Woodznutz
Platinum Member
- Dec 9, 2021
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About 30 years ago one of the weekly news magazines published an article that I believe was titled, "A Week in the Death of America". It chronicled 570 or so gun deaths along with a brief account of each incident, which occurred in a single week across America. The article included murders, deaths by law enforcement, accidents, and suicides.
At first glance the article intimated that guns were the culprit and that something needed to be done about guns. However, upon carefully examining each case, as per the actual reported account of events, it became clear (to me) that not only were guns not the problem, but that no amount of well-intended interference in regard to gun ownership and possession would have made any significant difference in the outcome of any of the events described.
What is also very significant is that I am unable to find this very revealing article in the archives of any of these news magazines. It has simply vanished. Curious that.
There aren't so many gun related deaths that an annual report that includes details of each incident cannot be published and distributed widely. When such events are reduced to 'statistics' they no longer inform but rather confuse the issue. Only by reviewing each case can a reasonable conclusion regarding any action be reached.
At the time I was an NRA member of some years. I offered this idea to them as I felt if any organization could accomplish such a report it would be them. My offer was rebuffed by the NRA and as a result I withdrew my membership. I believe to this day that such a report would serve to virtually end all arguments for increased regulation of firearms as it would bring incontrovertible clarity and truth to issue of gun violence in America.
At first glance the article intimated that guns were the culprit and that something needed to be done about guns. However, upon carefully examining each case, as per the actual reported account of events, it became clear (to me) that not only were guns not the problem, but that no amount of well-intended interference in regard to gun ownership and possession would have made any significant difference in the outcome of any of the events described.
What is also very significant is that I am unable to find this very revealing article in the archives of any of these news magazines. It has simply vanished. Curious that.
There aren't so many gun related deaths that an annual report that includes details of each incident cannot be published and distributed widely. When such events are reduced to 'statistics' they no longer inform but rather confuse the issue. Only by reviewing each case can a reasonable conclusion regarding any action be reached.
At the time I was an NRA member of some years. I offered this idea to them as I felt if any organization could accomplish such a report it would be them. My offer was rebuffed by the NRA and as a result I withdrew my membership. I believe to this day that such a report would serve to virtually end all arguments for increased regulation of firearms as it would bring incontrovertible clarity and truth to issue of gun violence in America.
