FYI: Florida roads and highways are far more dangerous than Florida schools.
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FYI: Florida roads and highways are far more dangerous than Florida schools.
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prior probability 
No excuse the lack of common sense gun control laws.
Fair enough, but we would save more lives if we reduced (and enforced) speed limits, or in the extreme, if we banned cars and trucks altogether!!!
While Florida is in the “top ten” dangerous-driving states, according to a better statistic like deaths per million vehicle miles, the top three states are Kentucky, Mississippi and Louisiana. But I agree with Kathy H. And I think the comparison of Florida school deaths and Florida traffic deaths is inappropriate, to say the least. Wny not compare Florida (or USA) school danger levels to those of other Western nations, or any non-war-torn nation for that matter? That would be an appropriate and enlightening comparison.
Source: http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/general-statistics/fatalityfacts/state-by-state-overview
Thanks for the comment, but I am 10,000 times more scared of my fellow drivers on the road (many of whom are texting, drunk, or otherwise distracted) than I am of my students. The statistics show that my fears (and lack thereof) are well-grounded.
Our schools (and other mass gathering places) do not have to be dangerous places. Other nations’ schools are not the dangerous places that ours are. We are doing something wrong and something can and should be done about it.
If traffic deaths were so concerning to you, why did you wait until the Florida school shooting to post this? Again, I reject the comparison.
Good points. I like to mention traffic safety every time there is a mass shooting to point out two things: (1) that cars and trucks are still more dangerous than guns (and knives), especially now with the incidence of texting and driving, and (2) that we could save more lives just by reducing speed limits and enforcing them.
Yeah I agree with Enrique, the roadways are far more dangerous, and we should expect that. We should not expect for our children to be unsafe at school.
Wow, that is an original point: what you are saying is that what matters to most people is not the absolute probability or level of risk but rather the “expected” level! Since we expect schools to be safe and roads to be dangerous, the much smaller risk of a school shooting (smaller relative to the risk of a car accident) appears worse. OK, but isn’t this a mental quirk?
I also hate the traffic comparison. You need a license to drive. You have to pass a test before getting your first license. Why can’t guns be licensed and you pass a test before obtaining one? There are so so many traffic laws. But try to pass one gun law
and some people act like the world is ending.
That is precisely my point!!!! Even though we require a driver to have a license before he or she can drive on a public road, many innocent people die every day in car accidents!!! So, sure let’s require a gun license before one can buy or use gun, and then let’s see if that makes any difference. Maybe it will, and I am willing to have this claim tested, but I’m not so certain it will make much difference. But I could be wrong!
What is wrong is your “prior”. Your “prior” is that it is bad to make a rule when no rule is necessary. My “prior” is that it is wrong for children in schools to die because someone walks in with an automatic weapon. Not happy with your stance, Enrique. Give it up!
But both things can be true at the same time!