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The DATA about knives is MEANINGLESS unless you have DATA on GUNS- your ARTICLE is from MD. Stats meant STATISTICS- I don't even know if you got that. CONTEXT CONTEXT CONTEXT matters
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The Maryland Uniform Crime Report for 1998 released by the Maryland State Police
has stated (p. 14) that there was a 12% decrease in handgun murders, but a 58%
increase in knife murders. This same page reports a 2% increase in murder in
Maryland in 1998 over 1997. According to the FBI '98 UCR, murder fell by over 7%
nationwide.
Do we celebrate the drop in "handgun" murders, or do we mourn the increase in "total"
murders?
Anyway, the FBI UCR shows that only 17 Americans used knives in "justifiable
homicide" in 1998 (Table 2.17, p. 22), however 1877 Americans were murdered with
a knife (or other bladed implement).
It's easy math: 1877 murders/17 lethal self-defenses {YOU NEED THE COMPARABLE NUMBERS FOR GUNS FOR THIS TO MEAN ANYTHING about guns vs knives- it's a good JOKE, but without good statistics on guns it means almost NOTHING}
The conclusion is inescapable. YOU ARE 110 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE
MURDERED BY A KNIFE THAN TO USE ONE IN LETHAL SELF DEFENSE!
Remember this the next time you hear, "You're 43 times more likely to, yada, yada,
yada,..." Cops only used a knife 1 time in "justifiable homicide" in 1998 (Table 2.16, p.
22), so cops have no need for knives. You can't hunt with a knife. Why do you need
more than one knife? Why are there so many kinds of knives? What about those with
no "culinary" purpose? Do you own an "assault" knife? Society was much better off
before there were any knives. Knife murders are on the rise. There should be a
two-week waiting period for knives. Any parent who leaves a knife around where a
kid can get it should go to jail. Why do you NEED a knife? Knives aren't protected by
the Constitution. Does twelve knives constitute an "arsenal?"
Ban them all!
Edward L. Patrick, MCDL Director of Research |
