Deschutes tops list for gun dealers vs. museums, libraries

A national newspaper claims that in Deschutes County, “gun stores” outnumber museums and libraries by nearly 7-to-1– the most lopsided ratio in the country. But how it characterized that data is drawing fire from critics.

The recent report in the Washington Post was headlined, “Where guns are easier to find than knowledge,” and included an interactive U.S. map.

It claimed Deschutes County has the highest “gun store”-to-museum and library ratio in the nation, at 7 to 1.

The report is based on data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which shows Deschutes County has 114 federally licensed gun dealers, while the Institute of Museum and Library Services says the county only has 17 libraries and museums.

On its face, a shocking and even scary number to some.

“It bothers me, because it means whatever our priorities are have switched from education, learning, better yourself to the other side of that,” one Bend resident said Tuesday.

The research breaks down the number of FFLs, or Federal Firearms Licenses. Some argue in comments on the online article that there is a big difference between a gun store and a person or business that holds an FFL, so the numbers are skewed.

Besides, they say, more gun stores doesn’t always equate to more gun violence.

“There’s nothing wrong with having the gun shops around, without a doubt,” said another Bend resident. “It’s what people do with the guns once they get them out of the shop — that’s a different story.”

Crook and Jefferson counties each have five museums and libraries and 14 firearms dealers in those counties.

NewsChannel 21 contacted three federal firearms license-holders on Wednesday, but they declined to be part of our story.

Here is the full Washington Post report: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/06/17/where-gun-stores-outnumber-museums-and-libraries