Everytown for Gun Safety’s annual state gun law rankings are back, and just like clockwork, they’re a masterclass in advocacy disguised as analysis—dropping states like California and New York to the top of the heap while relegating pro-2A strongholds like Idaho and Montana to the bottom. The source text nails it: these rankings aren’t born from neutral data crunching but from curated criteria and selective data that bend metrics like background check loopholes and assault weapon bans to fit Everytown’s narrative. Take their scoring system—it’s weighted heavily toward feel-good laws that sound tough on crime but crumble under scrutiny, ignoring FBI stats showing no correlation between strict laws and lower violent crime rates. Vermont, with its permissive carry laws, boasts lower gun death rates than many A+ states, yet Everytown conveniently downplays that outlier.

Dig deeper, and the cherry-picking becomes comical. Everytown touts universal background checks as a panacea, but glosses over how criminals bypass them 90% of the time via black markets or theft, per ATF traces. Their rankings amplify urban homicide spikes in lax-enforcement cities while muting rural safety in shall-issue states—classic apples-to-oranges sleight of hand. This isn’t analysis; it’s propaganda theater, funded by Bloomberg bucks to lobby for federal overreach like red flag expansions that erode due process without proven safety gains.

For the 2A community, the implications are crystal clear: treat these rankings like fool’s gold. They fuel media headlines that sway soccer moms and swing-state voters, paving the way for copycat laws in purple legislatures. Counter it by sharing real data—CDC stats on defensive gun uses (500k-3M annually), or how constitutional carry states like Texas saw crime drops post-adoption. Arm yourself with facts, not Everytown’s fairy tales, and keep pushing back: the Second Amendment isn’t graded on their curve.