February 15, 2013

"Wait, I thought people had a 'right to die'..."

"... so why is preventing suicide a reason for gun control? Oh, who am I kidding — at the NYT, anything is a good reason for gun control."

Since most of the gun deaths are suicides, you'd have to throw away your best statistics if you didn't count suicides. But then they never stop to wonder how many of those suicides were people who felt an uncontrollable murderous urge. What if Adam Lanza had only shot himself? We'd never know what horrible plan he'd left unfulfilled.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

You compound Instapundit's idiocy with your own (and contradictory statements when it suits you). I thought you considered suicide "self-murder".

Anonymous said...

People have a right to die once. But as long as all these self-assault weapons and high-magazine clips are out there, you'll get people shooting themselves over and over.

Anonymous said...

Since most of the gun deaths are suicides, you'd have to throw away your best statistics if you didn't count suicides.

There are still more than 10,000 homicides with firearms in this country every year. I suppose you and Instapundit consider that insignificant.

Anonymous said...

Gee, that's an unintended consequence! It requires you to think and not just react to emotion.

Peter said...

Is it time for a PSA that says, "If you're thinking about commiting a murder-suicide then why not just do yourself first?

Unknown said...

To really fight Suicide this way New York will have to define a high capacity magazine as one with more than 0 rounds.

MayBee said...

It never stops

The big debate on the BBC morning show last week was whether the number of ibuprofen or acetaminophen tablets available in a package should be further reduced from it's current 24 pills per pack. To reduce suicides.
This is a law we are talking about here.
A protective government just yearns to protect.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

It's surprising how many Google hits you get for guys who ran over themselves with a car.

Ambrose said...

People have a right to die, but not via a "do-it-yourself" method. It has to be assisted suicide - you know with assistance from the authorities. Your local death panel approves; and than your kindly licensed doctor does the rest. All liberal policy positions arise not with respect to the beneficiaries, nor the substance, but only with respect to the gainful employment for government bureaucrats created thereby.

Ambrose said...

People have a right to die, but not via a "do-it-yourself" method. It has to be assisted suicide - you know with assistance from the authorities. Your local death panel approves; and than your kindly licensed doctor does the rest. All liberal policy positions arise not with respect to the beneficiaries, nor the substance, but only with respect to the gainful employment for government bureaucrats created thereby.

Hagar said...

Not to mention suicide by 18=wheeler or bridge pier.

As for the deaths by "gun violence," you want them stopped, authorize the police to "stop and frisk" in gang (read "colored") areas of the city.

edutcher said...

Somehow, I can't recall a right to die in the Constitution of the United States or any of its Amendments.

I do remember something about a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Freder Frederson said...

You compound Instapundit's idiocy with your own (and contradictory statements when it suits you). I thought you considered suicide "self-murder".

Since most religions and most people see it that way, the idiocy is Freder's.

Anonymous said...

Since most religions and most people see it that way, the idiocy is Freder's.

So you are saying that Althouse and Instapundit are wrong?

Moose said...

Suicide rates per 100,000 people
US 12
UK 11.8
Australia 9.7

So why if they have such gun control in the UK and Australia, then why are our suicide rates so close?

edutcher said...

Freder Frederson said...

Since most of the gun deaths are suicides, you'd have to throw away your best statistics if you didn't count suicides.

There are still more than 10,000 homicides with firearms in this country every year. I suppose you and Instapundit consider that insignificant.


Most of those are black-on-black gang bangers who can't shoot straight most of the time.

But you don't see Freder and his Lefty friends talking about that.

Since most religions and most people see it that way, the idiocy is Freder's.

So you are saying that Althouse and Instapundit are wrong?


Now who is always wrong around here?

It ain't me, it ain't Ann, and it ain't Insta.

Wince said...

...at the NYT, anything is a good reason for gun control.

"...any time of the day is a good time for pie."

MayBee said...

Moose:

Suicide rates per 100,000 people
US 12
UK 11.8
Australia 9.7

So why if they have such gun control in the UK and Australia, then why are our suicide rates so close?
-–------------

Because the governments haven't yet been able to limit ALL the stuff they want to limit yet.

CWJ said...

Freder,

Ann's irony verging on sarcasm is lost on you.

Unless you're just looking to pick a fight.

Mary Beth said...

Government approved suicide only. They have to first check which side of the balance sheet you are on.

Strelnikov said...

Frankly, I encourage all those considering suicide to act on their impulses. Helps clear the gene pool. Darwin would be proud.

Ann Althouse said...

"You compound Instapundit's idiocy with your own (and contradictory statements when it suits you). I thought you considered suicide "self-murder"."

You're such a troll, Freder. There's no idiocy here and no contradiction. I should just delete you. Why don't you come in here and explain your points in decent language. Begin by noticing what I've actually said and not said and think first.

Now, say something appropriate.

I've made a similar challenge in another post today. If you don't respond, in the future I will be deleting you rather than responding to you.

Ann Althouse said...

"There are still more than 10,000 homicides with firearms in this country every year. I suppose you and Instapundit consider that insignificant."

Why would you suppose that?

We're opposed to inflating the statistics with weak/irrelevant material. That doesn't mean we disregard the relevant material. We're pushing other people to be accurate, not engaging in our own inaccuracy.

You don't seem much to care about accuracy, the way you hurl assumptions and insinuations around.

You should apologize.

Anonymous said...

"preventing suicide a reason for gun control"

Next, ban all posionous chemicals, ban all sharp knives, close down the Golden Gate Bridge ...

Rusty said...

Freder Frederson said...
You compound Instapundit's idiocy with your own

Maybe it's not them..........
Think about it.

Anonymous said...

"There are still more than 10,000 homicides with firearms in this country every year. I suppose you and Instapundit consider that insignificant."

How many are committed by gangs in gun control Chicago, big-gulp control NYC? How many by mental cases? How many committed by law abiding citizens licensed to own guns?

I bet if you took away Godfather's Chi-town, Nanny Bloomberg's NYC, and Jerry Brown's Oakland, America is the safetest place on earth.

Anonymous said...

MayBee said...
"A protective government just yearns to protect" making life so dull and boring, nothing to struggle for, nothing to live for,...

Big Govt. leads to suicide by boredom.

Douglas2 said...

When I see research papers on the subject of firearms restrictions and their impact on suicide, I find that they fall into one of two clusters:
a: researchers who were oblivious to obvious confounding factors.
b: researchers who found no correlation, because other methods of suicide increased and the overall long-term average trend in suicide didn't change much.