Once again, hysterical predictions of death and mayhem have bitten the dust after the expansion of concealed carry legislation. When are the anti-gun nuts going to stop trying to curtail Americans’ freedoms through fearmongering?

The Richmond Times-Dispatch of Richmond, Va., reported on Sunday a finding that should surprise no one. But it stunned the gun haters.

People carrying concealed weapons into bars and restaurants don’t suddenly transform into bloodthirsty killers, it turns out.

Virginia legislators last year voted to expand the state’s concealed carry law. Permit holders would be allowed to carry their concealed weapons into restaurants and bars. It passed over the objections of those who claimed it would cause shootings to increase. The opposite happened.

“The number of major crimes involving firearms at bars and restaurants statewide declined 5.2 percent from July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2011, compared with the fiscal year before the law went into effect, according to crime data compiled by Virginia State Police at the newspaper’s request,” the Times-Dispatch reported.

You mean that the presence of armed, law-abiding citizens reduces crime? Who would’ve guessed?!

Anybody who has studied gun laws would have, actually. Forty-three states, including New Hampshire, allow concealed carry inside establishments that serve alcohol. When was the last time you heard of a drunk permit holder shooting someone at a bar? It’s not a common problem.

But the gun haters don’t care about facts. They will ignore this study just as they ignore all the others. Thankfully, their long record of failed predictions has made them a weakened political force in places where common sense is widespread.