My notes from a funny (friendly) argument with an anti-gun.

[Viracnis]

A dearly dense friend of mine asked me to explain the logic behind my opposition to the so-called Assault Weapons ban to him.  Because of his stance on guns the argument was going nowhere, so I changed tactics and did some quick research to present the Assault Weapons Ban logic in a slightly different light.  I thought you'd get a kick out of it:

 

 

Facts:

• In 2011 there were 32,267 automotive-related deaths in the United States. To put that into perspective - that's roughly 89 people dying in motor vehicle accidents each and every day or just over 10 motor vehicle deaths for every 100,000 people in the United States according to the handy chart on Wikipedia.  
• 57% of motor vehicle accidents are caused soley by human/driver factors.  Again, thanks Wikipedia. (Note: This doesn't mean that human factors weren't involved in other wrecks - many were a combination of human and environmental factor that this % DOES NOT INCLUDE)
• 41 Million speeding tickets are issued each year in the United States.  These numbers came from the Department of Motor Vehicles website.
• According to a study at Monash University - driver/human reaction times (a leading accident-causing factor) reduce significantly as speed increases.  It was a boring read, at 60 pages long but that was the long and short of it.
• The dictionary (remember those?) defines a Sports Car as "a low-built car designed for performance at high speeds".

 

Conclusions:

• High speed causes reduced reaction time which causes accidents, which cause motor vehicle deaths.  In short: High Speed causes Motor Vehicle Deaths
• Posted speed limits are not enough to stop this threat - signs do not stop people from speeding or there would not be 41 million speeding tickets issued each year.
• There is no reason to own a sports car EXCEPT to drive at high speeds.  Their low passenger- and cargo- capacities make them unsuitable for daily driving or commuting.  They are literally designed to travel at high speed.
• If High Speed = Reduced Reaction Time = Motor Vehicle Accidents = Motor Vehicle Death then Sports Cars are designed for death.

Additional Facts:

 

• Roughly 50% of the US owns guns (between 45% and 55% depending on the study I looked at).  
• Roughly 75% of the US own cars (between 70% and 80% depending on what study I read)
• Cars were involved in 32,267 deaths in 2011.
• Guns were involved in 8,775 deaths in 2011
• Guns were used to save 2.5 million lives in the US in 2011
• I could find no data on how many lives cars had saved in 2011
• Only 50% more people own cars than than in 2011 yet cars killed 367% more people than guns.

Even if the numbers I found are wrong and 100% of Americans own cars - that's a 100% increase in ownership for a 367% increase in fatalities - yet I don't see anyone lobbying for Sports Car Control.  I realize there are HUGE holes in this logic - and I'm not presenting it as a serious argument to ban sports cars - but instead intended to put the argument in perspective (glaring logic holes and all).

 

Hopefully I got a smile out of at least someone.

Edited January 10, 2013 by Viracnis

[UncleJak]

I'm smiling :)

[RAJTENN]

You got a smile from me...even if I am in Nebraska this week.

[mrmoetn]

Even with the "holie' logic",  I fail to understand why a large proportion of individuals involved in this discussion, at all levels, do not see the comparison.  Good job on the research and presentation.  Also a huge Kudo for being willing to discuss this with folks and to examine the effectiveness of your tactics and adjust your fire accordingly.  We must not let the lack of understanding or our perception of being over-run by opponents on this issue keep us from pressing on.

 

2 Kings 6:16-17

“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” 17Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.

 

mrmoetn