One in a million

T

TailGator

New member
The Centers for Disease Control have released some figures that might interest some here:

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss6106a1.htm?s_cid=ss6106a1_e

The title of the thread refers to the fact that accidental firearms deaths occur at a rate of only 0.1 per 100,000 population, or literally one in a million. This might be a figure to have in mind when antis talk about banning guns to avoid accidental firearm deaths.

It should be noted that the above figure is the only one that is directly related to firearms. A common tactic of gun control advocates is to assume that all violent deaths are a result of firearms, when in fact this CDC report specifically states that other means of violence are included.
 
I agree that one is too many, and I did not post the number to say that we should be satisfied; rather, gun support advocates sometimes exaggerate the threat of accidental discharges and we should be able to confront them with the actual figures, especially since it is a pretty easy number to remember.
 
With that low a number, it sounds like someone finally set the parameters realistically.

At one time (and not so long ago, it seems) Handgun Control Inc (TheBradys and their ilk) were taking the numbers of people under the age of 25, shot and killed by anyone, for any reason, with anything (accidents, suicides, gang violence, general crime, and including those the police shot) as "Death of a Child due to a Handgun". And the press just blindly repeated it for years, without bothering to check to see if it had any basis in reality.

Now, the CDCC ought to be putting out statistics you can rely on, BUT......

Aren't these the same people who are trying to get gun violence classified as a disease?

Just because this statistic seems to be realistic (and in our favor in the gun control argument) does not mean it is automaticly accurate, or trustworthy.
 
Aren't these the same people who are trying to get gun violence classified as a disease?
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CDC is far from a monolithic entity. There are advocacy groups and data groups and they don't all talk to each other. Plus since the arrival of Obamacare there is a lot of reorganization and changing priorities.

Just because this statistic seems to be realistic (and in our favor in the gun control argument) does not mean it is automaticly accurate, or trustworthy.
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Generally if you read MMWR you'll find that data limitations are addressed in the fine print or appendix to an article. Notice that right up front this article mentions that only some states were included and California was excluded because they did not have statewide data only 4 counties.

MMWR data is going to be good. The conclusions/ recommended actions if any, may be flaky.

The anti-gun folks almost never use accidental firearm deaths because there are so few.
 
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