2010 Assault (Homicide) by Discharge of Firearms- Center for Disease Control (Or- Somebody Got Pissed and Shot and Killed Somebody, 2010)

Okay, Girls and Boys-

There has been so much "information" comin' down the pike of late in regard to guns, gun control, gun violence (ad nauseum), that I felt compelled to do some diggin' on my own and try and find somethin' close to statistically legitimate and specific- particularly "Homicides by Discharge of Firearms" here in this Great Country of Ours.

(No, not bein' sarcastic- I love my Country. So don't give me no shit if this should happen to conflict with your Particular Worldview.)

I finally found that the CDC (Center for Disease Control) doesn't just track my particular morbid statistic, but what appeared to me to be damn near any earthly way a body could cash it in.

Once my head stopped swimmin' from the shear numbers of ways to die and I regained my focus, I found these statistics for "Assault (Homicide) by Discharge of Firearms". ( No, these numbers DO NOT include Accidents or Suicide or Casualties of War. The Suicide count which, by the way, is freakin' huge! A whole other discussion...)

Just to be clear- everyone knows that "homicide" means there was a victim, a "target", and they ended up dead, right? There are no degrees of Dead. Dead is just Dead.

Okay...

Ready?

Here it is, anyway-

In the United States, in 2010:

"Assault (Homicide) Deaths by Discharge of Firearms" (by Age of Victims)-

Less than one year of age- 11
1-4 years of age- 43
5-14 years of age- 165
15-24 years of age- 3,889
25-34 years of age- 3,331
35-44 years of age- 1,673
45-54 years of age- 1097
55-64 years of age- 533
65-74 years of age- 207
75-84 years of age- 90
Over 85 years of age- 34
Not stated- 5

All ages- 11,078

This is the number of American Citizens intentionally shot to death in the United States in 2010.

I wanna go on, extrapolate, but I won't.

Okay- I will. Just a little...

I would ask this: That everyone think of how incensed we become over the disgustin' things that took place in Oklahoma City, New York, and now, Boston. Think about how angry we get (rightfully so), and how urgent Our Demand for Justice. Then, consider Our Lack- nay- Complete Absence of Outrage concernin' the "Statistics" above.

Numbers. All representin' Dead Americans. Intentionally Robbed of Life at the hands of Another- with a Gun. Someone's Parents. Someone's Children. Friends. Companions. All in the space of One Damn Calendar Year, with the Same Damn Tool.

Think about it. Politicize it, if you think that's what's important. These are Facts. Pure as we're gonna get. I can't tell you what to do with it. I expect Most will turn their heads.

But, if you read this, don't act like you didn't know, because now you do.

Fish