Terrible Tally: 500 Children Dead From Gunshots Every Year, 7,500 hurt, Analysis Finds

[WilliamPitt]

Terrible tally: 500 children dead from gunshots every year, 7,500 hurt, analysis finds

About 500 American children and teenagers die in hospitals every year after sustaining gunshot wounds — a rate that climbed by nearly 60 percent in a decade, according to the first-ever accounting of such fatalities, released Sunday.

In addition, an estimated 7,500 kids are hospitalized annually after being wounded by gunfire, a figure that spiked by more than 80 percent from 1997 to 2009, according two Boston doctors presenting their findings at a conference of the American Academy of Pediatrics, held in Orlando, Fla.

Eight of every 10 firearm wounds were inflicted by handguns, according to hospital records reviewed by the doctors. They say the national conversation about guns should shift toward the danger posed by smaller weapons, not the recent fights over limiting the availability of military-style, semi-automatic rifles.

“Handguns account for the majority of childhood gunshot wounds and this number appears to be increasing over the last decade,” said Dr. Arin L. Madenci, a surgical resident at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and one of the study’s two authors. “Furthermore, states with higher percentages of household firearm ownership also tended to have higher proportions of childhood gunshot wounds, especially those occurring in the home.”

The rest: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/terrible-tally-500-children-dead-gunshots-every-year-7-500-8C11469222

Because freedom and shit.

[Packerowner740]

1. That's just disgusting

Something's got to be done.

[nomorenomore08]

34. And our Congress can't even manage to pass the most mild gun-control legislation.

Which suggests that not much will be done, in the immediate future anyhow.

[NYC_SKP]

2. I'd love to see a study conducted and action taken based on the findings.

I suspect that the households and communities where these tragedies occur are typically the same that feel economic hopelessness, drug use, decay, and a general exclusion from the wealth and prosperity that seems to be enjoyed by fewer and fewer Americans.

There are probably clear correlations to be found between these incidents and other forms of social disease, poor nutrition and education, etc.

It's a symptom of a sick and dying society.

K/R

[BainsBane]

6. That's supposition

One thing we know for sure is they have guns.

[NYC_SKP]

8. Take away the guns and you still have the economic dispair, hopelessness, disease, and inequities.

So the solutions, IMHO, include restricting gun ownership, especially handguns, and reducing the raw numbers of them, but unless we look at the reasons for violence as well as the tools used, then we're just pissing in the wind.

Smart solutions to any problem, especially epidemic social problems, always address and seek to correct underlying causes.

It's also at the core of progressive values.

[BainsBane]

14. Sure, but that's not an excuse to turn our backs of violence

The fact is the US is one of the wealthiest nations on earth with a homicide rate on par with the poorest. Researchers have proven again and again that gun policy is the reason why. Any excuse you come up with doesn't change that fact. The only question is if you care or not and what you're prepared to do about it. If the whole goal is to deflect and pretend that insane levels of gun proliferation are irrelevant, that is essentially saying those lives aren't important.

[nomorenomore08]

36. He may believe that not a great deal *can* be done on a legislative level. I disagree, of course.

I think universal background checks, and some form of national or state-level registration, would be a great start at least. I'm less inclined to favor bans on specific firearms, since those are fairly easy to circumvent (see the 90's assault weapons ban).

And I think it should go without saying that I also favor a strengthened safety net, with measures to fight poverty and its attendant dysfunction.

[BainsBane]

37. I agree

Though for much of the gun crowd, pointing to poverty is a way to deflect from the gun issue. Everyone knows there is no will in Washington to increase the safety net now. While expanded background checks might seem daunting, they are nothing in comparison to more funding for social programs.

NYC_Skp supports expanded background checks and some other reasonable measures, but he doesn't seem to be able to help himself from falling into gunner tactics in some of these threads.

[nomorenomore08]

38. I agree that the defensiveness is unnecessary.

No one, realistically, is going to take away any individual DUer's guns. Probably the best way to reduce the number of guns in this country is to make, not gun ownership per se, but gun fanaticism - i.e. owning as many, and as deadly, firearms as possible - socially unacceptable.

