you are 43 times more likely....

[akodo]

Kellerman taught us that you are 43 times more likely to have your firearm kill yourself or a family member (either by mistake or because the intruder gets ahold of it) than have that firearm kill said intruder.

This is true, if the goal of your house firearm is to mount a burglar head next to your deer head, your chances aren't very good.

Of course, if the purpose of the gun is to simply stop an intruder, the odds are entirely different. Self defense guns aren't for 'hunting criminals'

However, now as I see it we have a different angle.

The TV in your house is 5,161,720 times more likely to be used by an intruder to kill you or a family member than it is to be used by you to kill an intruder.

http://www.startribune.com/local/20457734.html?location_refer=Homepage:highlightModules:3

Pertinent bits
Two teenagers -- one of them in tears -- appeared in court for the first time Wednesday, accused in the savage stabbings and beatings of a Minneapolis mother [Daniels] and 10-year-old son.

Brian Lee Flowers, 16, and Stafon Edward Thompson, 17, are being held on $1 million bail each

The complaints against the two say Daniels was stabbed more than 100 times. Bloody foot, hand and fingerprints were found throughout the house. The boy suffered a fatal blow with a television set.

Police have said Flowers and Thompson and Daniels' 15-year-old son are affiliated with a gang. The son is in jail in Chicago for an unrelated shooting.

Not on the website, but in the paper, they were friends with Daniel's son. They each blame the other for doing everything. Each claimed the other was there to rob Daniels. Each claimed the other killed the 10 year old boy by bashing his head in with a TV to remove a potential witness.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Kellerman taught us that you are 43 times more likely to have your firearm kill yourself or a family member

If you own a chainsaw you are ten times more likely to be cut with one than those that don't own chainsaws.

If you own a television you are 20 times more likely to watch it than those that don't.

I always love those kinds of statistical references

 

[MinnMooney]

Whether a home owner is armed or not, they are more likely to be seriously hurt or killed than an intruder. Why? Because the intruder KNOWS that anyone who confronts him needs to be shot but the homeowner NEEDS to SEE the other person in the house and make sure that it's not his drunk brother or the next-door neighbor in the wrong house. That requires a moment's hesitation that the BG doesn't need.
The BG has the odds in his favor unless the home owner can surprise the BG.

 

[.cheese.]

actually, I think if you own a television, you're infinitely more likely to watch IT than those who don't own your television.

 

[Ready2Defend]

90% of statistics are made up.

 

[Seancass]

actually, I think if you own a television, you're infinitely more likely to watch IT than those who don't own your television.

you don't know this, but at any given moment, i'm more likely to be watching your tv than you.

 

[mavracer]

4 out of 5 people make up 80% of the worlds population.
and how do they always know what size TV I have so they can format picture to fit MY screen

 

[justin 561]

and how do they always know what size TV I have so they can format picture to fit MY screen

They're basicly telling you they cut the sides off of the movie to scale it down, or "make it fit."

 

[AndrewGWU]

When I hear these sort of statistics I am reminded of a book title I once saw while browsing in the my university's library...

and the title was:

"How to Lie with Statistics"

 

[ArmedBear]

GREAT BOOK!

I read that book in 8th grade, at my math teacher's behest.

IMO it should be required reading in every school, and if you can't pass a test on the contents, you shouldn't be allowed to register to vote.

 

[skinewmexico]

gunfacts.info. They show how the stats on the 43 times were manipulated to come with that number. It's a lie, 37 of the 43 were suicides.

 

[longdayjake]

Breaking new statistics just in. For centuries people have been eating carrots with the false pretense that they are a healthy vegetable full of vitamins, minerals, and all kinds of good stuff. Turns out though that 100% of people that eat carrots die. Do not for one second consider owning or eating a carrot. Think of the children!!!

 

[h-word]

"Facts are meaningless. They can be used to prove anything that is even remotely true."

 

[Walkalong]

It's a good thing I only have two TVs.

 

[Mr White]

90% of statistics are made up.

And the other 50% can be twisted to mean whatever you want them to, 75% of the time.

 

[Titan6]

100% of suicides are self inflicted or at the behest of the deceased. They are also all 100% fatal.

 

[Rumble]

The overall message I got from the statistics was "You are far more likely to die in your home than you are to kill someone invading it."

I am grateful to Kellerman for that profound insight.

 

[Gator]

Kellerman himself admitted that 43 times number was bogus years ago.

 

[Armueller2001]

Hahah... even if that number was accurate (which it's not) what is it, like 1 in 1000 cases of self defense the burglar is killed? So you're 1000/43 or about 23 times more likely to use a gun to stop a crime than to kill a family member.

Seems like pretty good odds to own a firearm.

OWNED

 

[GW]

Heck, Kellerman himself admitted that his study was flawed and yet people keep barfing that number out.
Hate to be the one to tell folks but repeating a lie will never make it the truth.

 

[thebaldguy]

Gun control advocates have constantly bombarded us with statistics. They will associate a downturn in firearm crime to gun laws, but they will never associate a downturn in crime with CCW. I have often heard the arguement that a gun in the home increases the chance of death/injury. But I never hear that a gun in the home may save a life.

I remember reading recently that crime is up in England in spite of the fact they have installed numerous CCTV camera to watch. In my city, they justified the use of CCTV to cut crime. In both places, crime is up since CCTV camera have been installed. Is CCTV responsible for an increase in crime?

 

[trinydex]

90% of statistics are made up.

from direct tv commercial.

90% of statistics can be made to say anything.

anything?

50% of the time.

we can make this work!

 

[Brian Dale]

Will the "43 times" lie never die?

 

[freakshow10mm]

That is sad. Beating someone to death, much less a defenseless child. Gasoline and a match is the only cure for that sickness.

 

[.cheese.]

you don't know this, but at any given moment, i'm more likely to be watching your tv than you.

I didn't know my dog had a THR account! Wow!