Freakonomics

[gigag04]

One of our sales reps swung by yesterday to check some projectors his companies install guys put in, and he was carrying this book, Freakonomics with him.

It is written by a journalist who researches the stats and poses real questions. He addresses things like people irrational fears, the one of interest being guns.

He does the children deaths from pools vs guns scenario, as well as others. (ie only 5 children have died from air bag deaths in a car seat, yet EVERY new car has that on/off switch for passenger air bags).

He said it was well written and I plan on reading it. Not sure where he stands on 2A but it seems like he lets the numbers speak for themselves.

Amazon.com link

Author's site: http://www.freakonomics.com/

[Baytown]

Skimmed through the book. He states it is the more liberal abortion laws that cause less crime, not concealed carry.

I do not disagree that more liberal abortion laws had an effect in reduction of crime, I believe the CCW laws had an effect as well. I do not see how he completely discredits CCW as effective.


Good read over for the most part though.

Glenn

[stevie_d_64]

Skimmed through the book. He states it is the more liberal abortion laws that cause less crime, not concealed carry.

I do not disagree that more liberal abortion laws had an effect in reduction of crime, I believe the CCW laws had an effect as well. I do not see how he completely discredits CCW as effective.


Good read over for the most part though.

Glenn

The reduction in crime that is equated with the more liberal abortion agenda, and laws relating to the issue, to me, means less or a reduction in the potential victim pool that could be affected by guns used in crime...

If you wanted to actually equate the two factors in his equation...

I'm not making fun of the issue, just noting the obvious solution that doesn't seem to make it into the book...

[Baytown]

He makes the point, and it is not a PC one, that the people who are more likely to have abortions are those in lower soci-economic environments. These children, had they been born, were more likely to commit crime.

BTW, I am not attempting to start an abortion debate, just talking about the book, so I will head that wagon off at the pass.

Glenn

[dolanp]

The premise is that it tends to be lower-educated, lower-income people that are having abortions. Same demographic that commits most crimes. So when more of these women have abortions, there are less fatherless criminal teens walking the street. It is a very frank statement, but it makes sense.

[gigag04]

This is assuming that abortion is not crime (which it is)....


jk...I won't start the debate. That can happen elsewhere.

[ElGato]

He does the children deaths from pools vs guns scenario, as well as others. (ie only 5 children have died from air bag deaths in a car seat, yet EVERY new car has that on/off switch for passenger air bags).

The stat's interest me, I could make use of those when going over 46.13 as well as other parts of the class and when we make good solid information available we help our cause. I would like to have a site too go to for that kind of thing but I don't know much about surfing, maybe some of you puter people could help.
Tomcat

[stevie_d_64]

I actually liked, and hated statistics...

I hated it because its methodolgy was so multi-faceted and boring...And I liked it because its application(s) "solutions" could be manipulated to summarize any conclusion you wanted the data to show...

So you couldn't be wrong, if everything added up to what you wanted it to be...

Geesh, I'm starting to sound like a conservative talk show radio host...

Glad I don't look like one...

[gigag04]

This is all over talk radio today, so I decided to bring it back to life. Anyone following this ordeal?

-nick