DesideriScuri
Posts: 12225
Joined: 1/18/2012 Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Focus50 quote:
ORIGINAL: Kirata Does a person have a right to end his or her life? How big a problem is suicide? Obviously not the biggest bad guy on the block. But suicide counts come up in almost every gun debate. In fact, the firearms death toll in United States is mostly suicides. To be more exact, there are 2.3 times as many firearms suicides as murders. Is there a preference for firearms as a method? Suicide comes up in every gun debate because people (including yourself) like to post links regarding gun deaths. Accident, murder or *suicide*, anyone dying from a gun shot becomes a gun death statistic. And yeah, there are people, usually American 2nd Amendment defenders (yourself, again) who don't think suicides should count as a gun death stat. Yet the simple, undeniable truth is that actual cause of death was a gun shot - the bottom line. The firearms death toll in Australia is mostly suicides, too. A link I posted in one of those other gun threads showed (for memory) that there were some 231 dun deaths in Australia in about 2010 (population 23 mill). And some 160ish were suicides - around 2/3rds of the total. Accidents and murders were about 16 apiece and the 30 odd remaining were designated "other", whatever tha hell that means.... For memory from someone else's links, gun shot suicides in the US were also about 2/3rds of the total - or similar ratio to the Aus stats. But the BIG difference is the actual totals. US has 15 times our population but your 20,000ish gun shot suicides is exponentially more than 15 times our 160ish total. quote:
So overall, the data show that people do not predominantly choose a firearm as their choice of method over a collection of other means. And while the suicide rate increases with age for both sexes, suicide by any means is overwhelmingly a male phenomenon. Up to a point, I agree that suicide by gun isn't really an issue about guns. After Australia's gun reforms emanating from Port Arthur, some of the nonsensical arguments bandied about was that the suicide rate would drop because of less gun availability. Apparently we were to believe that there are people who, upon finding a gun carelessly stored in a closet etc, would seize the moment and decide to spontaneously check out. Such was the anti-gun hysterics of the time, this is the kinda shit that actually got serious press time because some quack with an alphabet soup after his name said so. If anything, the overall suicide rate has increased slightly since 1996 (Port Arthur reforms), but I think that's more a reflection of the age we live in. ie, people are sposta be more stressed, life is infinitely faster paced than years gone by, people aren't as friendly, all manner of designer drugs, cyber-bullying even - pressure, pressure, pressure! Now, where I do think guns play a unique role in suicides is in the US. Means and opportunity. The far greater gun availability the 2nd amendment enables Americans means that, compared to all the other western nations, those determined to kill themself can far more readily choose to exit by gun. And I think THAT's why your gun suicide totals are exponentially higher than here. quote:
People have a right to die if they choose to, by any means they choose, including a firearm, and without owing anybody an explanation. Well, sort of.... The heartbreak of suicide is of the loved ones left behind. My father killed himself when I was 12 and the "why" question haunts you for years and years. I still don't know, not really.... Terminally ill and no prospects of recovering etc, yeah, you should have the right to die. And those closest to you will mostly understand. It's not about life but *quality* of life. quote:
Guns and suicide are not the problem. Say what???? You are 41 times more likely to die by gun in the US than you are in Australia. Damned right you've got a problem there! Cues Bama to point out that you're "only" about 8 times more likely to die by gun of your own hand.... Either way, means and opportunity is absolutely a problem - of the 2nd's making. Focus. How do you reconcile th1s statement:quote:
For memory from someone else's links, gun shot suicides in the US were also about 2/3rds of the total - or similar ratio to the Aus stats. But the BIG difference is the actual totals. US has 15 times our population but your 20,000ish gun shot suicides is exponentially more than 15 times our 160ish total with this: quote:
Up to a point, I agree that suicide by gun isn't really an issue about guns. To be honest, including suicides by firearm in "gun violence" is technically true, but it's also misleading. What is being said is that suicide by gun is worse than suicide by any other means. Do gun violence stats include people shot by the police?
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What I support: - A Conservative interpretation of the US Constitution
- Personal Responsibility
- Help for the truly needy
- Limited Government
- Consumption Tax (non-profit charities and food exempt)
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