Kang Colby

Kang Colby's Journal

May 27, 2016

Boy drowns in Eagan pool

EAGAN, Minn. - A 4-year-old boy did not survive after being pulled from a pool at an apartment complex in Eagan Sunday night.

First responders were called to the Town Centre at Lexington apartment complex at 3470 Golf View Drive shortly after 6 p.m. and were told a 4-year-old boy pulled had been pulled from the indoor pool. Rescuers were unsure how long he had been under the water.

Lifesaving measures were started and the boy was rushed to St. Paul Children’s Hospital. Eagan police released information Monday morning announcing that the child did not survive.

http://www.kare11.com/news/local/boy-drowns-in-eagan-pool/211749734

Truly awful.

I've seen a lot of posts about firearm related deaths, but we all too often fail to recognize the more frequent causes of death that are much more likely to occur. See the CDC statistics for more information.

http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/pdf/leading_causes_injury_deaths_age_group_highlighting_violence-related-injury_deaths_us_2009-a.pdf

May 19, 2016

Do gun control aficionados exist?

This is a question that's been bothering me for a long time. Many of us probably know gun guys or gals who enjoy firearms and have extensive knowledge of the subject and associated regulations. Heck, there are quite a few regulars here that fit the description. I wouldn't pass myself off as an expert on the subject, but I do know a fair amount.

With that said, are there equivalent individuals on the gun control side of the debate? People that have their own unique nuanced arguments about gun control that we don't hear everyday. As an example, I'd like to meet someone who advocates for the use of hollow point ammunition in civilian carry arms vs FMJ or similar as a public safety issue. That's just a made up example, but do you understand what I'm saying? Someone that believes AR-15 rifles should be banned, but their more powerful AR-10 counterparts should continue to legal and could engage in a civil debate as to why they believe that to be a worthwhile public safety endeavor.

I'm not suggesting I would agree with technically nuanced gun control proposals, but I would like to move past the usual gun control talking points like "F the NRA, ammosexuals/gun humpers, etc. The name calling doesn't teach us anything about the other side and gets stale.

May 18, 2016

Tonight's probable outcome...

Bernie nets 3 or 4 delegates. Yes, 3 or 4.

It's really over. Never forget the relentless rules of humble arithmetic.

May 9, 2016

To All The Bernie Supporters

I want to apologize. I made a lot of over the top comments here on DU about his candidacy and his supporters over the last year. I don't really feel that way.

I wish you all the best of luck over the next month. If Bernie wins, I would gladly vote for him in November. Any comments about Hillary that got under my skin are just water under the bridge.

I know how many of you probably feel, I felt it in 2008. Even if Bernie loses, it will be OK. He brought a great deal of visibility to his platform, and I think that helps us all. If Bernie wins, it's because he earned it.

May 8, 2016

We Are More Afraid Than Ever of Gun Violence, But the Truth Is the Murder Rate Is at a 50-Year Low

Some may even think that the more scared Americans get about gun violence, the more likely it is we’ll pass laws that will reduce it. Maybe, maybe not.

Now, about that data. As the image at the top of the post demonstrates, the U.S. murder rate is now lower than it has been in half a century. According to some measures, the current murder rate approaches the lowest levels seen in more than 100 years. Or maybe even ever.

As for mass shootings in the U.S.? James Alan Fox, a Northeastern University criminologist and co-author of Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder, has shown that the number of incidents — defined as any shooting in which four or more people died — has remained steady over recent decades, despite the doubling of the U.S. population since 1960. Regarding gun deaths as a whole, the data just about exactly parallels the overall U.S. homicide rate.

Additionally, Pew recently asked Americans whether the number of gun crimes has gone down, gone up, or stayed the same over the past 20 years. Bear in mind that the gun murder rate is half what it was, and the rate of non-fatal gun crimes is about a quarter of what it was 20 years ago. Only 12 percent said gun crimes were down, 26 percent said they were the same, and 56 percent said they’ve gone up.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ian-reifowitz/we-are-more-afraid-than-e_b_8740750.html

Apologies in advance, as this article is about six months old.

I think it's interesting because the author points out that when Americans are led to believe violence is out of control, legislatures tend to react. Last time this phenomenon occurred, the result was prison policies that led to mass incarceration. Could gun controllers attempt to pad the "gun violence" numbers with suicides obstruct efforts at criminal justice reform? Food for thought.

Lastly, despite the proliferation of liberalized carry, violent crime is way down.

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