Why Folks Think Crime is Going Up

[Excaliber]

When it's actually not.

Here's a glaring example of the reason for the perception - major media outlets are making up outrageously false statistics to bamboozle the unwary into adopting their otherwise indefensible agenda.

In a headline, CNN claims that 32,000 people die each year in gun violence. If you follow the link to the story, you discover that allegedly "tens of thousands of people die each year from gun violence in the United States." They are careful not to cite a source for their statistics.

Now let's look at the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports for 2013. It states that the TOTAL number of murders and non negligent manslaughters committed by any means was 14,196. The number committed with firearms was only 8,454.

In other words, CNN claims that almost four times as many people are killed with firearms in a year as is actually the case. In fact, they allege that there are more than twice as many gun related homicides each year than there are total actual homicides.

This is clearly more than sloppy journalism - it is organized deception of the American public.

Beware and don't believe everything thing you read - even if it is on the internet.

[BigGuy]

[TVGuy]

When it's actually not.

Here's a glaring example of the reason for the perception - major media outlets are making up outrageously false statistics to bamboozle the unwary into adopting their otherwise indefensible agenda.

In a headline, CNN claims that 32,000 people die each year in gun violence. If you follow the link to the story, you discover that "tens of thousands of people die each year from gun violence in the United States." They are careful not to cite a source for their statistics.

Now let's look at the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports for 2013. It states that the TOTAL number of murders and non negligent manslaughters committed by any means was 14,196. The number committed with firearms was only 8,454.

In other words, CNN claims that almost four times as many people are killed with firearms in a year as is actually the case. In fact, they allege that there are more than twice as many gun related homicides each year than there are total actual homicides.

This is clearly more than sloppy journalism - it is organized deception of the American public.

Beware and don't believe everything thing you read - even if it is on the internet.





http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/cr ... 4-2013.xls" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm not a fan of the article either (and please don't take this as criticizing you), but you're mixing facts. CNN did improperly word the paragraph, but the total number from the FBI report is not all gun deaths, CNN is using CDC info from 2011 (which it vaguely cites in the same paragraph).

CDC source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/injury.htm

Note, the FBI report is only counting "Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter" which does not account for ALL gun deaths that the CDC is reporting. Two different numbers.

Link to the actual article on CNN in case anyone cares: http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2014/12/ ... hours.html

So while the article is definitely "anti" they are not blatantly making up figures and lying about stats as mentioned in your post. They cited a source, it's just a different calculation that the FBI source.

[WildBill]

This is clearly more than sloppy journalism - it is organized deception of the American public.

Beware and don't believe everything thing you read - even if it is on the internet.

Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

[Excaliber]

When it's actually not.

Here's a glaring example of the reason for the perception - major media outlets are making up outrageously false statistics to bamboozle the unwary into adopting their otherwise indefensible agenda.

In a headline, CNN claims that 32,000 people die each year in gun violence. If you follow the link to the story, you discover that "tens of thousands of people die each year from gun violence in the United States." They are careful not to cite a source for their statistics.

Now let's look at the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports for 2013. It states that the TOTAL number of murders and non negligent manslaughters committed by any means was 14,196. The number committed with firearms was only 8,454.

In other words, CNN claims that almost four times as many people are killed with firearms in a year as is actually the case. In fact, they allege that there are more than twice as many gun related homicides each year than there are total actual homicides.

This is clearly more than sloppy journalism - it is organized deception of the American public.

Beware and don't believe everything thing you read - even if it is on the internet.





http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/cr ... 4-2013.xls" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm not a fan of the article either (and please don't take this as criticizing you), but you're mixing facts. CNN did improperly word the paragraph, but the total number from the FBI report is not all gun deaths, CNN is using CDC info from 2011 (which it vaguely cites in the same paragraph).

CDC source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/injury.htm

Note, the FBI report is only counting "Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter" which does not account for ALL gun deaths that the CDC is reporting. Two different numbers.

Link to the actual article on CNN in case anyone cares: http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2014/12/ ... hours.html

So while the article is definitely "anti" they are not blatantly making up figures and lying about stats as mentioned in your post. They cited a source, it's just a different calculation that the FBI source.

I stand corrected on your point - they found an aggregated statistic that appears to include suicides and, by labeling the whole number "gun violence", used it in a way that implies, but doesn't state, that all of those deaths were from criminal attacks. Suicides number over 38,000 per year, and firearms are reportedly used in 56% of male suicides. Including those numbers makes the total come out at right about the figure they cited, although most folks don't count suicide in what they think of when they hear "gun violence".

What's not honest is how they speak about the numbers. The use of the "gun violence" wording implies that the numbers they cite are firearms attacks on others. In only one line near the bottom of the page do they make mention that people use guns to "hurt themselves and others". The word suicide is never mentioned, and there is no distinction made between homicide statistics and suicide statistics that would help readers understand that the three quarters of the deaths cited in their numbers are suicides that would have been committed by other means if a gun was not used, and not criminal attacks.

Rather than blatant falsehood, a more accurate characterization is that they use an unexplained aggregate number and surrounding context to misrepresent the truth about who is hurt in the incidents cited. On the other hand, giving the devil his due, they deserve some credit for including some countering opinions that defend the lawful use of firearms.

[TVGuy]

I stand corrected on your point - they found an aggregated statistic that appears to include suicides and, by labeling the whole number "gun violence", used it in a way that implies, but doesn't state, that all of those deaths were from criminal attacks. Suicides number over 38,000 per year, and firearms are reportedly used in 56% of male suicides. Including those numbers makes the total come out at right about the figure they cited, although most folks don't count suicide in what they think of when they hear "gun violence".

What's not honest is how they speak about the numbers. The use of the "gun violence" wording implies that the numbers they cite are firearms attacks on others. In only one line near the bottom of the page do they make mention that people use guns to "hurt themselves and others". The word suicide is never mentioned, and there is no distinction made between homicide statistics and suicide statistics that would help readers understand that the three quarters of the deaths cited in their numbers are suicides that would have been committed by other means if a gun was not used, and not criminal attacks.

Rather than blatant falsehood, a more accurate characterization is that they use an unexplained aggregate number and surrounding context to misrepresent the truth about who is hurt in the incidents cited. On the other hand, giving the devil his due, they deserve some credit for including some countering opinions that defend the lawful use of firearms.

I agree with you 100% on this. While some people might consider suicide "gun violence" I would think most, including myself, don't. They do use the statistic in what is at least a borderline way to portray there are that many violent crimes. I was actually surprised to see a number of pro 2A opinion pieces to accompany the article as well as admitting that some crimes are stopped by the use of guns.

[Abraham]

The criminal element in this country insist they shouldn't be arrested when caught committing crimes, thus you have riots and looting in places like Ferguson.

These same criminals immediately scream racism, profiling, brutality, when they're caught committing crimes.

Crime WILL go up if the police start looking the other way instead of doing their jobs.

To paraphrase Charles Barkley: He called the rioters "scumbags", said the Grand Jury's decision was correct, praised the police and said without them black neighborhoods would be like living in the Old West.

We need more Charles Barkley's to speak up and fewer Al Sharpton lies...

[VMI77]

Sorry, but the original OP is correct regardless of the technicalities. A lie by omission is still a lie. And the fact that they misrepresent by sleight of hand still doesn't alter the fact that it is a misrepresentation. All it amounts too is that they're clever liars. This is all the more true because CNN is supposed to be a "news" network and their supposed reason for existence is to inform the public.