(cross-posted at NLB) New Years Trivia
Q: What do guitars, pool tables, and baseball bats have in common?
A: They were involved in twice as many non-justifiable homicides in New Hampshire last year as firearms were.
From this list of New Hampshire's 20 homicides of 2008, here are the "weapons of choice" used.
1. Guitar, boot
2. Firearm
3. Sword
4. Knife (or other stabbing weapon)
5. Motor vehicle
6. Weapon not specified (blunt object)
7. Firearm
8. Weapon not specified (still under investigation)
9. Firearm (justifiable homicide, self-defense)
10. Pool table
11. Weapon not specified (information not released)
12. Weapon not specified (traumatic injury)
13. Knife (or other stabbing weapon)
14. Knife (or other stabbing weapon)
15. Weapon not specified (blunt object)
16. Baseball bat
17. Baseball bat
18. Knife (or other stabbing weapon)
19. Axe
20. Weapon not specified (multiple left rib fractures)
Compare and Contrast:
Two non-justifiable homicides (10% of all homicides) committed with a gun in the entire state of New Hampshire (population 1.32 million).
In the City of Boston (population approx. 600,000), there were 60 homicides recorded in 2008, 46 of which (77%) were committed with a firearm.
Sure, there are a whole lot of apples and oranges being left out of the equation in this particular round of "My Statistics Can Beat Up Your Statistics" (such as violent, non-incarcerated, repeat offender population), but I'm still not seeing anything to justify Mumbles Menino's incessant calls to make his city the national model for legislation and policies that he claims have helped to prevent gun-related violence.
Anyone in this day and age who still thinks that strict gun control laws do anything to prevent drug-fueled, gang-related violence in the inner cities of America is a moron.
Q: What do guitars, pool tables, and baseball bats have in common?
A: They were involved in twice as many non-justifiable homicides in New Hampshire last year as firearms were.
From this list of New Hampshire's 20 homicides of 2008, here are the "weapons of choice" used.
1. Guitar, boot
2. Firearm
3. Sword
4. Knife (or other stabbing weapon)
5. Motor vehicle
6. Weapon not specified (blunt object)
7. Firearm
8. Weapon not specified (still under investigation)
9. Firearm (justifiable homicide, self-defense)
10. Pool table
11. Weapon not specified (information not released)
12. Weapon not specified (traumatic injury)
13. Knife (or other stabbing weapon)
14. Knife (or other stabbing weapon)
15. Weapon not specified (blunt object)
16. Baseball bat
17. Baseball bat
18. Knife (or other stabbing weapon)
19. Axe
20. Weapon not specified (multiple left rib fractures)
Compare and Contrast:
Two non-justifiable homicides (10% of all homicides) committed with a gun in the entire state of New Hampshire (population 1.32 million).
In the City of Boston (population approx. 600,000), there were 60 homicides recorded in 2008, 46 of which (77%) were committed with a firearm.
Gun Homicide Rates per 100,000 residents:
New Hampshire = 0.15
Boston = 7.7
Sure, there are a whole lot of apples and oranges being left out of the equation in this particular round of "My Statistics Can Beat Up Your Statistics" (such as violent, non-incarcerated, repeat offender population), but I'm still not seeing anything to justify Mumbles Menino's incessant calls to make his city the national model for legislation and policies that he claims have helped to prevent gun-related violence.
Anyone in this day and age who still thinks that strict gun control laws do anything to prevent drug-fueled, gang-related violence in the inner cities of America is a moron.
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