Amendment Quote by John R. Lott Jr
““Here is how they came up with it: Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown organization set up a website pretending to sell guns, but no guns were sold. Criminal background checks were done on the people’s names for those who visited the site and people who might have criminal backgrounds were identified: however, there were all kinds of false positives. Someone might not have a criminal record, but someone else with a similar name might. And so the crusaders for gun control march on, with botched research, muddy numbers, and assumptions presented as facts.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Gun Policy Debate, 2020
A gun‑control campaign used a website that falsely flagged many people as having criminal records, leading to inaccurate conclusions and misguided advocacy.
In simple terms: Flawed data led to false accusations and bad policy.
Key Takeaway
Demand accurate data before forming policy.
Themes
gun control
data integrity
policy advocacy
misinformation
Mood
skeptical
analytical
Type
policy
research
When to use this quote
- legislative hearings
- policy analysis
- public education
Key Concepts
false positives
research methodology
public safety
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards ensure data accuracy in policy?
- How can we differentiate genuine risk from statistical noise?
A Different Perspective
Data errors can undermine legitimate safety concerns.
