Arizona is one of the most pro-gun states in the nation. It’s a source of contention for the state’s own gun-grabber contingent, to be sure. That’s true in pretty much every pro-gun state.

However, a new report popped up earlier this week as part of a more local story, and it’s something I think we need to talk about.

It tries to link Arizona’s gun laws to increased violent crime.

Four murders in the desert southwest last week all tied to gun violence.

But are we seeing a new rise in crime or was this just an abnormal week?

Arizona has become one of the most dangerous states for criminal gun violence according to a recent report from the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

…

In fact the new “Center for American Progress Action Fund” report says 84 percent of guns used in Arizona crimes were originally purchased within the state.

Still state lawmaker Sine Kerr, who represents parts of Yuma at the State Capitol, expects Arizona gun laws to stay the same.

“We’re a very pro second amendment state and I anticipate we will stay that way and I know that I will continue to be pro second amendment and protect those second amendment rights,” said Kerr.

No word whether the guns used in these recent shootings were even purchased legally, how they were obtained or if the shooters were even allowed to carry as the suspects tied to all the shootings are still on the run.

And that last paragraph is why we know the report in question is nonsense.

See, it’s easy to say that crime guns were originally bought within the state. However, that information is meaningless in and of itself.

What matters more is how the criminals obtained those guns. Did they purchase them personally? Was it a straw buy? Or are they stolen guns?

Statistically, we know most crime guns are stolen or obtained at the scene of the crime. That means no gun control laws on the planet would stop these folks from obtaining firearms.

Further, pro-gun states also tend to have higher gun ownership. That means more potential sources for guns to be stolen. So criminals can steal guns locally and then resell them whereas anti-gun states with lower gun ownership rates have to import stolen guns, as we see in Illinois.

What the report can’t do here is definitively link gun laws with violent crime in Arizona. That’s because such a link doesn’t exist.

Yes, things are rough in Arizona, but we also saw cities like Los Angeles and Chicago see massive spikes in their own homicide rates despite being in states with much stricter gun control laws on the books.

See, what the news report failed to mention is that the Center for American Progress is a progressive organization that walks arm-in-arm with Democrats In fact, the Center for American Progress Action Fund is part of the Democrats’ infrastructure in many ways.. They have no interest in presenting any report that might take a neutral look at the issue.

They’re biased, wear their bias on their sleeves, and yet there’s zero mention of that in his report. That’s yet another reason we can disregard any such claims being made.