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Absolute numbers are useless. The US population is significantly larger than many OECD countries. Assuming a large number of those deaths are suicides - the sui

by knz 10y ago

Absolute numbers are useless. The US population is significantly larger than many OECD countries. Assuming a large number of those deaths are suicides - the suicide rate per capita should be factored in as well.

nickbauman 10y ago
"Useless"? I think that's hyperbole.
- knz 10y ago
  Per capita is a far more useful measure. I'm tired of seeing the media pushing the total number for various issues and ignoring the fact that the US has 320 million residents.
  - stvswn 10y ago
    right, and lets stop saying "gun deaths" and trick people into thinking we mean "murders." There are twice as many suicides as homicides in this country, but we're only about average in per-capita suicide compared to the world. We do have more murders than other rich countries, including more murders with guns. But we also have more per capita murders with just about any weapon, as well as more per capita violence of all kinds. We have a violence problem, sure. We kind of always have had a violence problem, we've always been a violent people. I'm not shrugging it off, it's just a fact. It's worth remembering, though, that the murder rate is at a historic low. A 40 year low.
    - nickbauman 10y ago
      > There are twice as many suicides as homicides in this country I think it's a mistake to consider suicide as outside the gun-death problem. I think they should be considered within the continuum of a single problem. Furthermore, the percentage of shots fired causing death in a suicide situation is far higher than a homicide situation. So you can argue that more violence (and injury) occurs when people square off against each other with guns. And I also don't think it's reasonable to compare our gun-death problem with non-OECD nations.
  - stvswn 10y ago
    right, and lets stop saying "gun deaths" and trick people into thinking we mean "murders." There are twice as many suicides as homicides in this country, but we're only about average in per-capita suicide compared to the world. We do have more murders than other rich countries, including more murders with guns. But we also have more per capita murders with just about any weapon, as well as more per capita violence of all kinds. We have a violence problem, sure. We kind of always have had a violence problem, we've always been a violent people. I'm not shrugging it off, it's just a fact. It's worth remembering, though, that the murder rate is at a historic low. A 40 year low.

by knz 10y ago

nickbauman 10y ago

"Useless"? I think that's hyperbole.

knz 10y ago
Per capita is a far more useful measure. I'm tired of seeing the media pushing the total number for various issues and ignoring the fact that the US has 320 million residents.
- stvswn 10y ago
  right, and lets stop saying "gun deaths" and trick people into thinking we mean "murders." There are twice as many suicides as homicides in this country, but we're only about average in per-capita suicide compared to the world. We do have more murders than other rich countries, including more murders with guns. But we also have more per capita murders with just about any weapon, as well as more per capita violence of all kinds. We have a violence problem, sure. We kind of always have had a violence problem, we've always been a violent people. I'm not shrugging it off, it's just a fact. It's worth remembering, though, that the murder rate is at a historic low. A 40 year low.
  - nickbauman 10y ago
    > There are twice as many suicides as homicides in this country I think it's a mistake to consider suicide as outside the gun-death problem. I think they should be considered within the continuum of a single problem. Furthermore, the percentage of shots fired causing death in a suicide situation is far higher than a homicide situation. So you can argue that more violence (and injury) occurs when people square off against each other with guns. And I also don't think it's reasonable to compare our gun-death problem with non-OECD nations.
- stvswn 10y ago
  right, and lets stop saying "gun deaths" and trick people into thinking we mean "murders." There are twice as many suicides as homicides in this country, but we're only about average in per-capita suicide compared to the world. We do have more murders than other rich countries, including more murders with guns. But we also have more per capita murders with just about any weapon, as well as more per capita violence of all kinds. We have a violence problem, sure. We kind of always have had a violence problem, we've always been a violent people. I'm not shrugging it off, it's just a fact. It's worth remembering, though, that the murder rate is at a historic low. A 40 year low.