Why is it the subject always shifts to the same old free-for-all, chance-to-beat-it-AND-each-other-into-the-ground-fight? Gun laws and ownership IN THE US.

There are 8 days until Christmas.
Jackie Manning is dead, and his brother has to live with having killed him.

From National Vital Statistics Reports (in Adobe Acrobat) In 2000, in the US, the death rate (# per 100,000 of polulation) caused by firearms accidents was .3.

Here are some other causes of death, and the death rates for some other causes of death which were higher:

  Drowning:                        1.2
  Motor vehicle accidents:        15.2
  Major cardiovascular diseases: 339.3
  Pneumonia:                      23.6 
  Flu:                              .8
  Tuberculosis:                     .5
  Diabetes:                       24.9
  Malnutrition:                    1.4
  Peptic ulcer:                    1.6
  Complications of 
  medical and surgical care:       1.0
  

Most of the above are also in our power to prevent. Seems like there are a lot of high horses available. Guns seem to be a very popular subject with the media, though, and that may be why so many of us seem to care more about them than all this other stuff.