cruelty and inflicting pain. Whatever one thinks of the administration’s motives, the relevant question is whether its policies have reduced violent crime. If those policies have contributed to the historic decline in murders, then they have also saved lives – including many black lives, since black Americans accounted for almost half of murder victims in 2024

S.C.O.P.E., Inc. Launches MyVoteMattersNY Initiative

Date: August 24, 2026
To: S.C.O.P.E. Members

Subject: S.C.O.P.E., Inc. Launches MyVoteMattersNY Initiative

The S.C.O.P.E., Inc. (SCOPE) Board of Directors is excited to announce the launch of MyVoteMattersNY, our Get Out the Vote (GOTV) initiative for the 2026 New York State Governor’s election.

In 2022, fewer than 378,000 votes decided New York’s gubernatorial election. It was a good reminder that votes matter.

As the official sponsor of MyVoteMattersNY, SCOPE is focused on encouraging more Second Amendment supporters and liberty-minded New Yorkers to vote in the November 3, 2026 election.

A key message centers on one unifying theme—Putting New Yorkers First—and three priorities: Restoring Freedom. Restoring Prosperity. Restoring New York.

A goal is to focus on key issues and facts—not political rhetoric.

The following MyVoteMattersNY resources have been developed to help spread the message:

Website: https://MyVoteMattersNY.com/

Brochure, Poster and 2A Vote Sticker: MyVoteMattersNY.com/Assets

Social Media:

Facebook.com/MyVoteMattersNY

X.com/MyVoteMattersNY

Instagram.com/MyVoteMattersNY

We Need Your Help! With nearly 3,000 SCOPE members across New York, we can reach thousands of voters.

Three ways you can help:

1. Share on Social Media: Follow MyVoteMattersNY on Facebook, Instagram, and X. Like, comment, and share posts to expand our reach.

2. Spread the Word: Forward MyVoteMattersNY emails to family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.

Attend community events, discuss the issues and help distribute brochures.

3. Volunteer: Contact your S.C.O.P.E. County Chapter to learn about volunteer opportunities to help educate and mobilize voters.

If you would like to contribute to the MyVoteMattersNY initiative, you can donate here:
https://scopeny2a.org/donate-to-SCOPE

Whether someone is considering voting for the first time, needs a reminder, or wants to better understand what is at stake, our goal is simple: increase informed voter participation. The future is decided by those who show up.

Thank you for your commitment to SCOPE and the MyVoteMattersNY initiative. Together, we will make a difference.

In liberty,
John Elwood
President - S.C.O.P.E. Inc.
and
Jack Prendergast
Chairman of the Board - S.C.O.P.E. Inc.