Re: GUNS: Accidental Deaths

Harvey Newstrom (newstrom@newstaffinc.com)
Tue, 2 Mar 1999 02:56:49 -0500

"Michael S. Lorrey" <retroman@together.net> wrote:
>Harvey Newstrom wrote:
>> Mike claimed 31 kids in 35 years.
>
> That was what I claimed, however I don't have any cites at hand for that,
> though I had just been talking about the source with a buddy who owns a
> gun store about an hour before I posted that. It was obviously hearsay. I
> can say for a fact that the national board which posts the accident rates
> for all activities did post the accident rate for firearms, and even the
> overall rate for accidental death from firearms is lower than the rates
> for private aviation, and about the same level as commercial aviation.

Did you see the sources for the stats I posted? They were from pro-gun sources and showed >200 children aged 14 and below being accidentally shot to death every year in the U.S. This figure is much lower than other accidents from pools, cribs, skateboards, shaking, and the like.

I mentioned your statement that some stats count under age 25 as "children", and a friend reminded me that under age 21 is defined as a "minor" for alcoholic purposes. It blew my mind that someone would defend calling a 20-year-old a "minor"! 

-- 
Harvey Newstrom <http://newstaffinc.com>
Author, Consultant, Engineer, Hacker, Researcher, Scientist.