There are 23 gun related homicides in Great Britain PER YEAR! There are 32 gun related homicides in the U.S. PER DAY! Great Britain has some of the most strict gun laws in the world. Hmm...
Oh no, you can't play the stat game. Britain's got a 0.001 per 1,000 rate of murders with a firearm, and the United States has a 0.027 per 1,000 rate. They simply have us beat.
Now ask if any of these statistics matter. Sounds very cum hoc ergo propter hoc to me. As Kelsey pointed out on my blog, no correlation has been found between gun law and gun violence throughout the nations. There isn't even a correlation between the states.
For instance, up until recently there was a total gun ban in Washington, D.C., but it is the handgun murder capital of the nation. More people die from gun violence there each day than in Iraq.
Can I assert in a logically sound manner that banning guns in that city *caused* all of that violence? Heck no. That would be like saying we should outlaw parachutes because in 99.95% of skydiving deaths, the victim is found to be in possession of a parachute. There are always other factors.
We need to work on developing the alien technology used in the Jimmy Neutron movie. We could use something that will suck up all the guns and weapons on the earth and sacrifice it to an alien chicken god far across the universe.
The only problem? I think that if by some magical means all weapons were somehow to disappear, people would create more. Jail movies have taught us a toothbrush can be deadly.
I think that as logical, caring people we want to do something to stop violence, but guns are only violent because of the people pulling the trigger. We live in a culture where guns are used to enforce your opinions, as opposed to ~200 years ago when guns were tools for survival-- feeding your family and protecting your home.
And if Mexico ever storms the fence, I want to be able shoot at the deer eating my roses and protect my family.
9 comments:
Aaauuggghh! The gun debate just escaped from my blog! Put it back! Put it baaaack!
It's time to seize the Motherland! They'll be powerless to stop us!
Justin! Please blog more!!! I used to get so very much enjoyment from it!
Good call. And Jesse, too. And your movie blog, too. The world needs you guys!
What does this come out to per capita? They have a lot less people then we do.
Oh no, you can't play the stat game. Britain's got a 0.001 per 1,000 rate of murders with a firearm, and the United States has a 0.027 per 1,000 rate. They simply have us beat.
Now ask if any of these statistics matter. Sounds very cum hoc ergo propter hoc to me. As Kelsey pointed out on my blog, no correlation has been found between gun law and gun violence throughout the nations. There isn't even a correlation between the states.
For instance, up until recently there was a total gun ban in Washington, D.C., but it is the handgun murder capital of the nation. More people die from gun violence there each day than in Iraq.
Can I assert in a logically sound manner that banning guns in that city *caused* all of that violence? Heck no. That would be like saying we should outlaw parachutes because in 99.95% of skydiving deaths, the victim is found to be in possession of a parachute. There are always other factors.
We need to work on developing the alien technology used in the Jimmy Neutron movie. We could use something that will suck up all the guns and weapons on the earth and sacrifice it to an alien chicken god far across the universe.
The only problem? I think that if by some magical means all weapons were somehow to disappear, people would create more. Jail movies have taught us a toothbrush can be deadly.
I think that as logical, caring people we want to do something to stop violence, but guns are only violent because of the people pulling the trigger. We live in a culture where guns are used to enforce your opinions, as opposed to ~200 years ago when guns were tools for survival-- feeding your family and protecting your home.
And if Mexico ever storms the fence, I want to be able shoot at the deer eating my roses and protect my family.
Nic, you should post your comment on your blog so I can see what your other readers would also say. I think some very good points have been made here.
We really are a violent and aggressive nation.
I am still waiting for Justin and Jesse to blog more. PLEASE!?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/6438601/Gun-crime-doubles-in-a-decade.html
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