Apologies to Heather and the rest of the list for replying to this thread but I feel I cannot
continue to ignore others who have chosen to use this forum to promote their inane support of gun
ownership and archaic legislation. Replies therefore should be sent directly to myself.
Panos Barlas wrote:
<Snip......Second, and as a gun-owner and member of the NSRA, I would like to add my two-pence.
Snip............. However, everybody goes out of their way to class everyone who owns a gun in the
same category as
the criminals themselves. If statistics are anything to go by, then so we should for everyone who
owns a car or a pair of skis or even prescribes drugs or drinks alcohol. Because, when one looks at
the statistics about death and injury related to any of these activities, will realise that guns are
no more dangerous than going down the stairs each morning for one's breakfast.>
This is a nonsensensical statement, but typical of the illogical argument of those defending the
indefensible. Death and injury related to car ownership or sporting accident has no relationship to
gun related death and injury. Additionally, the courts in most countries regard the use of drugs
(including alcohol) by those who cause intentional or unintentional death and injury as compounding
factors and pass sentences accordingly (in most instances!). In this country (UK) about 200 people a
year are killed through stair falls, and I suspect a breakdown of those statistics will show that
many of the victims have risk factors for these hazards, such as old age.
On the other hand, many thousands of children are killed every year in the USA, including about
2,000 accidental deaths from guns kept in or around the home. Moreover, consider the following
statistics taken from an eleven country comparitive study:
'In four of the comparison countries, the United States, Norway, Israel, and France, firearms are
the second leading cause of injury death at ages 15-24 years. In the United States, however, the
rate of deaths from firearm injuries at 27 per 100,000 was similar to the rate of deaths from motor
vehicle traffic injuries, whereas, in the other three countries, the rate of deaths from motor
vehicle traffic injuries is between 2 and 6 times higher than the rate of deaths from firearm
injuries. In all the countries except the United States, the firearm deaths were primarily (51-93
percent) suicides. In the United States, the majority of the firearm-related deaths were homicides
(62 percent).
The homicide rate in the United States, 9 per 100,000, is 4-9 times the rates in the comparison
countries. Two-thirds of homicides in the United States are committed with firearms.'
No. ineinj.htm303. International Comparative Analysis of Injury Mortality -- Findings From the ICE
on Injury Statistics. 20 pp. (PHS) 98-1250
Complete statistics for the Firearms Mortality and Injury rate for the USA can be found by following
the link below which gives the figures for 1996
http://www.cdc.gov/nchswww/fastats/pdf/47_9t16.pdf
<The majority of guns are owned by law-abiding citizens who are sensitive to society's feelings and
are used for pure sporting reasons: target shooting and hunting. Also by some people that make their
living using them: farmers and pest controlers. Safety is paramount in amongst any of these gun
users, hence the low rate of accidents with guns.>
Law-abiding citizens who own guns are those that momentarily break the law to murder thousands of
their fellows every year.
There isn't a low rate of accidents with guns, as we see from the child mortality rate from these.
Because Panos is Greek, I am not suprised that he supports the mass slaughter of wildlife in the
name of pleasure, as this is a very popular Greek pastime. In Greece (and other Mediterranean
countries) hundreds of thousands of migratory birds are slaughtered every year, in and out of the
hunting seasons.
<Now, to me at least, anybody who argues that all guns should be banned, who argues that anybody who
uses a gun for sporting reasons should be classed as a dangerous individual, should look at the way
they drive, or their favourite sporting activity and think how they would react if it was banned!!>
This is another spurious argument as most people are not asking for people who use guns for
legitimate purposes to be 'classified as dangerous' or that all guns be banned. However, there are
not many legitimate reasons for ever wanting to own, or owning a gun.
<And a last comment to Kevin's argument: yes gun related death is low in the UK and that is part of
the strict legislations regulating gun ownership. However, gun related death was higher for the year
following Dunblane and the ban of all handguns and it did not stop G. Dando being gunned down in
broad day light in the middle of london with a banned handgun. So, a lesson is somewhere to be
learned about legislation and the origins of gun-related crime and death.>
Are you saying that it was the legislation following the Dunblane massacre that was responsible for
an increase in gun-related death? I don't think that's a supportable contention. Also, as you say,
Gill Dando's murder was carried out using an illegally held weapon. Gun-related deaths are rare in
the UK because the majority of people don't have everyday access to these weapons.
The number of gun related-death and serious injury in the USA, particularly that of children, is an
outrage. Maybe one day both politicians and other Americans will have the couage and sense to
abolish the anomalies of their Constitution, destroy the power of the NRA, and stop the many
thousands of preventable deaths and resulting abject misery and pain of victim's families.
Regards,
Ian Rogers M.Med. Sci.
232, Broomhall St,
SHEFFIELD S3 7SQ
UK
Tel. 0114 276 1018
E-mail [log in to unmask]
Website: http://www.sportconsult.freeserve.co.uk
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