Violence Policy Center
Encyclopedia
The Violence Policy Center (VPC) is a national 501(c)(3) organization working to prohibit gun ownership in the United States, especially in relation to gun politics
. Founded in 1988 and based in Washington, DC, the VPC approaches violence, and firearms violence in particular, as a broad-based public health issue rather than solely a crime issue.
. The Violence Policy Center (VPC) provides information for policymakers, journalists, organizations, advocates, and the general public." It is a non-profit organization
that is located in Washington, D.C.
, and has appeared as a strong research-based pro gun control lobbyist in the United States Congress
. It has infused Congress with gun-related cases by distributing their published research and analysis. Numerous US
gun control organizations have used VPC reports and terminology to further local gun control initiatives. Kristen Rand, the legislative director and Josh Sugarman, the executive director, along with the rest of the organization have through the years led to the VPC being joined by the Firearms Policy Project in 1994. Their most common cases have involved pro-gun control legislation, usually backed by the NRA and other national or state gun lobbyists.
Since the VPC has no official membership fee, it relies on donations from the public. An example of the amount of donations they receive is the $1,671,595 in public support they received in 2003. The main donor to the VPC is the Joyce Foundation
. This foundation is also a supporter of other pro-gun control organizations like the Mayors Fund to Advance New York City and the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence.
The VPC is a very controversial organization. The research and analytical work that they distribute has caused much commotion among pro-gun-ownership groups. This is reflected in the immensity of replicatory articles to the research that they work on.
According to their website, they believe in their cause because: "Each year, more than 30,000 Americans die in gun suicides, homicides, and unintentional shootings as a result of the ready availability, and accessibility, of specific classes of firearms. Gun violence is more than a crime issue; it is a broad-based public health crisis of which crime is merely the most recognized aspect."
.
Criticism has also come from other gun control advocates who believe that the Violence Policy Center takes an approach that is not politically feasible.
Other gun control organizations advocate a gradual approach toward their goals while the Violence Policy Center believes guns are a public health issue and that specific categories, such as handguns, assault weapons, and 50 caliber rifles, should be banned.
50 caliber rifles were sold to the Al-Qaeda
terrorist organization. Barrett denied these charges and a subsequent visit to the company by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) turned up no evidence to support the accusations.
In January 2005, the VPC was featured on the CBS
news and current affairs program 60 Minutes
, which ran a segment on the subject of .50 caliber
rifles and the alleged threat to public safety that these weapons posed. The 60 Minutes report drew heavily from the VPC's reports on the .50 BMG
cartridge and conducted interviews with both Barrett Firearms' Ronnie Barrett
and the VPC's Tom Diaz. Many in the gun rights movement found the story to be biased in the VPC's favor, and made the oft-repeated claim that a .50 caliber rifle has never been used in the commission of a crime. In response to these claims, the VPC has issued a backgrounder detailing criminal possession of .50 caliber rifles. The report still does not specify any actual commissions of crimes with a .50 caliber firearm, rather it is a list primarily of gun seizures that, coincidentally to the crime committed, happened to include such a weapon. The list does not clarify whether the weapons seized were possessed legally or not. In September 2004, California became the only state to ban 50 caliber
rifles.
In this case, the VPC research has shown that when the ban was created there were no signs of assault weapon imports from Romania
, however, in 2006 it jumped to 53,160 and 37,183 in 2007. The VPC is asking that the ban would be reinforced so that importation and exportation of assault rifles would decrease.
Gun politics in the United States
Gun politics in the United States refers to an ongoing political and social debate regarding both the restriction and availability of firearms within the United States. It has long been among the most controversial and intractable issues in American politics...
. Founded in 1988 and based in Washington, DC, the VPC approaches violence, and firearms violence in particular, as a broad-based public health issue rather than solely a crime issue.
History
According to their website, VPC "is a national tax-exempt educational organization working for a safer America through research, investigation, analysis and advocacyAdvocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
. The Violence Policy Center (VPC) provides information for policymakers, journalists, organizations, advocates, and the general public." It is a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that is located in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and has appeared as a strong research-based pro gun control lobbyist in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. It has infused Congress with gun-related cases by distributing their published research and analysis. Numerous US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
gun control organizations have used VPC reports and terminology to further local gun control initiatives. Kristen Rand, the legislative director and Josh Sugarman, the executive director, along with the rest of the organization have through the years led to the VPC being joined by the Firearms Policy Project in 1994. Their most common cases have involved pro-gun control legislation, usually backed by the NRA and other national or state gun lobbyists.
