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Arizona Republic Offers Misleading Facts in ?News?
Peter Suciu
Member Posts: 69 ✭✭
From FirearmsTruth.com: http://www.firearmstruth.com/2011/arizona-republic-offers-misleading-facts-in-“news”-story
This week The Arizona Republic ran a story titled "Guns in Arizona: A life-or-death question," and while it was in the news section, it had an op-ed feel, suggesting a true media bias. The intro offered this thought:
"Arizona has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the nation. It also has one of the highest rates of gun deaths in the country."
The first question is whether these facts are actually linked, and honestly there is no proof. But then, we need to determine what the authors mean by "highest rates of gun deaths." In fact, Arizona only ranks 10th, which we suppose could suggest the country is in the top 10.
But according to data from 2009, Arizona had a total homicide rate of 6.28 per 100,000 people. That trails Michigan, where Detroit has much higher crime than any city in Arizona. Contrast that figure to the 12.74 rate of Louisiana, or 6.67 of California - a state that has some of the most restrictive gun laws in that nation. Nowhere in the story is California even mentioned. In other words, merely noting that California has a higher crime rate sort of debunks the basis of this "news article."
However, we can also look specifically at gun homicides and again Arizona ranks 10th at 4.54, just below Michigan (again with Detroit and Flint), which has a 4.55 per 100,000 gun homicide rate. But there is more. Illinois, which as with California has strict gun laws, comes in above Arizona and in 2009 had a 4.59 per 100,000 gun homicide rate, while California had a 4.82 per 100,000 gun homicide rate.
So, in other words, two states that have strict gun laws still have a greater homicide rate. What does that say about the Arizona Republic story? It is certainly something to think about.
This week The Arizona Republic ran a story titled "Guns in Arizona: A life-or-death question," and while it was in the news section, it had an op-ed feel, suggesting a true media bias. The intro offered this thought:
"Arizona has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the nation. It also has one of the highest rates of gun deaths in the country."
The first question is whether these facts are actually linked, and honestly there is no proof. But then, we need to determine what the authors mean by "highest rates of gun deaths." In fact, Arizona only ranks 10th, which we suppose could suggest the country is in the top 10.
But according to data from 2009, Arizona had a total homicide rate of 6.28 per 100,000 people. That trails Michigan, where Detroit has much higher crime than any city in Arizona. Contrast that figure to the 12.74 rate of Louisiana, or 6.67 of California - a state that has some of the most restrictive gun laws in that nation. Nowhere in the story is California even mentioned. In other words, merely noting that California has a higher crime rate sort of debunks the basis of this "news article."
However, we can also look specifically at gun homicides and again Arizona ranks 10th at 4.54, just below Michigan (again with Detroit and Flint), which has a 4.55 per 100,000 gun homicide rate. But there is more. Illinois, which as with California has strict gun laws, comes in above Arizona and in 2009 had a 4.59 per 100,000 gun homicide rate, while California had a 4.82 per 100,000 gun homicide rate.
So, in other words, two states that have strict gun laws still have a greater homicide rate. What does that say about the Arizona Republic story? It is certainly something to think about.