[geeks] What desk toy or "tchotchke" says "geek" to you?

[Phil Stracchino]

Chris Petrov wrote:
> I've no probs with guns... like using them, had many different types  
> etc. but,
> 
> Every two years more Americans die from firearm injuries than the  
> total number of American soldiers killed during the 8-year Vietnam  
> War. In 2003, the total number of people killed by guns in the United  
> States was 30,136.
> - Based on data from CDC National Center for Health Statistics  
> WISQARS online data collection system, 2006.

While true, what it doesn't go out of its way to mention is that the
last time I looked at the detailed numbers, that 30,000 broke down
something like this:
   18,000-20,000 suicides
   6,000-8,000 criminal shootings
   2,000 lawful shootings of felons or assailants by armed citizens
   1,000 police shootings
   750 accidents
Of those 6,000-8,000 criminal shootings, the vast majority turn out to
be gang members offing each other, something which I have to admit I'm
all in favor of as long as they don't kill too many innocent bystanders
in the process.  The gangsta culture is stunningly, mindlessly violent,
and I would not weep in the least to see it gone by self-imposed extinction.
As for the 18,000-20,000 suicides, well, honestly, the harsh and brutal
truth is that most people sufficiently determined to die that they
commit suicide by a means as certain and final as a gunshot to the head
usually is, will find another means if a gun isn't available.  And
sometimes the alternate method will end up taking other people with them
who didn't want on the ride.

Oh, and that number of accidental shootings has fallen monotonically
year by year since about 1935.


-- 
 Phil Stracchino                     Landline: 603-886-3518
 phil.stracchino at speakeasy.net         Mobile: 603-216-7037
 Renaissance Man, Unix generalist, Perl hacker, Free Stater