If you believe the rhetoric regarding “gun control” coming out of Washington, you’d think that saving one life is worth limiting the rights of all. To understand the hypocrisy and deceitful dialogue proclaimed by our elected officials and many in the media we should look at a few statistics. While doing so instead of saying deaths as the CDC does, say permanently stopped hearts (PSH).
According to the CDC, in 2010 there were 2,468,436 PSH in the U.S. — 780,213 from cardiovascular disease; 574,743 from cancer; 50,097 from flu/pneumonia; 186,278 from respiratory disease; 31,903 from liver disease; 50,476 from nephritis; and 269,844 from other disease. Some 120,859 die from accidents, of those 73,293 are from auto/transport. 33,041 from poisoning, 26,009 from falls, 38,364 suicides, and 16,259 homicides — with 11,078 from firearms. 5,181 other homicides. 66,085 were directly attributed to drug and alcohol abuse.
The approximately 1,200,000 yearly induced abortions are not deaths in the eyes of the government, media or many in the country and thus, are not included in CDC statistics. Abortions are performed without the use of a firearm and with the blessing, financing and authority of law under the guise of women’s rights.
How important is one life in this nation? I contend, not very. For every PSH from firearms, 108 happen silently — out of sight, out of mind. Why all the attention on redefining the Seconnd amendment? It isn’t lives that matter it’s chiseling away and perverting the rights established in the Constitution that is the greater goal.
Jim Boze
Stanwood
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