How to solve the problem of gun violence, that's the question harped on whenever a school-shooting or terrorist attack occurs. Specifically an Islamic terror attack. Because Islam is the Religion of Peace (TM), so guns are the sole problem. Leftists crow "Eliminate guns!" leaving only police and military personnel with firearms. Until of course, they have to get on the all cops are racist bandwagon. Then their position proves problematic.

On the other end of the spectrum are diehard gun activists who dare anyone to pry their guns from their cold dead hands.

As entertaining as the bickering is, both sides might want to lay down their arms and look to initiatives like Project Exile. Hailed as one of the most effective strategies for reducing gun violence ever, Project Exile works because it's simple: If you have a gun when you're not allowed to have a gun (because you're a felon and/or douchebag), you automatically get five years in prison. Second offense? Ten years. Simple right? But brace yourself, because here comes the shocker... it worked. Like, really well.

WHAT?!

Check out what happened in Richmond, Virginia where the program was first implemented:

During the 1990s, the city of Richmond, Virginia, experienced large increases in violent crimes and homicides...

Working with Richmond Police Chief Jerry Oliver, officials developed plans to increase the federal prosecution of firearm crimes, particularly the ATF bread-and-butter charge of 18 U.S.C. 922(g), Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Richmond Police Department cases involving firearm recoveries would start being referred to federal court in cases where clear possession of the firearm could be proven in court and the possessor was a previously convicted felon.

The ATF and the RPD coordinated to ensure that ATF agents responded to crime scenes upon the recovery of firearms, particularly when in the possession of previously convicted felons, in order to facilitate the transfer of the firearm or ammunition evidence into federal custody.

The United States Attorney’s Office, the RPD, ATF, and the Richmond Commonwealth Attorney’s Office worked together to enlist community-wide support for these enforcement efforts. Community organizations and citizen groups—churches, the Boys and Girls Club of America, newspapers, public school leaders, and others—were contacted to enlist their support to build a citizen-based coalition for this crime reduction strategy and to fund a media and public service announcement campaign.

After one year of the program's implementation, gun crimes were reduced by 40% in Richmond. Guns were never confiscated from legal citizens. Extra background checks were not called for by unqualified actresses like Amy Schumer. Laws were simply enforced and enforced well, and unsurprisingly, crime went down. Math.

Would reduced gun crime make the anti-gun leftists do the happy dance? Hardly. Irony alert: Project Exile's most vocal opponents are anti-gun groups. Yes really. The same peeps who claim to want guns off the streets, oppose the program accomplishing their mission most effectively.

The Congressional Black Caucus was particularly opposed to Project Exile, claiming it was a racist program that targeted minorities. Obviously ignoring the inconvenient statistics about rampant gun crimes largely being committed by black Americans, against black Americans. Facts don't care about your racist protest signs. Also, saying something is racist doesn't mean it's racist. Sometimes it means you're a crap-weasel who ignores facts for political gain.

So ladies and gentleman of the jury, I ask you: would it stand to reason that maybe the left has opposed Project Exile precisely because it works so well, without the implementation of gun control? The truth is that most Americans don't have a problem with guns. They have a problem with crime. So if the American public realized there was a viable solution to reducing gun-crime, without ever requiring the infringement on the rights of law-abiding citizens... they'd probably care a whole lot less about "gun control"? Just a thought.

If we really care about our kids and our communities, if we believe #AllLivesMatter, if we really want to see gun crimes reduced, we need more programs like Project Exile that take illegal guns off our streets and punish the criminals who use them, and less political football in demanding legal gun owners give up their guns.

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