College Safety 101 - Read the article and the comments

[Stubob]

It was a poor article, but the comments at the end are worth the time.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/dp-ed_gunsoncampus_edit_0127jan27,0,6566569.story

[VegasGeorge]

That's just another emotionally based anti-gun appeal. The author doesn't like guns. That's all it says. There is no substance to the article at all. No facts, no statistics, no logic, nothing. It could have been written by Chris Mathews.

As far as the comments go, I was particularly interested in what Vince had to say. I was struck by his last remark: "If more guns made us more safe then we would be the safest country in the world!"

My first reaction to reading that was, "Well, at least he's posing an argument that appeals to logic." That's a vast improvement from the article itself. However, I see a number of weakness in his assertion.

First, let's assume for the purpose of argument that (1) we have more guns than anyone else, and (2) we are not the safest country. Can we deduce from those assumed facts that the number of guns present in a country bears any relationship to the safety of its citizens? No. It's axiomatic that an observed correlation, in this case number of guns and safety, does not prove a causal relationship. And, it's axiomatic that absence of evidence is not evidence of anything. For those lacking formal training in logical analysis, this may best be illustrated by examples.

First, take the man who keeps coming home drunk. This upsets his wife terribly, and he wishes to stop that behavior. He tries drinking rum and Coke, whiskey and Coke, and finally gin and Coke (ugh!). Nothing seems to work. On careful analysis he realizes that he must give up Coke! Here, the observed correlation is Coke and intoxication.

Second, consider the child receiving weekly injections for a serious medical condition. After several weeks, the child protests, telling the doctor "These shots aren't working, I still feel sick." And the doctor replies, "Yes, but without them you might be dead by now." Here, the absence of evidence of improvement does not prove the shots aren't working.

Now, I would relate the case at hand to these examples as follows. Where a death occurs involving a gun and a robbery, and a gun and a bar fight, and a gun and a drug deal, it is illogical to assert that the gun caused the death in the same way that it is illogical to say that the Coke caused the intoxication. And, where the presence of many guns has failed to prevent a certain number of deaths, there is no evidence that fewer guns would have resulted in fewer deaths.

I think what we are facing is a combination of poorly educated, weak minded, and John Lennon influenced flower children. "Imagine all the people, living life in peace." Imagine, no guns, no violence, no homicide. Dreamers!

[Bill of Rights]

Lunacy. Pure lunacy. Answered-hopefully appropriately. Mine's #23.

Blessings,
B

[DMorrison]

Its hard to make any good comment about this article. Its the same lack of education we (yall more then me probably) every day. Its sad a perpetually misguided. We need a major news network to actively cover the positves of the logical side. But I am not going to hold my breath.

[Bill of Rights]

DMorrison,

We do have John Stossel of 20/20, but he's only one. You're right, though, we need more. Most of them are dyed-in-the-wool liberals, responding solely to emotion. There is also the financial angle for many of them: It makes much better news to show blood and gore than it does to show "honest citizen draws gun, stops crime without a shot."

Blessings,
B

[Tanzer]

More guns might just have meant more carnage
There should be an emoticon for puking. A CWP holder is going to draw and add to the carnage????? :shock:

[Bill of Rights]

There should be an emoticon for puking.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd198/St-Michael/puke.gif

Ask and ye shall receive.

(or maybe that's "Be careful what you wish for-you just might get it.")

(note: If possible, that's one I intend to include when we can add them.)

Blessings,
B