From: Bill Stoddard (bill@wstoddard.com)
Date: Thu Dec 21 2000 - 06:32:20 PST
> If I remember my factoids correctly, you're something like 10x
> more likely to be killed by gunshot if you own a gun than if you don't.
Those
> two things --- personal experience and cold statistics --- are enough for me
> to make my decision: I don't currently own a gun.
I don't remember the exact number, but lets assume you are right on the 10x
for now. Here is a classic case of a statistic misused. Taken at face value,
this stat could lead you to conclude that the military and police should not
have/use guns either. If you disarm the military & police, then their chances
of being killed by a gun are reduced. Pretty shoddy logic, eh? This 'fact' is
a favorite of the HCI crowd; scare the crap out of a bunch of soccer moms then
offer them a deal to exchange freedom for "safety". And you can bet Schumer,
Feinstein, et. al. recognise and understand the deception, and this scares the
crap out of me! When the pro GC politicians insist on supressing information
that contradicts their view of the world and 'overlook' obvious problems with
'statistics', I can only assume they are not really interested in finding the
truth. They want something else......
> OTOH, like *EVERYTHING
> ELSE,* there's just no point in trying to regulate the supply side of the
> equation. Where there's demand, there will be suppliers willing --- legally
> or illegally --- to fill it. Gun control laws serve no purpose. What we
need
> are MUCH, MUCH stricter penalties and tort for cases like my ex's brother;
> IMO, the owner of the gun in question should've been tried for negligent
> homicide.
And this tact if followed through on will effectively circumvent the 2nd
amendment. Would I own a gun if it caused my insurance to be 10x, 100x, 1000x
more than it is? Probably not, couldn't afford it. Allowing more tort (does
that make sense?) to suppress 'undesired' behaviour (not just gun ownership)
is repression. Where will it stop?
Bill
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