crashfrog writes:
Then I would suggest that you look further, because this is a chart of gun homicides per 100,000 people - not all homicides per 100,000 people.
Glad you mentioned that, that graph struck me the same way. Obviously a nation with greater accessibility to guns would have a greater murder rate by guns. Seems like a tautology.
Another thing that struck me. Every nation graphed other than Poland is either part of western Europe, Scandinavia, or a former primarily English-speaking colony of the UK. Is Japan an underdeveloped nation? (not that it would hurt the case being made). Why Poland and not the Czech Republic or Slovenia? Are those nations undeveloped relative to Poland? If one opens up the definition of developed a bit more, like say to include Russia, Estonia (what the hell is going on there anyway?), Slovakia, Republic of China, and South Africa, wouldn't the USA be less an outlier?
Was this graph a result of lack of sufficient data or cherry picking or both? If it was more inclusive my guess is it would look a lot more like a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram of stellar evolution than some linear relationship.
I need more and better quality data to make a judgement. Quarter ends Aug. 4, will start looking Aug. 5. Maybe it's there, maybe not. Sometimes I post even though I don't really have the time just to let everyone know I'm still here to plague you.
As a professional library administrator*, I can't afford to make judgements based on bad or skewed data.
*actual scientists and other truth-seekers feel free to replace the term "professional library administrator" with one that best describes your job.
Edited by anglagard, : Russia, don't forget Russia - aide to Patton in the movie Patton (1970)
Read not to contradict and confute, not to believe and take for granted, not to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider. - Francis Bacon
™ Version 4.2
