Twain was right about statisticians

Mark Twain was right when he spoke of liars, damn liars, and statisticians. The article in the Sunday, March 17, Daily Bee entitled “Guns across America” is a good case in point. The statistics that the writer cited, are attributed to the American Medical Association, an organization notorious for its anti-gun ownership views.

The article states that the states with the most firearm regulations have a 42-percent lower gun death rate than states with the least number of laws. If you “google” FBI statistics on murder and violent crime rates for major cities in the U.S. you will find that the states with most restrictive gun laws, such as Illinois or New York, have the cities with the highest violent crime rate. The vast majority of gun-related violence in these cities are gang shootouts and not armed citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights. Incidentally, no Idaho city made the top 100 list for rate of violent crime.

Idaho’s firearm fatality rate was reported as 11.8 per 100,000 people per year. Of the 11.8 rate, only 1.1 per 100,000 were homicides and the rest were suicides. Suicides are a great human tragedy, but are not a violent act of one person against another. A person determined to take their own life will find a way even if a gun is not available.

Finally, the writer asks us to “judge for yourself” regarding Idaho law. I would judge that we are doing pretty well.

MIKE MORGENSTERN

Sandpoint