Since the VPC has no official membership fee, it relies on donations from the public. An example of the amount of donations they receive is the $1,671,595 in public support they received in 2003. The main donor to the VPC is the Joyce Foundation
Joyce Foundation
The Joyce Foundation is a charitable foundation based in Chicago in the United States and operating principally in the Great Lakes region.The Foundation primarily funds organizations in the Great Lakes region .-Programs:* Education: Focuses on public schools in Chicago, Cleveland, and Milwaukee;...
. This foundation is also a supporter of other pro-gun control organizations like the Mayors Fund to Advance New York City and the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence.
The VPC is a very controversial organization. The research and analytical work that they distribute has caused much commotion among pro-gun-ownership groups. This is reflected in the immensity of replicatory articles to the research that they work on.
Goals
The overall goal of the VPC is to regulate gun control in the United States. Their plan to achieve this is through the easily available research and analysis that they have collected throughout the years, as well as presenting this material in Congress when confronted with pro-gun legislation.According to their website, they believe in their cause because: "Each year, more than 30,000 Americans die in gun suicides, homicides, and unintentional shootings as a result of the ready availability, and accessibility, of specific classes of firearms. Gun violence is more than a crime issue; it is a broad-based public health crisis of which crime is merely the most recognized aspect."
Criticism of the VPC
Gun rights advocates have been critical of the accuracy and scientific validity of VPC's reports, charging that the conclusions have already been decided regardless of the statistics. They charge that the VPC has a track record of making allegations for which there is no proof, such as the case of Ronnie BarrettRonnie Barrett
Ronnie Barrett is an American firearms manufacturer, the founder of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, and the designer of the first .50 caliber rifle for civilian use.- Life & career :...
.
Criticism has also come from other gun control advocates who believe that the Violence Policy Center takes an approach that is not politically feasible.
Other gun control organizations advocate a gradual approach toward their goals while the Violence Policy Center believes guns are a public health issue and that specific categories, such as handguns, assault weapons, and 50 caliber rifles, should be banned.
The VPC vs. 50-caliber rifles
In 2001, the VPC issued a study that detailed "the 50 caliber's threat as an ideal tool for assassination and terrorism, including its ability to attack and cripple key elements of the nation's critical infrastructure—including aircraft and other transportation, electrical power grids, pipeline networks, chemical plants, and other hazardous industrial facilities." The study reported that at least 25 Barrett Firearms CompanyBarrett Firearms Company
Barrett Firearms Manufacturing is an American manufacturer of firearms and ammunition. It was founded in 1982 by Ronnie Barrett for the single purpose of building semi-automatic rifles chambered for the powerful 12.7×99mm NATO ammunition, originally developed for and used in M2 Browning machine...
50 caliber rifles were sold to the Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
terrorist organization. Barrett denied these charges and a subsequent visit to the company by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) turned up no evidence to support the accusations.
In January 2005, the VPC was featured on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
news and current affairs program 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
, which ran a segment on the subject of .50 caliber
.50 BMG
The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
rifles and the alleged threat to public safety that these weapons posed. The 60 Minutes report drew heavily from the VPC's reports on the .50 BMG
.50 BMG
The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
cartridge and conducted interviews with both Barrett Firearms' Ronnie Barrett
Ronnie Barrett
Ronnie Barrett is an American firearms manufacturer, the founder of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, and the designer of the first .50 caliber rifle for civilian use.- Life & career :...
and the VPC's Tom Diaz. Many in the gun rights movement found the story to be biased in the VPC's favor, and made the oft-repeated claim that a .50 caliber rifle has never been used in the commission of a crime. In response to these claims, the VPC has issued a backgrounder detailing criminal possession of .50 caliber rifles. The report still does not specify any actual commissions of crimes with a .50 caliber firearm, rather it is a list primarily of gun seizures that, coincidentally to the crime committed, happened to include such a weapon. The list does not clarify whether the weapons seized were possessed legally or not. In September 2004, California became the only state to ban 50 caliber
.50 Caliber BMG Regulation Act of 2004
The .50 Caliber BMG Regulation Act of 2004 is a law in the state of California that effectively banned all .50 BMG-caliber rifles from being sold in the state...
rifles.
Importation of guns for Mexican drug cartels
In 2009, Mexican officials told the U.S. that American assault weapons have fueled the drug-cartel war taking place in Mexico. The VPC sided with the Mexican officials and suggested that the government enforce a 20-year-old federal ban that would restrict the export of American assault rifles to neighboring countries. This ban, created in 1989 and signed by George H. W. Bush, is now being passed down to the Obama administration.In this case, the VPC research has shown that when the ban was created there were no signs of assault weapon imports from Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, however, in 2006 it jumped to 53,160 and 37,183 in 2007. The VPC is asking that the ban would be reinforced so that importation and exportation of assault rifles would decrease.