Re: GUNS: Accidental Deaths

Eric Ruud (ejruud@ucdavis.edu)
Thu, 4 Mar 1999 09:09:07 -0800

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael S. Lorrey <retroman@together.net> To: extropians@extropy.com <extropians@extropy.com> Date: Thursday, March 04, 1999 9:02 AM
Subject: Re: GUNS: Accidental Deaths

>
>
>Eric Ruud wrote:
>
>> >Eric Ruud [ejruud@ucdavis.edu] wrote:
>> >>It seems to me that there are certainly a LOT more cars and bathrooms
than
>> >>there are guns.
>> >
>> >The generally accepted estimate for the number of guns in America is
over
>> 200,000,000, and growing rapidly as more and more anti-gun laws are
>> >passed. You can do the math.
>> >
>> Give me a few statistics and I'll do the math.
>>
>> 1) Average time spent handling gun
>
>While the stats for the two below are rather easy to establish, the one
above is
>not, and I doubt you will get many people agreeing on the criteria to
measure
>it. For example:
>
>in 'handling' a gun, do you mean the amount of time it is actually in hand
being
>fired? If that is the only criterion you accept then you are obviously
trying to
>skew the stats.
>
>Since a gun is a deterrent weapon, (esp. seeing as how the FBI estimates
that
>guns are used in defense against criminals 2 million times a year without
>firing, merely being brandished) merely carrying a gun on one's person or
having
>one close at hand ( in the glove box, in your desk, in your night stand,
etc.)
>should count as 'time handling a gun'. If you accept this, I think you will
find
>that time handling a gun is actually much higher than either of the two
below. I
>personally spend an hour or so in the bathroom a day, and maybe two hours a
day
>on the road. I am carrying or have my gun close at hand 24/7. I spend 2-4
hours
>a week firing guns on the practice range (mostly skeet, though I try to pop
off
>a few mags on my 9mm at least once a week or so). I think that you will
find
>that most gun owners who aren't just collectors have similar habits. Most
at
>least keep one close at hand in the bedroom for night time security, which
would
>make their 'handling' rate about 6-10 hours a day.
>
>>
>> 2) Average time spent in bathroom
>> 3) Average time spent in car
>>
>> I'm not trying to manipulate data... I'm trying to use some meaningful
>> statistics. For example, people might say that bees are more dangerous
than
>> great white sharks, simply because there are a greater number of bee
deaths
>> than great white deaths... you get where I'm going with this.
>
>Yes I do. Try it out and see where you get. Counting 'handling' as having a
gun
>on one's person or close at hand is exactly like time spent in an idling
car at
>a stoplight (one of the higher risk situations to be in, in a car, as a
matter
>of fact.) or stuck in traffic.
>
>Mike Lorrey
>

Might it be important to consider what percentage of people own guns? This would figure highly in average time handling gun. Also, it seems that having the gun close but not being in contact with it would be equivalent to sitting in your car in your driveway with the engine on.

I apologize if I'm bothering you with this, but I am playing devil's advocate here.... after all, you're the one's complaining about misused stats.

-eric