14 August 2012

I just read that more people in the USA...

...are beaten to death with fists & feet than are killed with rifles...
The Forum Research poll released exclusively to the Toronto Sun found the recent spat of summer gun violence has left its mark on the city as 61% of Torontonians agree there has been more gun violence this year than in previous years and that 34% feel their personal safety is at risk in Toronto.
But, hey... screw opinions. Let's stick with digging up actual facts. Like, say... how many people in a city like Toronto are murdered with a legal, registered firearm... and should that number affect a patently laughable proposition to ban any and all guns within city limits?
“While we know statistics tell us violent crime is decreasing, that’s not the story the public tells us, and their anecdotal evidence just solidifies their fears,” Forum president Lorne Bozinoff said in a statement Saturday. “This may be behind the controversial desire to see race-based crime statistics.”
C'mon Lorne... aren't the numbers already age & gender based? I mean...are you saying it's okay to single out seniors or women? Isn't that agism AND sexism?

Why aren't we simply calling this "data-based" crime stats? Would that still be "controversial?" And if it turns out that suburban Lutheran soccer moms are responsible for the carnage... let's start staking out amateur sports venues and grocery stores.

If there is a way to identify a demographic responsible for a significant part of the mayhem and murder, and yes... much of the dying... and mount a response, that'd be a good thing... right? Whatever happened to serve & protect?

Hmmm, what do people in Toronto think?
The Forum Poll of 812 Toronto residents was conducted using interactive voice response phone calls on Thursday and Friday. The poll is considered accurate within 3.44%, 19 times out of 20.
I guess it's not just me after all.