2nd_Amendment
03-09-2001, 04:31 PM
magnum mom
Forum Host
posts: 54
(2/19/01 11:51:22 am)
Reply physician group slams handgun report
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
, 8 Feb 2001 16:28:47 -0600
Subject: Physician group slams handgun report
Message-ID:
[Note: The report, "A Deadly Myth: Women, Handguns and Self-Defense," is
a
typical twisting of facts to present an inaccurate picture, common among
the anti-gun crowd. - Tony]
Physician group slams handgun report
Analysis claims women not safer by carrying handguns
By Jon Dougherty
© 2001 WorldNetDaily.com
A prominent member of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons
has refuted key details of a study published recently by the Violence
Policy Center, in which researchers concluded that women were not safer
if
they used a handgun for self-defense.
The VPC report, called "A Deadly Myth: Women, Handguns and Self-Defense,"
published Jan. 31, said that in the early 1980s, gun manufacturers began
to
target women with "the false message" that "the greatest threat posed to
a
woman was an attack by a stranger, and the best form of protection a
woman
could rely upon was a handgun."
"For all of the promises made on behalf of the self-defense handgun,
using
a handgun to kill in self-defense is a rare event," the report said.
"Looking at both men and women, over the past 20 years, on average only 2
percent of the homicides committed with handguns in the United States
were
deemed justifiable or self-defense homicides by civilians.
"In 1998, for every time a woman used a handgun to kill in self-defense,
101 women were murdered with a handgun," the report said, citing FBI
figures.
But Miguel A. Faria Jr., editor-in-chief of Medical Sentinel -- the
official journal of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons,
said VPC's figures were flawed because they were based on bad statistical
analysis.
"What they are doing Š is, on the one side, counting the number of women
who have been killed in criminal acts, and on the other side they are
placing the number of women who have used a gun" in self-defense, he told
WorldNetDaily.
"In other words, self-defense vs. murders," he said, "but they are
ignoring
the most important uses of firearms. They are ignoring the protective
benefits of firearms, which are not necessarily the number of deaths.
"In fact, we're happy to say that in less than 2 percent of cases does a
person have to fire a gun to protect themselves," he said. "In 98 percent
of the cases, all that a person has to do is brandish a firearm; that's
all
it takes."
Faria added that research shows that only "in 0.1-0.2 percent of cases
does
anybody actually get shot by people who are protecting themselves."
Faria acknowledged that fewer women than men carry or turn to firearms
for
protection, but he said that in 1994, research showed that about 17
million
women carried a gun.
"When asked why, most said for self-protection," he said.
In 1998, the VPC report said, "handguns were used to murder 1,209 women.
That same year, 12 women used handguns to kill in self-defense."
The biggest problem with the report, Faria said, "is that [researchers]
were only going by body count -- which is not an good way to measure
this.
We have been criticizing this methodology for a decade."
"Currently, only a small minority of adult American women own a handgun,"
said the VPC report. "Before a woman purchases a handgun for protection,
she must pause to consider whether the grave risk Š is one she is willing
to accept."
[Forwarded For Information Purposes Only - Not
Necessarily Endorsed By The Sender - A.K. Pritchard]
------------------------------
A.K. Pritchard
members.ll.net/chiliast/
rosie.acmecity.com/songfest/189/
To subscribe to "The Republican" email list - just ask!
therepublican@ideasign.com
"The great object is that every man be
armed. Everyone who is able may have
a gun."
-- Patrick Henry from debates during
the Constitutional convention, quoted
in Elliot's Debates, 1836
Forum Host
posts: 54
(2/19/01 11:51:22 am)
Reply physician group slams handgun report
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
, 8 Feb 2001 16:28:47 -0600
Subject: Physician group slams handgun report
Message-ID:
[Note: The report, "A Deadly Myth: Women, Handguns and Self-Defense," is
a
typical twisting of facts to present an inaccurate picture, common among
the anti-gun crowd. - Tony]
Physician group slams handgun report
Analysis claims women not safer by carrying handguns
By Jon Dougherty
© 2001 WorldNetDaily.com
A prominent member of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons
has refuted key details of a study published recently by the Violence
Policy Center, in which researchers concluded that women were not safer
if
they used a handgun for self-defense.
The VPC report, called "A Deadly Myth: Women, Handguns and Self-Defense,"
published Jan. 31, said that in the early 1980s, gun manufacturers began
to
target women with "the false message" that "the greatest threat posed to
a
woman was an attack by a stranger, and the best form of protection a
woman
could rely upon was a handgun."
"For all of the promises made on behalf of the self-defense handgun,
using
a handgun to kill in self-defense is a rare event," the report said.
"Looking at both men and women, over the past 20 years, on average only 2
percent of the homicides committed with handguns in the United States
were
deemed justifiable or self-defense homicides by civilians.
"In 1998, for every time a woman used a handgun to kill in self-defense,
101 women were murdered with a handgun," the report said, citing FBI
figures.
But Miguel A. Faria Jr., editor-in-chief of Medical Sentinel -- the
official journal of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons,
said VPC's figures were flawed because they were based on bad statistical
analysis.
"What they are doing Š is, on the one side, counting the number of women
who have been killed in criminal acts, and on the other side they are
placing the number of women who have used a gun" in self-defense, he told
WorldNetDaily.
"In other words, self-defense vs. murders," he said, "but they are
ignoring
the most important uses of firearms. They are ignoring the protective
benefits of firearms, which are not necessarily the number of deaths.
"In fact, we're happy to say that in less than 2 percent of cases does a
person have to fire a gun to protect themselves," he said. "In 98 percent
of the cases, all that a person has to do is brandish a firearm; that's
all
it takes."
Faria added that research shows that only "in 0.1-0.2 percent of cases
does
anybody actually get shot by people who are protecting themselves."
Faria acknowledged that fewer women than men carry or turn to firearms
for
protection, but he said that in 1994, research showed that about 17
million
women carried a gun.
"When asked why, most said for self-protection," he said.
In 1998, the VPC report said, "handguns were used to murder 1,209 women.
That same year, 12 women used handguns to kill in self-defense."
The biggest problem with the report, Faria said, "is that [researchers]
were only going by body count -- which is not an good way to measure
this.
We have been criticizing this methodology for a decade."
"Currently, only a small minority of adult American women own a handgun,"
said the VPC report. "Before a woman purchases a handgun for protection,
she must pause to consider whether the grave risk Š is one she is willing
to accept."
[Forwarded For Information Purposes Only - Not
Necessarily Endorsed By The Sender - A.K. Pritchard]
------------------------------
A.K. Pritchard
members.ll.net/chiliast/
rosie.acmecity.com/songfest/189/
To subscribe to "The Republican" email list - just ask!
therepublican@ideasign.com
"The great object is that every man be
armed. Everyone who is able may have
a gun."
-- Patrick Henry from debates during
the Constitutional convention, quoted
in Elliot's Debates, 1836