FACTS TO PONDER: (A) The number of physicians in the U.S. is 700,000. (B) Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year are 120,000. (C) Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171. Statistics courtesy of U.S. Dept of Health Human Services. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now think about this: Guns: (A) The number of gun owners in the US. is 80,000,000. (Yes, that's 80 million..) (B) The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all age groups, is 1,500. (C) The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is .. 000 0188. Statistics courtesy of FBI -------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners. Remember, "Guns don't kill people, doctors do." -------------------------------------------------------------------------- FACT: NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE DOCTOR. Please alert your friends to this alarming threat. We must ban doctors before this gets completely out of hand!!!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Out of concern for the public at large, I have withheld the statistics on lawyers for fear the shock would cause people to panic and seek medical attention ! From an email I got.
Since 9/11 hundreds of thousands of Americans have died on that nations roads. Obvious, a war on cars is needed. hey, comparing random unrelated statistics is fun!
^ True, although I'm thinking that I might try and rob a liquor store tonight whilst brandishing a box of surgical gloves. They'll just hand over the cash IMO.
comparisons between guns and cars (both are inanimate objects that can be used legally or illegally, and both can be used or abused to kill) are valid, comparisons between doctors and guns (the former being a fallible human capable of honest error) are not...
Comments on this Post Uncle Albert disagrees! What pray tell could you possibly have to disagree with?? I didnt for one minute say the owners of said firearms want to kill people with them. Its fact that firearms were invented from the off with one intention. Doctors were not trained to kill people. FACT.
A gun was invented, designed and produced to kill people? No? Just because people do not chose to use their guns for that purpose as much now does not alter the fact one bit.
A gun is a tool. It's purpose is whatever the fuck I happen to be using it for. Killing people, hunting animals, target shooting, or just locking them in a case so I can stare at them and beat off. All are acceptible answers. It's also a FACT that there are WAY more prolific causes of death in the world, and it IS a relevant, valid point for placing the inherent "evilness" of guns in perspective. Yes, they were invented to kill people. But they also save lives, make some people safer and bring a little harmless happiness to their life. Failure to acknowledge that FACT betrays an obvious bias and robs you of all objective credibility.
Apart from the fact that the comparison between tools and people is idiotic, it's also plain false. Look at the little word "accidental" in the first post and you'll see how the original purpose of guns plays a major role.
Is a person less dead if they die of accidental causes or medical malpractice? Is XXX still more of a threat if it's used to cause fewer deaths, because those deaths are deliberate? And finally, what's idiotic is failing to recognize that, whether it be doctors, motorists, or gun owners, it's people causing each others' deaths.
Y'know, I've got pretty solid evidence that shows the biggest killer of all... Is life itself!! Seriously, there's a 100% mortality rate with that stuff.
Death by medical accident is not only about doctors. Break those stats down and some are attributable to physician error, but there are also clerical errors - wrong dosages administered - plus patient not known to be allergic to certain meds, unforeseen surgical complications, patient history reported inaccurately (i.e. patient neglects to mention preexisting conditions, alcohol or drug use, contraindicated meds), etc. A patient taking St. John's wort and aspirin can have a bleed-out in surgery. Is that the surgeon's fault, or the fault of the intake person who didn't ask about supplements and OTC use, or the fault of the patient (apropos O2C's thread about prescription meds) for not being aware that SJW and aspirin are a potentially dangerous combination? The OP fails on all levels.
Yep, garamet, I'm afraid you gotta start a 10,001st post thread. It's not about you, it's for your friends, you gotta give them a party.
Let's take this to basic terms. Why do you think guns were invented? To hammer nails? I'm not saying you can't use it for whatever you want to use it for Uncle Albert and neither was he. Nor that it is good or bad. He is saying it's primary purpose and reason it was invented was to make killing easier and more efficient. The same reason a car was invented, so you can get from point A to point B faster. Sure, you can use a car to open pop cans, but it's primary purpose and reason for invention was to get you to where you are going faster and safer. Doctors came into being to save lives, not to hammer nails in walls or thrown at a dart board. That you were taking what he said to an extreme is unfair. He's not giving a reason to steal anyone's guns or prevent anyone from using them in whatever manner they like. He was explaining why the comparison was absurd.
The primary purpose for which they were invented IS NOT THE ONLY DETAIL THAT MERITS CONSIDERATION. Antiquity and modern times, beneficial and detrimental uses, all are necessary for a fair assessment. We wouldn't even be arguing this "absurd comparison" angle if we were comparing automobile accident deaths to elementary school playground deaths or something. The "invented to kill people" angle is not a trump card that invalidates all comparisons.
I'll walk you through this REAL slowly. With a gun, you can kill a person accidentally. With a gun, you can also kill a person on purpose. Doctors will kill people accidentally sometimes, but hardly ever will a doctor kill another person on purpose. Many deaths by gun are NOT accidental. Almost all deaths by doctor ARE accidental. So comparing only accidental deaths by gun with accidental deaths by doctor is stupid even beyond the stupidity of paralleling "by gun" with "by doctor".
Now explain what difference it makes to the dead guy whether he died of accidental or deliberate causes.
Did anyone say that? Last time I remember though, a doctor is not a tool. Well, they can be 'tools', but you know what I'm getting at. Why? If that's the case, then perhaps we should be comparing guns to heart monitors, instead of doctors? I bet you guns cause more accidental deaths than heart monitors do every year. It does in this case! A gun is a tool which primary use is for .. wait for it, killing or destruction. Primary purpose, meaning, what it is used for the most the world over. That you want to use it to hammer nails into a board, wouldn't come into play there. It is also an inanimate object, whereas a doctor is not. Guns themselves aren't susceptible to human error, just their users. It is an invalid comparison. IMO, it's just as invalid as comparing gun-related deaths (not accidental) to car accident related deaths.
What does this have to do with the price of tea in china? Are we talking about feelings or trying to make a valid comparison? Valid comparison - accidental deaths caused by knives vs accidental deaths caused by guns
