On 5/12/2010 7:30 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

"harry" wrote

Comparative statistics here USA/Rest of the world:-
http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/...S/GUNSTAT.html

As I say nasty violent place. Also world leader in exporting
terrorism.

I'd like to see more of a breakdown on that too. I'm sure it will still
be high, but look at all murders, not just firearm related ones. It
would also be interesting to see how many are by non-USA citizens. That
would either inflame or put to rest the illegal immigrant argument on
murders.

I was also surprised at the next chart showing the suicide of children
less than 15 y. o. in Ireland using guns.



These are fairly useless figures unless you also show the murder and
suicide rates from all causes.

If you have draconian gun control laws so that the average citizen can't
off himself with a gun but people are jumping off every available bridge
or building, then what have you accomplished? People are still dying;
they've just had to find another way.

The same with murder: if you can't shoot somebody but you instead
dispatch him with a baseball bat, who have you saved? No one. No doubt
his widow will be relieved he wasn't shot.

I look at a country like Japan where suicides are fairly common and yet
there are very few guns. Their suicide rate is much higher than the
USA's but their suicide by gun rates are very low. So Japan appears to
be safer for the terminally depressed than living in the USA. Is that
the truth though? Somehow the suicidal find a way to accomplish their
intentions. Murderers do as well.

It's not the tool you need to focus on; it's the intent. One can always
find a tool. And apparently, a friendly set of meaningless statistics.



Jay