Gun violence by State, redux...

[billh58]

A gun hugger on another thread is attempting to push some skewed statistics denying that there is a correlation between those States with stricter gun laws and the lowest incidence of gun violence. Here are some links showing that gun nuts are wrong, and that Hawaii leads all of the states with the lowest incidence of gun violence:

http://angrybearblog.com/2012/12/guns-and-gun-deaths-state-by-state.html

http://www.statemaster.com/graph/cri_mur_wit_fir-death-rate-per-100-000

http://healthyliving.msn.com/health-wellness/do-more-gun-laws-mean-fewer-gun-deaths

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2012/07/geography-gun-violence/2655/

And from a real Democrat:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-colleen-hanabusa/hawaii-has-shown-that-gun_b_3998437.html

The call for more gun legislation, oversight, responsibility, and accountability is growing with each gun-connected atrocity in this country. The vitriolic NRA apologist crowd, including the few very vocal DU right-winger gun fetishists, are becoming more anxious with each new advance by prominent gun control organizations. The tide is turning, and the American people are beginning to realize that sane gun legislation is not only a good idea, but is much needed.

[BigL]

1. Confounding variable

I could be mistaken, but this chart does not account for suicides, which are about 1/3 of all gun-related deaths. Some of the states with the highest incidence of gun deaths also have the highest incidence of suicide, although you'd have to examine the number of suicides done via firearm to get any sort of useable data :/
While I am sure there is some level of truth here, without accounting for suicide vs. murder (vs accidental death, I suppose as well), it is difficult to ascertain how accurate this chart is.

But like I said, I could be mistaken here.

[billh58]

2. All of these links

portray "number of firearm deaths per 100,000." Those numbers include all manner of firearm related deaths including murder, suicide, justifiable homicide, and accidental/negligent deaths. The gun huggers like to show charts that only include gun murders.

[BigL]

3. Which is the most important comparison.

Ad hominems do not win arguments.

[SecularMotion]

8. Hi BigL

Welcome to the group.

If you haven't already done so, please read the group's Statement of Purpose:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=about&forum=1262

We support the Democratic Party platform on firearms and consider the need for strong, reasonable gun laws to be "settled science." A popular tactic of gun lobbyists is to pick apart and drill down in gun violence statistics until the numbers become insignificant. Those tactics are not tolerated in this group and members who are here to debate the need for gun control will be blocked from this safe haven. The other gun forum on this board is open to both sides of the issue and is the place for those debates to take place.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1172

[Hoyt]

4. I'd also like to see stats on woundings, use of guns to intimidate, etc. I suspect findings would be

similar, and gun fanciers would try to bury findings.

[BigL]

5. Here you go. Statistics are from the FBI

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/interactive/2011/sep/27/gun-crime-map-statistics

[BigL]

6. Compare the data to Red vs Blue states from 2012

It appears to be rather evenly split among the political spectrum. Correct me if I am mistaken, please. I don't want to be spewing misinformation!

[billh58]

9. But of course

you want to spew misinformation. That is your purpose in disrupting this thread on the anniversary of Sandy Hook.

[billh58]

10. Just one more source

to counter the "evenly split" bullshit and to show the correlation between lax laws and criminals:

"According to a new report produced by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, “just ten states supplied nearly half—49 percent—of the guns that crossed state lines before being recovered in crimes.” They are, in order, Mississippi, West Virginia, Kentucky, Alaska, Alabama, South Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, Nevada and Georgia. Not surprisingly, these states have the laxest guns laws, and are thus easily exploited by violent criminals."

{Snip}

"The states with the lowest gun export rates—DC, Hawaii, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Illinois and Michigan—have significantly tougher gun laws. All voted for President Obama."

http://www.thenation.com/blog/155152/red-guns-blue-crime#