Re: Utilitarian Non-Arguments on Guns

Harvey Newstrom (harv@gate.net)
Wed, 24 Dec 1997 10:10:48 -0500


Matthew Gaylor wrote:
> Read "Violence-Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments
> August 1997, NCJ-156921 Michael R. Rand BJS Statistician"

I totally agree with your conclusions, and this is not a counter
argument against guns.

However, in the interest of using statistics accurately, I must point
out that this study only counts victims who survived the attack and
later received hospital treatment. It excludes victims who were
killed. This shows that guns are not the most likely cause of
*non-fatal* injuries.

(It is my hobby to harp on how statistics can be misinterpretted.)

-- 
Harvey Newstrom  (harv@gate.net)