interesting if true...

[incisor]

From the Australian Shooter Magazine this week, which is quoted below.

"If you consider that there has been an average of 160,000 troops in the Iraq theater of operations during the past 22 months, and a total of 2112 deaths, that gives a firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000 soldiers.
The firearm death rate in Washington , DC is 80.6 per 100,000 for the same period. That means you are about 25 per cent more likely to be shot and killed in the US capital, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the US , than you are in Iraq.




Conclusion: "The US should pull out of Washington."

[Hymie]

Having been to D.C and warned which sides of the streets to use I can believe it.

[JDNSW]

It is an interesting statistic, and I think IS relevant - but the figures are not directly comparable - I suspect very few of the deaths in Washington involve trained combat troops, and very few are wearing body armour, which would apply to most cases of the US deaths in Iraq.

But the comparison is relevant in that the rate of violent deaths among US troops in Iraq should be compared to the rate of those troops in the USA, which while probably not as high, is certainly not zero - be interesting to know what it was.

John

[Jojo]

From the Australian Shooter Magazine this week, which is quoted below.

"If you consider that there has been an average of 160,000 troops in the Iraq theater of operations during the past 22 months, and a total of 2112 deaths, that gives a firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000 soldiers.
The firearm death rate in Washington , DC is 80.6 per 100,000 for the same period. That means you are about 25 per cent more likely to be shot and killed in the US capital, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the US , than you are in Iraq.




Conclusion: "The US should pull out of Washington."

Interesting, but I cannot quite follow how they calculated to arrive at the 60/100.000 ratio. John's comments are valid, though.

From my time in the military I recall that during all joint exercises we had with US-forces they always had casualties, due to neglect and ignorance, improper handling of their gear. Handling their weaponry in cowboylike manner produced rather predictable results. We were joking that we didn't need to fight them, only wait until they've finished off themselves. Sad, but true...

[Blknight.aus]

that satistic looks like its only including Blue on Blue incidents.

[THE BOOGER]

Quick work with calculater thats per month not year:eek: but then washington is way above the rest of the US which has about the same death rate as here. Washington is often used to show gun laws do not lower gun deaths and sweden is used to show gun posession does not raise gun deaths. Amazing thinks can be done with statistics and I am a shooter by the way.

[THE BOOGER]

Hey jojo during kangaroo 81 we lost 3 guys to accidents 1 building a bailly bridge and 2 in a gun buggy that got run over the yanks lost almost 10 x that but it was within exercize expectations:eek: glad i didnt work for them.

[drivesafe]

The police chief in Detroit City made similar comments earlier this year.

As for the rest of America having similar shooting rates as here, the road death toll in the USA is 16,000 for last year and 26,000 from shootings.

While most places in the US would not be far off what happens here, but our number of shooting related deaths is way below our road toll numbers.

[kaa45]

Hey jojo during kangaroo 81 we lost 3 guys to accidents 1 building a bailly bridge and 2 in a gun buggy that got run over the yanks lost almost 10 x that but it was within exercize expectations:eek: glad i didnt work for them.

It's the Drop Bears that get 'em. Shoalwater is thick with 'em. And Hoop Snakes and Gazontapedes. They just love Septics. :twisted:;):eek::wasntme:

[JDNSW]

While the US murder rate has reduced somewhat in the last few decades, it is currently 5.8/100,000/yr compared to Australia's 1.2, and UK and NZ both about 2 (These are so low that there is quite a bit of variation year to year). Washington (according to http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004902.html) is 35.4 but is not the highest - Detroit is over 40.

Interesting comment from my brother who lives in Houston (16.3) - he attributes the reduction, in the Texas murder rate at least, to improvements in emergency medicine and the treatment of gunshot wounds rather than anything else. He pointed out a corresponding increase in attempted murders. Apparently the US army sends its doctors to Houston and a few other cities to hone their skills.

Another factor may be that the USA has a higher proportion of its population in gaol than any other western democracy. Can't be the death penalty - the reduction in homicides has been over the period that the number of executions has decreased.

John

[drivesafe]

It’s got to be plain old mentality. The yanks still think they not only have the right to bear arms, so it there for seems logical, if they can have the guns, they must be allowed to use them. ( not quite but sounds good )

The irony is that there are far more guns per 1000 head in neighbouring Canada, yet they have a much, MUCH lower kill rate.

[willem]

Statistics ... what was it that Disraeli said? 'There are lies, there are damned lies, and there are statistics'

Willem

[austastar]

Or

Statistics.... are like a bikini.
What they reveal is interesting, what they don't is vital.

cheers

[DeeJay]

Statistics ... what was it that Disraeli said? 'There are lies, there are damned lies, and there are statistics'

Willem

Here is the correct statistic.


Firearms Death Rate per 100,000 by state. Definition, graph and map. (http://www.statemaster.com/graph/cri_mur_wit_fir-death-rate-per-100-000)


Crime Statistics (http://www.statemaster.com/cat/cri-crime) > Firearms Death Rate per 100,000 (most recent) by state

