Dana Loesch is back at it again.
On July 28, the National Rifle Association spokesperson (infamous for starring in multiple inflammatory NRA ads) appeared on the NRA TV channel, hosted by conservative talk show host Grant Stichfield. During their discussion, Stichfield brought up a new study from the Center for American Progress which found that gun thefts have increased in southern states in the U.S.
The study found that a firearm is stolen every two minutes in the U.S. In most instances, these stolen guns end up being illegally trafficked, and often end up being used in a violent crime. The Center for American Progress offered policy suggestions such as enacting legislation that would require gun owners to store their firearms securely.
Stichfield called gun owners “victims” of the study, telling Loesch that the study targets gun owners instead of the criminals who are stealing their firearms. “The end result of the study is, they want to increase storage laws and give penalties to the victims for not storing their guns properly, and they make no mention of going after the criminals.”
Loesch responded by suggesting that penalizing gun owners who have had their firearms stolen due to improper storage is the same as victim shaming a survivor of sexual assault.
“That’s like shaming a rape survivor. It’s the exact same logic,” Loesch said. “How about this, how about they make tougher penalties for individuals who steal? Steal firearms. How about they have harsher punishment for those individuals who break the law? These individuals that they are seeking to punish haven’t broken the law. They have been victimized.”
According to the Center for American Progress’ study, Texas, Georgia and Florida had the highest rates of gun theft between 2012 and 2016.
“The number of stolen guns in the United States is staggering,” the study concluded. “These stolen guns are often diverted directly into illegal trafficking networks and end up being used in the commission of violent crimes. Gun owners and gun dealers therefore have a compelling responsibility to take measures to help ensure that all guns in their possession are not vulnerable to theft.”
