Gun sales in the US began to soar in October 2008 in anticipation of an Obama presidency, and they have continued at record levels ever since. Gun rights advocates have called Obama the best gun salesman ever, as his radical socialism has inspired citizens to stockpile weapons and ammo. Most folk who understand the American ethos look to the Second Amendment — the right to keep and bear arms — as the last defense against overweening government.

Liberals typically equate more guns with more crime and violence. But now the statistics are out for last year, and the exact opposite is true. Today the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released the preliminary draft of its annual uniform crime report, Crime in the United States (2009):

Preliminary figures indicate that, as a whole, law enforcement agencies throughout the Nation reported a decrease of 5.5 percent in the number of violent crimes brought to their attention for 2009 when compared with figures reported for 2008. The violent crime category includes murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The number of property crimes in the United States in 2009 decreased 4.9 percent when compared with data from 2008. Property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. Arson is also a property crime, but data for arson are not included in property crime totals. Figures for 2009 indicate that arson decreased 10.4 percent when compared to 2008 figures.

Looking deeper into the included data tables, the National Shooting Sports Foundation focuses on the particular crime for which the capability for self-defense is most helpful, that of homicide:

Since the surge in firearms purchases began in October 2008, if one believes the oft-repeated mantra that ‘Most crime guns are rapidly diverted from retailers to the street via straw purchasers,’ then we should have also seen a surge in homicides and other violent crime. We have not. In fact, statistics from the Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report show that all forms of violent crime were down in 2009 from 2008, with homicides showing the greatest percentage decline (7.2 percent).

Related:

Charging Elephant — More guns equal more crime? Not in 2009, FBI crime report shows.

CCRKBA — LATEST FBI CRIME DATA CONTINUES TO REFUTE ANTI-GUN RHETORIC