Responses:
"First, in the table correlating gun sales and murder rates, the sales figures, and, more importantly, presumed circulation of drugs increases much more dramatically than the increase in murder rates. More than this, though, is the fact the one is quoting a difference of 1.6 per hundred thousand, or 0.0016 percent, a trivial change."
Not trivial for the 4480 extra dead people per year (assuming population of 280 million).
"Second, in the following table, as gun deaths are shown to go up, stabbing deaths, deaths by blunt objects, deaths by asphyxiation, and arson deaths are shown to go down. Perhaps that means that murderers are becoming more humane."
Again, the argument that if guns were not present, people would use other means. They may try, but let's all admit that guns are more effective. If you try to club me, strangle me, or for goodness sake burn me, I have a pretty good chance of getting away. I still can't outrun a bullet, even though I've watched The Matrix three times.
"In the third table, I am a bit baffled by the categories "unknown" and "other motives". Also, it asserted that 12% were related, and another 35% acquainted with their killers. This adds up to 47%. Then it asserts that only 13% of murders are committed by complete strangers to the victim. What happened to the other 40%? This sort of fudging leaves me suspicious."
I think they meant to add all those up: argument, unknown, other motives, and felonies. By my calculation, that adds up to 99.3%; some lost for rounding, probably.
"The correlation of handgun ownership and handgun murders is not there. Switzerland has about half the ownership rate, and about a quarter of the handgun murders. Canada is behind several countries in rate of ownership, but third in handgun homicide rate."
Yes, it leaves a little math up to the reader. Still shows a correlation; fewer guns per capita, fewer murders.
"Since they do not even attempt to show overall correlation in the last list, I assume they cannot."
I think the last is for information only. |
