By chance did he also research how many were killed in car crashes, fires, falls, drownings, or by ingesting toxins?

For instance, a one minute google search I did turned up CDC statistics on child drowning deaths. Now, we're all horrified that 20 children died by gunshot last friday. But over 700 children per year die by drowning. Why no outrage over that? Is the article meant to be a serious discussion of child deaths, or is it a zealotrous screed against guns using the deaths of 20 children as a political weapon? Appears to be the latter, in which case reasonable people won't take it seriously.

And yes, I have a problem when a political faction engages in misinformation. And I have a bigger problem when they use child deaths to further one particular agenda.

Hint: It's not the anti gunners.

I cannot imagine desiring one of those assault rifles after what happened the other day, the kindest word I can think of for people that would rush out to buy one at this time is ghouls.

I wonder how many of these Skorzeny wannabes are going to fantasize about using their new killing machine in just the manner of Adam Lanza? I doubt it's much more than half or so although I have been known to be insufficiently cynical on occasion.

those folk get more sickening by the day - when can we ban their crap back to the gungeon???

Most guns used in homicides aren't legally owned...by a huge majority. Do you think these illegal gun owners are all of a sudden going to respect a gun banning law and turn in their weapons?

were killed by illegally owned guns?

700 children drowned per year. Mostly in swimming pools that weren't secure. That is irresponsible. Why aren't you outraged?

but people cannot grasp that or wade around in willful ignorance. Either way, guns kill people, pools don't. Not unless someone intentionally drowns someone else in one. But the intent of a gun is to kill, why is that so hard to grasp?

Last edited Thu Dec 20, 2012, 02:53 AM - Edit history (1)

5500 of course immediately raised a red flag, since it represents a figure of almost 50% of all gun-related homicides. So, back to CDC to look up the real numbers. I selected years 0-14, because committing homicide and other crime rises rapidly in later teens and early twenties-and committing crimes also greatly increases chancesof being crime victim. I also selected violence-related, as a start. I'll come back and add accidental deaths which will boost the number a fair amount, I figure. So, CDC statistics for the year 2010, firearm-related death by violence, both sexes, ages 0-14.... 301. Yep, quite a difference from the 5500 you falsely claimed. And less than half the number of deaths by drowning.

Edit to add- unintentional deaths by firearm, otherwise same filters....606. I expected this, since children are far more likely to be accidental victims than intentional. This gives us a total number of firearm deaths at 907. Still, about 15% of the 5500 poster above falsely claimed. And the number is dropping, as are overall gun-related deaths.

Last edited Thu Dec 20, 2012, 03:14 AM - Edit history (1)

Where is yours?

That's the way it works.

People might support you then - or are you only interested in supporting gun makers?

See how easy it is? And I don't support gun manufacturers, I support factual exchange of information....something which you anti-gun zealots are in short supply of.

Link the stats that you assert. You made the claim. Back it up.

I'm not anti-gun. I'm anti NRA idiocy that opposes ANY rational gun controls.

swimming pools and redefining the age of a child.


Pathetic.

That figure (5740 to be precise) is the number over TWO years (2008-2009). It helps your argument when you report your data accurately.

with you people. What's a few sacrificial lambs, get used to it.

Do me a favor plz, make it a point not to respond to my posts ever again. You can be assured I'll be staying miles away from you!

For example, unless someone was intentionally committing arson to kill a child, why would that statistic matter? Same thing with cars or falls.

The difference is intent. The kid with the shotgun intentionally killed the other kid. If a kid gets shot because one asshole is intentionally trying to kill some other asshole, it matters because the intent to kill with a gun was there. The shooter simply missed their target.

Just what are you trying to say? That a toddler drinking Pine Sol because the sitter is watching soap operas is the same as the sitter shooting him?

Because that sounds crazy to me.

The one-at-a-time shootings, accidental or not, rarely
reach most people's awareness. Sadly, because they
are so common. And that's the point.. in just one day,
in five minutes of research, too many shootings show
up.

and having them purchase insurance - because the carnage on the roads would be worse without such restriction. Don't support unfettered access to guns even for 5 and 6 year olds?

Those gun industry talking points are like mother's milk to you.

can kill you, but you cannot just stop eating entirely the way you can stop using narcotics entirely.

Similarly, the car crashes, falls, and boat mishaps you put out there as false equivalents to mass murders with military-style weapons are just unfortunate hazards of transportation. You cannot just remain in the same place forever--everyone has to walk or travel sometime.

But, except for sworn, trained, and accountable law enforcement officers, NO ONE NEEDS A FIREARM. Only a tiny minority of the billions of people on this planet fail to JUST SAY NO to firearms entirely, and certainly to weapons that fire ten bullets a second from 100-round drums.

Among the millions of US fantasy Rambos who own AR-15s, you can bet there are hundreds if not thousands who easily could snap and become an Adam Lanza. The solution to this problem is simple: make sale or possession of such weapons a felony, and offer substantial rewards to snitches.

And let's all pay more and more attention until this stops.
kick and rec

negligent gun owner. Time to prosecute them all and lock them up for life. THEY are the danger to society.

K&R

...we knew what the heck was going on in our country. We used to have a guy that posted every weekend on gun violence, 'bout as regular as SalmonEnchantedEvening with his LOLCats. Whatever happened to him? What was that site? AllHatNoCattle.com? I can't remember what his handle was.

Investigators don't think it was gang related, but it probably was. That's not the issue though.
16. Wow. I remember being 16 and scooping ice cream at Baskin Robbins; going to the Record Swapmeet and getting great used records; going to the beach from morning to night....guns suck.

Portland, Oregon
by Mike Benner, KGW Staff

Posted on December 17, 2012 at 5:18 AM

Updated Monday, Dec 17 at 11:52 AM

PORTLAND -- Nick Meli is emotionally drained. The 22-year-old was at Clackamas Town Center with a friend and her baby when a masked man opened fire.

"I heard three shots and turned and looked at Casey and said, 'are you serious?,'" he said.

The friend and baby hit the floor. Meli, who has a concealed carry permit, positioned himself behind a pillar.

"He was working on his rifle," said Meli. "He kept pulling the charging handle and hitting the side."

The break in gunfire allowed Meli to pull out his own gun, but he never took his eyes off the shooter.

"As I was going down to pull, I saw someone in the back of the Charlotte move, and I knew if I fired and missed, I could hit them," he said.

Meli took cover inside a nearby store. He never pulled the trigger. He stands by that decision.

"I'm not beating myself up cause I didn't shoot him," said Meli. "I know after he saw me, I think the last shot he fired was the one he used on himself."

The gunman was dead, but not before taking two innocent lives with him and taking the innocence of everyone else.

"I don't ever want to see anyone that way ever," said Meli. "It just bothers me."
www.kgw.com