Violence Policy Center Misdirects with Claim Gun Deaths Surpass Motor Vehicle Deaths

Apples Vs Oranges
Violence Policy Center Misdirects with Claim Gun Deaths Surpass Motor Vehicle Deaths
Virginia Citizens Defense League
Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA –-(Ammoland.com)- My trust in anything coming out of the Violence Policy Center (VPC) is in the negative column.

However, for the sake of argument, let’s say that, by pure accident, VPC published some valid statistics.

In this case, VPC is claiming that “gun deaths” exceed “motor vehicle deaths” in 17 states, including here in Virginia. (That came as a double-shock to me as I didn’t realize that guns and motor vehicles died!)

The question is: what does that comparison really mean?

It means that VPC is comparing apples to oranges to seed confusion, which is standard operating procedure for the antis.

With pretty rare exceptions, automobile deaths are either accidental or caused by negligence (drunk driving, speeding, etc.).

With pretty rare exceptions, deaths attributed to firearms are NOT accidental, but are intentional – suicide and murder are are at the top of the list.

But VPC loves the confusion, as they are trying to make the case that the Government needs to regulate guns to make them “safer,” much as they regulate some other consumer items.

No amount of safety features on a gun is going to prevent a determined individual from either committing suicide or murdering someone. Neither murder nor suicide are a safety issue, plain and simple. Both are intentional misuse of the firearm in an unsafe manner.

The report says, “Guns, according to the analysis, are the only consumer product the federal government does not regulate for health and safety.”

Oh, heavens, no – guns are not regulated! If they were regulated, there would be a government agency, probably with a name something like “The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives,” and it would be breathing the down the necks of all gun manufacturers, gun importers, and gun dealers. And manufacturers would have to provide a complete audit trail of each gun they produce, from a lump of steel to a final product. Each dealer and importer would have to provide an audit trail of each gun they purchase and sell, including who they purchased the gun from and who they sold it to. Can you imagine a ridiculously regulated system like that? Luck for us, guns are not regulated! 😉 (Satire)

Thanks to member Chris Sellers for the link:

https://www.wsls.com/story/28741678/gun-deaths-surpass-motor-vehicle-deaths-in-17-states-including-tn-va

Gun deaths surpass motor vehicle deaths in 17 states including TN, VA
By Margaret Grigsby, Digital Content Producer
Connect

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSLS 10) – With the National Rifle Association annual meeting opening in Nashville on Friday, a new analysis by the Violence Policy Center (VPC) finds that gun deaths surpassed motor vehicle deaths in Tennessee, Virginia and 15 other states, along with the District of Columbia.

The VPC analysis refers to gun deaths and motor vehicle deaths in 2013, the most recent year for which comprehensive state-level data is available. Data is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

The analysis found that in 2013, there were 17 states where there were more gun deaths than motor vehicle deaths: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming, along with the District of Columbia. Actual numbers appear below.

The analysis also shows more than 90 percent of American households own a car while fewer than a third of American households have a gun. [PVC: I’m amazed that so many gun owners admitted to VPC that they have guns. I would have expected that number to be less. There’s no doubt that, in reality, VPC’s number is a tiny fraction of the real value.]

Nationwide, there were 33,636 gun deaths and 35,612 motor vehicle deaths in 2013.

The VPC analysis also shows motor vehicle deaths are on a long-term decline nationwide. Guns, according to the analysis, are the only consumer product the federal government does not regulate for health and safety.

This is the fourth year the VPC has issued its annual report comparing gun deaths to motor vehicle deaths by state. Gun deaths include gun suicides, homicides, and fatal unintentional shootings; motor vehicle deaths include both occupants and pedestrians.

Below are the complete figures for the states where gun deaths surpassed motor vehicle deaths in 2013. The full report can be viewed at: https://www.vpc.org/studies/gunsvscars15.pdf

  • Alaska: 144 gun deaths, 66 motor vehicle deaths
  • Arizona: 941 gun deaths, 863 motor vehicle deaths
  • Colorado: 619 gun deaths, 514 motor vehicle deaths
  • District of Columbia: 71 gun deaths, 30 motor vehicle deaths
  • Indiana: 857 gun deaths, 840 motor vehicle deaths
  • Louisiana: 886 gun deaths, 767 motor vehicle deaths
  • Maryland: 578 gun deaths, 531 motor vehicle deaths
  • Michigan: 1,190 gun deaths, 1,063 motor vehicle deaths
  • Missouri: 880 gun deaths, 781 motor vehicle deaths
  • Nevada: 395 gun deaths, 281 motor vehicle deaths
  • Ohio: 1,289 gun deaths, 1,144 motor vehicle deaths
  • Oregon: 462 gun deaths, 363 motor vehicle deaths
  • Pennsylvania: 1,451 gun deaths, 1,340 motor vehicle deaths
  • Tennessee: 1,030 gun deaths, 1,027 motor vehicle deaths
  • Utah: 339 gun deaths, 234 motor vehicle deaths
  • Virginia: 864 gun deaths, 780 motor vehicle deaths
  • Washington: 632 gun deaths, 540 motor vehicle deaths
  • Wyoming: 102 gun deaths, 92 motor vehicle deaths

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org