Guns and Doctors

[brokfut]

My wife sent this to me in my email.

Subject: Guns & Doctors


Subject: Physicians vs Guns

Think about this:

a. The number of physicians in the US is 700,000.
b. Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year is 120,000.
c. Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171. (US Dept. of Health &
Human Services)

Then think about this:

a. The number of gun owners in the US is 80,000,000.
b. The number of accidental gun deaths per year (all age groups)
is 1,500.
c. The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is .0000188.

Statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous
than gun owners.

FACT: NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE DOCTOR.

Please alert your friends to this alarming threat. We must ban
doctors before this gets out of hand.

As a public health measure I have withheld the statistics on lawyers
for fear that the shock could cause people to seek medical attention.

 

[Tom]

Doctors might save a few more people than guns do also, but its interesting anyway. I use it on anti-gun doctors as a joke sometimes, to make them think about the saving part. They understand they save lives too, but its hard for them to understand that guns save lives too, because they always treat gun wounds and don't see the people if the gun helped someone.

 

[Washington Hunter]

That's kind of ridiculous. The comparisons aren't fair. The doctors are operating on people that are likely to die anyway, that is how they have these "accidental deaths." The risk is much greater than for someone who is simplay a "gun owner." Maybe what they should use for comparison instead is the number of people that die while using a gun while on duty as either a police officer or a soldier. I realize this is just to show that guns aren't as dangerous as many people may believe, but it's also unnecessary to insult doctors in the process of defending gun ownership.

 

[danr55]

WH, You must be a very young person. One of the critical needs in this country is "good" doctors. We have lots of doctors who've graduated medical school and set up practice, but you still hear stories about folks going in for gall bladder surgery and having a leg removed or a hysterectomy. Medical practice is just thatfor many doctors... practice. There are entirely too many doctors that shouldn't be allowed to water the garden, much less practice medicine.

As a point of information, the "accidental deaths" referred to in the preceding news article were not deaths resulting risky surgeries they are deaths resulting from bothced surgeries, misprescribed medications, or other errors in medical pratice. Don't try to make this smelly horse into a lap dog.

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 03-07-2003 18:50: Message edited by: danr55 ]</font>

 

[Washington Hunter]

Dan, I'm not sure why you would think I'm very young, but thanks for the compliment, I appreciate it

I'm guessing you're in your 70's? If so, I can understand why you would say that. I just turned 35 about a month ago, is that as young as you were thinking?

I realize this country has a need for good doctors, that's why I was saying it would be nice if people wouldn't be so critical of every little mistake a doctor makes. If you think the need is so great, and you think you can do a better job, why don't you become a doctor?

 

[danr55]

About the age of 35 is about when most people start becoming aware of the world. Until then, most people don't have any realization about what the world is about. The majority of people in this country still never get more than 500 miles from the place they are born. They live thier entire lives judging what is, by what they see on television, read in books, or see in the movies.

As for me thinking you are young, it's your writing and your commentary. It contains a certain naivete that is refreshing in an age of synicism. You have a great outlook about life and people. I only hope you can hold on to it for a few more years... As for me praciticing medicine, I often wish I had chosen medicine rather than engineering. The one advantage I have as an engineer is that the things I work with now, don't complain often. My age, 58, but it's not the years, it's the miles. They'll wear you out real fast...

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 03-07-2003 19:58: Message edited by: danr55 ]</font>

 

[Washington Hunter]

Oh so you are an old fart!

Only 2 years younger than my dad. I think I understand the world perfectly. It's everybody else that is screwed up

I wonder...how else is a person supposed to find out about the world other than television or books? (or newspapers) Isn't that how everybody these days gains knowledge?

 

[danr55]

Not to sound cliche, but when I got out of school, we had a thing called the draft. Young men spent some time in the military and were afforded the opportunity to travel to other countries. I got to go to garden spots like Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, Australia, Okinawa, and other lovely places. Then later, as a civilian, I lived and worked in Germany, Israel, Greece, Iran, and Egypt. So I can see how our views of the world and it's people would differ.


I guess the only way that most people can learn about other countries is through books and TV and movies. That's too bad. These media all expose the observer to other countries through the eyes of the author, reporter, or producer. It's been my experience, having lived and worked in several countries around the world, that these views are usually censored by the folks providing the view. Which is really too bad for most Americans. They are forming opinions on second hand knowledge and here say....

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 03-08-2003 11:03: Message edited by: danr55 ]</font>

 

[dgibson]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>About the age of 35 is about when most people start becoming aware of the world. Until then, most people don't have any realization about what the world is about.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Oh, my, I can't wait until my eyes are opened to the REAL world. Thank goodness I've been living in a fantasy for all these years!

 

[danr55]

See there.. I'm right. "The first cognition of reality is the recognition of ignorance."

No thanks necessary DS.

 

[280]

I don`t think I have ever seen someone who can run as fast, dive as deep and come up as dry as our hero danny boy!

 

[280]

looks like I stuck a nerve!

 

[280]

I can not remember the last war of wits I entered with someone as unarmed as danny boy!

 

[280]

edit less then two lines? come on danny boy wtf!