[BainsBane]

39. I don't see that happening

At this point, I'd be happy with a good background check law and untying the hands of the ATF so they can go after illegal arms dealers.

[nomorenomore08]

40. Agreed. We have to take what we can get.

[Bunnahabhain]

3. Here's the CDC for a recent year

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_04.pdf

Go to page 40 of the document. While the US clearly has a problem with gun deaths I think it's clear we could actually save more lives if we concentrate on other areas. Also, if one scrolls up and looks at the 12k deaths in the first year of life due to prenatal conditions, I bet concentrating on prenatal health would yield results magnitudes higher.

I can see the likely replies here to let me be very clear. I of course want zero deaths by guns for children and support far better gun control. What I am saying is that for me saving the most lives is important and that society can do this only through efforts that include things other than increased gun control.

[BainsBane]

7. You're comparing natural diseases to a weapon that generates profit

One is a function of nature, the other of capitalist greed and contempt for human life. Moreover, very few children die of heart disease, so your link is yet another attempt to derail a thread about gun violence in nonsensical ways that elevate property above human life.

[joeglow3]

10. "Natural Diseases???"

The fact that these are NOT natural is one of the main reasons we now have Obamacare.

[Bunnahabhain]

12. You did not read the part of the chart I referenced, did you?

Page 40? Let me help you more...the part of accidental deaths? Go read, and even more important understand, what is reported there then go reread my post and think.

[BainsBane]

15. You didn't link to a chart

You linked to an entire report.

[Bunnahabhain]

19. I specifically said Page 40

And I also specifically said I want gun violence reduced and think there should be better gun control laws. How did you miss all that?

I also predicted I would get stupid replies. Thanks for keeping my prediction record at 100%.

[BainsBane]

21. Okay, tell us what your plan is to address the scourge of pregnancy

Number one on pg. 40. According to your initial post, we need to focus on doing away with that. We anxiously await your ideas. Let me guess. More guns. I guess that's the reason for the gun lobby's efforts to recall the state senator in Colorado who sought to keep guns out of the hands of rapists and batterers.

[BainsBane]

29. Where did I say that?

Have you opposed the Colorado recalls?

You said we should address the broader causes and told everyone to look at p. 40. Now you refuse to address what pg. 40 says. So what is your point here other than trying to draw the focus away from the subject of the OP, gun violence?

[BainsBane]

31. Still waiting for an analysis

Or even an answer to a question about the Colorado recalls. Why exactly is it that you refuse to answer a straight question?

[Bunnahabhain]

32. You've bored me

Colorado recalls = straw man

Analysis was provided via the CDC.

Bye.

[BainsBane]

35. LOL. So you have absolutely nothing to say about this much lauded data

derail fail.

[BainsBane]

16. How many children die of heart disease?

This is all a distortion to justify gun proliferation and profits for the gun lobby. We get that gunners work diligently to discount the lives lost from violence. So what else is new?

[BainsBane]

22. pregnancy

Yes, that is natural. Just how do you think Obamacare will rid the world of pregnancy and pregnant women? Disease is part of the human condition. Guns are part of the destruction of human beings.

[Bunnahabhain]

13. Nonsensical post

The part I specifically said to look at is all about accidental death. The only nonsensical statement here is yours. Go read page 40 as I said. Read the deaths under "accidental" and get back to me.

I knew replies would be silly.

[BainsBane]

17. Because you can't be bothered to provide data

Or compose an argument, that's everyone's fault but yours.

[Bunnahabhain]

18. Not provide data?

I gave you a link and the damn page to look at. If that's not providing data I don't what is.

[BainsBane]

23. Clearly you don't know what it is

Never do a high school research paper? Providing data would mean composing an analysis with numbers from that chart and arguing how that supports your point. Then again, why you would point to a chart that says "numbers of deaths from 113 selected causes" rather than one that ranks the leading causes of death is itself suspect. It appears to me you have no real argument but instead seek only to deflect.

