Soros group: Americans don't really use guns for self-defense

A George Soros-financed anti-gun advocacy group is implying Americans don't need weapons, citing its own statistics purportedly showing gun owners rarely actually use their firearms for self-defense.

Instead, the Violence Policy Center contends, guns are used far more in criminal gun homicides.

"In 2012, for every justifiable homicide in the United States involving a gun, guns were used in 32 criminal homicides," states the study, released on Wednesday.

The report used FBI data to conclude that in 2012, across the nation there were 259 "justifiable homicides," meaning homicide for self-defense, while that same year saw 8,342 criminal gun homicides.

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The Violence Policy Center, however, did not cite any data on how many crimes were prevented that year by the use of firearms.

"We hope legislators in every state will stop believing the self-defense myth and look at the facts," Julia Wyman, executive director of States United to Prevent Gun Violence, told The Hill in response to the study. "Guns do not make our families or communities safer."

However, the National Rifle Association (NRA) releasing a statement questioning the data.

"This 'so-called' study, which was paid for and promoted by gun control advocates is rubbish," NRA spokeswoman Jennifer Baker stated. "VPC fails to note that only a fraction of defensive firearm homicides are reported to the FBI and the study doesn't account for the many crimes deterred by a firearm that do not result in a homicide. Recent polling shows that most Americans believe exercising their constitutional right to self-protection makes them safer and this is just another transparent attempt to push gun control."

The Violence Policy Center, or VPC, is heavily funded by Soros' Open Society Institute. The Open Society also funded numerous individual VPC initiatives and studies.

The VPC is also funded by the Joyce Foundation, an anti-gun advocacy group.

President Obama served on the Joyce Foundation's board from July 1994 until December 2002.

While funding numerous other anti-gun groups, Soros is also an investor in GEO Group Inc., a private firm that operates 59 U.S. prison facilities, including maximum, medium and minimum security prisons and immigration detention centers under contract with the U.S. government.

WND previously found that Soros purchased 105,354 shares of GEO Group Inc. between Dec. 31, 2007, and March 31, 2008.

With research by Brenda J. Elliott.