# 1 District of Columbia (http://www.statemaster.com/state/DC-district-of-columbia/cri-crime):31.2
# 2 Alaska (http://www.statemaster.com/state/AK-alaska/cri-crime):20
# 3 Louisiana (http://www.statemaster.com/state/LA-louisiana/cri-crime):19.5
# 4 Wyoming (http://www.statemaster.com/state/WY-wyoming/cri-crime):18.8
# 5 Arizona (http://www.statemaster.com/state/AZ-arizona/cri-crime):18
= 6 Nevada (http://www.statemaster.com/state/NV-nevada/cri-crime):17.3
= 6 Mississippi (http://www.statemaster.com/state/MS-mississippi/cri-crime):17.3
# 8 New Mexico (http://www.statemaster.com/state/NM-new-mexico/cri-crime):16.6
# 9 Arkansas (http://www.statemaster.com/state/AR-arkansas/cri-crime):16.3
# 10 Alabama (http://www.statemaster.com/state/AL-alabama/cri-crime):16.2
# 11 Tennessee (http://www.statemaster.com/state/TN-tennessee/cri-crime):15.4
# 12 West Virginia (http://www.statemaster.com/state/WV-west-virginia/cri-crime):14.7
# 13 Montana (http://www.statemaster.com/state/MT-montana/cri-crime):14.5
# 14 South Carolina (http://www.statemaster.com/state/SC-south-carolina/cri-crime):13.8
# 15 North Carolina (http://www.statemaster.com/state/NC-north-carolina/cri-crime):13.6
# 16 Georgia (http://www.statemaster.com/state/GA-georgia/cri-crime):13.4
= 17 Kentucky (http://www.statemaster.com/state/KY-kentucky/cri-crime):13.1
= 17 Oklahoma (http://www.statemaster.com/state/OK-oklahoma/cri-crime):13.1
= 19 Missouri (http://www.statemaster.com/state/MO-missouri/cri-crime):12.3
= 19 Idaho (http://www.statemaster.com/state/ID-idaho/cri-crime):12.3
# 21 Indiana (http://www.statemaster.com/state/IN-indiana/cri-crime):11.7
= 22 Colorado (http://www.statemaster.com/state/CO-colorado/cri-crime):11.5
= 22 Maryland (http://www.statemaster.com/state/MD-maryland/cri-crime):11.5
= 24 Florida (http://www.statemaster.com/state/FL-florida/cri-crime):11.1
= 24 Virginia (http://www.statemaster.com/state/VA-virginia/cri-crime):11.1
# 26 Texas (http://www.statemaster.com/state/TX-texas/cri-crime):11
# 27 Michigan (http://www.statemaster.com/state/MI-michigan/cri-crime):10.9
# 28 Oregon (http://www.statemaster.com/state/OR-oregon/cri-crime):10.5
# 29 Pennsylvania (http://www.statemaster.com/state/PA-pennsylvania/cri-crime):9.9
# 30 California (http://www.statemaster.com/state/CA-california/cri-crime):9.8
= 31 Illinois (http://www.statemaster.com/state/IL-illinois/cri-crime):9.7
= 31 Kansas (http://www.statemaster.com/state/KS-kansas/cri-crime):9.7
= 31 Utah (http://www.statemaster.com/state/UT-utah/cri-crime):9.7
# 34 Vermont (http://www.statemaster.com/state/VT-vermont/cri-crime):9.6
= 35 Ohio (http://www.statemaster.com/state/OH-ohio/cri-crime):9.3
= 35 Washington (http://www.statemaster.com/state/WA-washington/cri-crime):9.3
= 37 Delaware (http://www.statemaster.com/state/DE-delaware/cri-crime):9.1
= 37 North Dakota (http://www.statemaster.com/state/ND-north-dakota/cri-crime):9.1
= 39 Wisconsin (http://www.statemaster.com/state/WI-wisconsin/cri-crime):8.1
= 39 Nebraska (http://www.statemaster.com/state/NE-nebraska/cri-crime):8.1
# 41 South Dakota (http://www.statemaster.com/state/SD-south-dakota/cri-crime):7.9
# 42 Iowa (http://www.statemaster.com/state/IA-iowa/cri-crime):6.7
# 43 Maine (http://www.statemaster.com/state/ME-maine/cri-crime):6.5
# 44 Minnesota (http://www.statemaster.com/state/MN-minnesota/cri-crime):6
# 45 New Hampshire (http://www.statemaster.com/state/NH-new-hampshire/cri-crime):5.8
= 46 Rhode Island (http://www.statemaster.com/state/RI-rhode-island/cri-crime):5.1
= 46 New York (http://www.statemaster.com/state/NY-new-york/cri-crime):5.1
# 48 New Jersey (http://www.statemaster.com/state/NJ-new-jersey/cri-crime):4.9
# 49 Connecticut (http://www.statemaster.com/state/CT-connecticut/cri-crime):4.3
# 50 Massachusetts (http://www.statemaster.com/state/MA-massachusetts/cri-crime):3.1
# 51 Hawaii (http://www.statemaster.com/state/HI-hawaii/cri-crime):2.8
Weighted average:11.5




DEFINITION: Number of Deaths Due to Firearms per 100,000 Population, 2002.



Not exactly the latest figures but, just looking around the Web, not a lot has changed

[VladTepes]

Or

Statistics.... are like a bikini.
What they reveal is interesting, what they don't is vital.

cheers

Haven't heard that one before.. I like it !

[Didge]

49.587% of statistics are made up on the spot, but I also like the bikini one better
Gerald
95 110 300tdi

[V8Ian]

Haven't heard that one before.. I like it !
Feel free to take it on board.:D

[3toes]

As has been said by other before me you never know what to believe with stastics. This one was in the news here a while ago.

Seems that the death rate for soldiers who had served in Iraq was higher (almost double) during the first 12 months they were back in the USA than while they were there. Most were due to motor bike and car related accidents.

[drivesafe]

As has been said by other before me you never know what to believe with stastics. This one was in the news here a while ago.

Seems that the death rate for soldiers who had served in Iraq was higher (almost double) during the first 12 months they were back in the USA than while they were there. Most were due to motor bike and car related accidents.

Saw that, and they state there is an above average suicide rate amongst return iraqi war veterans too!

But no reasons given.