Other than forcing Jim Forsyth to take remedial grammar classes, that is.
Stunning Stat: 677 Arrested for DWI in Bexar in April.
Yeah, that's right! Universal background checks for guns!
In all seriousness, I have a problem with this. In 2010 (the most recent year for which I have been able to find statistics), 1270 people were killed in drunk driving accidents (source) in Texas. The same year, 805 were killed by guns. (source)
Looking at totals, in 2010, 10,136 total people were killed by drunk drivers in the US. Total for firearms? 8,775. (In 2011, now that I've found the info, the totals were 9,878 by drunk drivers and 8,583 by guns--a narrower gap, but still a gap.) (source)
Obviously, the nation has a problem. Just as obviously, we're concerned about the wrong one.
The same people on my Facebook vociferously concerned about gun deaths have said exactly jack and shit about needing to lower DUI fatalities. They aren't calling for tougher DUI laws (though that wouldn't help any more than tougher gun laws). They aren't calling for tougher DUI penalties. They sure as hell aren't talking about effecting a societal change that would actually make a difference as far as DUIs go. (As I've said before, they're socially acceptable.)
Priorities, they be misplaced.
1 comment:
Actually, in a way, they do do a background check in order to get your TXDL, in that they get all your information and you have to take a test and such. I don't think being a felon bars you from getting your DL though.
I think an interesting statistic would be this: How many of the drunk drivers would have been disqualified from owning a weapon because of a background check, and likewise, how many of the shooters in the case of gun deaths should have already been disqualified by a background check (but either had the gun illegally, or did not undergo a background check).
My point is, and I'd be willing to bet that many of the people who committed either crime (DUI resulting in death, or shooting resulting in death) would have been disqualified from driving or shooting based upon an equal background check.
I'm not advocating for felons NOT to qualify for a driver's license - how else can we get the registration fees and keep them insured - but what I am saying is, that I suspect many of the people actually doing the drunk driving and the shooting have similar backgrounds.
Or maybe I'm wrong. But I'd be interested in seeing some real, legitimate stats on the topic.
Post a Comment