Boo Radley
DP Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2009
- Messages
- 37,066
- Reaction score
- 7,028
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Liberal
Your attempts to talk down to other posters don't make your arguments more convincing. Notice that I used the word "alleged" for BOTH your numbers and Goshin's. Those were my words, not his, so please don't cherry pick. If Goshin's low ball estimate was "dubious" than your numbers are just as suspect. Now, since you seem to have trouble with numbers, let's try a picture instead:
You told Ikari that Colorado was not enough evidence for you to make an accurate judgement about the issue (again, kind of smells of cop out, don't you think?) Wouldn't it be reasonable to say that with over half of the states in the country allowing guns on campuses in some form or another, your wild fears should have played out already?
Face it, Boo. Guns on campus is not anything new or outrageous. It's not something that they only try in "backwater states" like Texas and Colorado. In fact, it would appear to be a non-issue if you're not a criminal. If someone wants to be able to carry, there is no proven reason to forbid them to do so.
I actually think I'm meeting your tone equally. but the point is that you need to understand what is being said. The fact is we shoot ourselves more than we shoot criminals. Alleged non shootings don't change these numbers. Of those actually shot, we shoot ourselves more often. That's verifiable fact.
Now, there are many problems with calling up people and asking them if they successfully defended themselves with a weapon. we have no way of knowing how honest they are, but we do know, and this was also posted, that the large number the survey reports is inconsistent with the numbers of crimes committed. So, there is real reason to don't those numbers.
And no, my numbers are based on actual shootings and not a poll of what someone thinks. So, no they are not equally dubious.
As for half the country, new information btw, please show me numbers of any study done on those. I've been unable to find any, but would welcome viewing any you or Ikari can show.