[Bunnahabhain]

26. Yes, you are correct

What was I thinking providing a link, the exact page to look, and the topic to look at and thinking people on the Internet would be able to piece all those arcane parts together? Yes, numbers must be analyzed, as you know, that fucking chart in no way presented clear data. I mean, number of people killed accidentally, and then detailed breakdown by both transportation related and non-transportation related? WTF was the CDC thinking, right?

So let's see. I provide link and exact page number, state I want guns control increased, no child to die by guns, but point out we can effectively lower accidental death rates, and death rates in general, but including more than just efforts under gun control.

And I'm "deflecting" and not providing clear data. Gotcha.

Have a great one!

[BainsBane]

28. And what are those solutions?

Do something about everything EXCEPT guns. Rather than deal with the obvious cause, pretend pregnant women and disease are a greater concern. Yeah, you're deflecting. If anyone dares to question the sacred and almighty gun, change the subject. Pretend guns have nothing to do with killing and that they are on par with deaths from disease and childbirth. You offer no solutions. Instead, you point over there. You tell people not to pay attention to to the subject matter of the OP but a chart you don't even care enough about to even attempt a half-assed analysis.

More Americans have died from gun violence since 1968 than in all wars in US history. By pro-gun logic, that would mean we shouldn't concern ourselves with war casualties because people die from other causes.

I seriously doubt the gun crowd cares much about solutions. They make it clear day in and day out that their primary concern is guns: guns, guns, and more guns.

[BainsBane]

20. More efforts to trivilaize

No deaths by guns count because guns are more important than human lives. What else is new? Someone provides info on homicide, the resident gun worshipers step in to explain that away, now accidents. The ultimate message is that guns matter more than human life and resent any effort to draw attention to this insane culture of murder and violence wrought by the gun lobby and their supporters. The message is always the same. These deaths don't count.

Number 1 on page 40 is pregnancy. I can't wait to see what your response is for doing away with that.
Others include congenital malformation. And you compare that to weapons that are used precisely as designed--to kill. Pregnancy is central to the propagation of the human species. Guns are central to killing. That you think there is anything comparable about the two says a great deal. So whether heart disease, pregnancy, or congenital malformation, the point is the same.

The fact is young children face higher death rates from guns than do on duty police. Why? Because people leave guns laying around the house and the gun lobby works tirelessly to put more guns in the hands of more people. We have a culture of violent death in this country because that is exactly how the gun cultists want it. To pretend they don't while promoting policies that lead to those deaths is hollow. It's like the neocons claiming they don't want war casualties while actively promoting foreign intervention. When people promote policies, they own the outcome. They have consciously chosen that their right to guns means more than the lives of the dead children and adults. The exhalation of "my rights trump your dead" speech proved that as much as anything. http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1172&pid=126744 Our dead loves ones don't count. What matters are guns.

[FreakinDJ]

4. What - no Orange Tip

[GeorgeGist]

5. That's just those who live long enough to reach the hospital.

[MisterP]

9. "but it's not us good Angry White Men doing it--it's URBAN TYPES *shiver*"

and yes, I've heard that line on DU

[DreamGypsy]

11. Current tally since December 14, 2012 is at least 643 children and teens...

...according to Slate's How Many People Have Been Killed by Guns Since Newtown?

The numbers are 170 children, 115 male and 55 female; and 473 teens, 419 male and 54 female. These are the ones for which Slate has data. You can read their names and find links to the stories of their deaths. Probably many others are not reported here.

Yes, still 46 days to go until a full year will have elapsed since Newton.


(nb. If you filter on the site for the number of children, the result will be 171. However, the shooting death of a 5 year old girl is listed twice, on both 6/27 and on 6/28.)

[Iggo]

24. Guns are more important than people.

[aikoaiko]

25. I'm glad its not more given the number of guns in civilian hands

[BainsBane]

33. That would mean extermination of the entire population

since there are more guns than people in this country.