A look at FBI crime data and why not everything is always as it seems.
Every issue is weaponized against political opponents in today’s polarized America, and crime statistics are no exception. In this case, the finger-pointing and point-scoring centers around civilian gun ownership and, in some cities and states, leniency toward criminal activity. Gun rights advocates will point out that a number of American cities with the strictest gun laws also have some of the highest homicide rates. Meanwhile, the gun control lobby focuses on southern red states and their more relaxed gun regulations – but relatively high crime rates — to advance their overly simplistic narrative that more guns inevitably lead to more crime. In reality, both sides are on somewhat shaky ground.
The go-to source for violent crime statistics – the FBI – does not have complete and precise data for…
