Paul Helmke throws a major hissy fit and gets picked up by the Orlando Sentinel.

“Given that Florida has some of the highest violent crimes rates in the nation, some of the weakest gun laws, and a gun death rate higher than the national average, Gov. Rick Scott and the legislators cowered by the gun lobby should know better than to support any measure that makes Floridians more vulnerable to guns.”

Of course, things are not so well in Mr. Helmke’s neighborhood. Washington DC where Mr. Helmke lives and has strict gun control laws has a murder rate of 22 per 100,000 in 2010. (Data: District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department & Census Bureau). Florida has “some of the weakest gun laws” according to Mr. Helmke, yet it  had a murder rate of 5.3 per 100,000 in 2010. (Data Florida Department of Law Enforcement & Census Bureau) and the US Murder Rate for 2009: 5 per 100,000. (Data: FBI Uniform Crime Report). That means that Mr. Hemkle is somewhat right but only if you account for hyperbole: Florida’s crime rate is 0.3 percent higher than the Nation’s average but DC’s is actually 400%+ higher that the country or Florida.

Overall, violent crimes across the board in the Gunshine State have dropped according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

If their cause is so noble, why do they resort to lies? Why must they resort to hyperbole? Because their cause is not so noble after all.