Data, however, are the sum of observations. The answer to random disavowals of global warming is a mass of data showing temperature increases, and also showing that those increases lead to increased precipitation, which makes snow when it happens to be cold enough, which it still can be.
The relevant data concerning violence are the sum of a lot of reports of violent incidents. If violence is going up, or down, how do we know this? From studying the number of reports of violent incidents, which you can call "anecdotes" if you don't like them.
The usual response to calls for gun control is "guns don't kill people, people kill people." Fine, then, we need people control. As neither Mr Sanchez nor Mr Loughner could have accomplished quite as much if they'd been wielding, say, lawn furniture, how do we keep guns out of the hands of such people?
Lastly, if the answer - as often suggested - to such incidents is "more people with more guns," we need concrete discussion of how that would have helped in specific incidents, which again you can dismiss as "anecdotes" if you'd rather ignore the question. Because too often the answer is, no, it wouldn't help at all.
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Date: 2011-01-18 06:41 pm (UTC)The relevant data concerning violence are the sum of a lot of reports of violent incidents. If violence is going up, or down, how do we know this? From studying the number of reports of violent incidents, which you can call "anecdotes" if you don't like them.
The usual response to calls for gun control is "guns don't kill people, people kill people." Fine, then, we need people control. As neither Mr Sanchez nor Mr Loughner could have accomplished quite as much if they'd been wielding, say, lawn furniture, how do we keep guns out of the hands of such people?
Lastly, if the answer - as often suggested - to such incidents is "more people with more guns," we need concrete discussion of how that would have helped in specific incidents, which again you can dismiss as "anecdotes" if you'd rather ignore the question. Because too often the answer is, no, it wouldn't help at all.