Reply #30: I think maybe it was a flip comment I took too seriously [View All]

I realize you're not advocating armed robbery, and the like. Perhaps I took it too seriously. If so, I'm sorry. I don't know why you're so hostile with me all the time. Am I truly so rude?

I do look past my nose, and I try to have a sense of perspective. Blunt instruments used in violent crimes cause a lot of damage, and are no laughing matter.

Perhaps you would be so kind as to provide us with some figures to show the number of people beaten to death in the course of robberies with baseball bat...

Here is a PDF document released by the U.S. Department of Justice, which serves roughly the same functions (I think) as your Canadian Ministry of Justice.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/wuvc01.pdf

Blunt objects

Armed with blunt objects such as bats, sticks, rocks, clubs, or blackjacks, offenders committed approximately 356,000 violent crimes as an annual average from 1993 through 2001. Crimes by offenders armed with blunt objects were committed at an annual average rate of 2 per 1,000 persons age 12 or older.

Weapon Type    Average annual    All violent    All armed
               victimizations    crime          violence

Total          8,896,460         100%

No Weapon      5,863,750         66%            n/a
Any Weapon     2,304,340         26%            100%
All Firearm    846,950           10%            37%
Handgun        737,370           8%             32%
Other gun      100,470           1%             4%
Unknown gun    9,110             0%             0%
Knife/Sharp    569,990           6%             25%
Blunt          356,340           4%             16%
Other          424,160           5%             18%
Unknown        106,890           1%             5%

There are a lot of other statistics in this report, and I don't want to get too bogged down in details. Certianly firearms are used more often in violent crime, but that does not mean that blunt objects are not used.

...youth gangs swinging baseball bats at one another ... I just don't think so.

I'm sorry, Iverglas, but you are mistaken. Though these figures are for the U.S. of course, but I would be very suprised if blunt objects such as clubs and bats were not used during the commission of crimes in Canada as well.

So let me return the favour, and assure you how utterly and completely asinine I find your statement to be in the context of this discussion. It's a true statement. It's pointless.

I beg to differ. I believe my statement is relevant to the subject at hand. I believe your statement to be asinine because it pooh-poohs the use of clubs and bats as instruments of violent crime. This is clearly not the case at all. While blunt objects aren't used as frequently as knives, they are nothing to laugh about.

But the chance of you dying or losing a limb or ending up in a wheelchair if all I have available with which to assault you is my shoe (or a baseball bat) really is just a bit lower than if I assault you with a firearm or a sword.

Ignoring the absurdity of bit about your shoe, please allow me to edit this sentence for clarity.

But the chance of you dying or losing a limb or ending up in a wheelchair if all I have available with which to assault you is my ... baseball bat really is just a bit lower than if I assault you with a ... a sword.

Again, I must strongly disagree with this sentiment.

One good swing from either is sufficient to cause death.

I guess you're just going to accuse me again of the unpardonable sin of not caring enough.

*sigh*