Guns commentary helpful to right, left
Thank you for the commentary “The Scientific Consensus On Guns” on The Chattanooga Times page of Thursday’s edition. I hope readers of both sides of the editorial page will take advantage of the information David Hemenway’s commentary states.
Jane Guthrie
Commentary, cartoon offer unbalanced view
The Times must be desperate to convey the gun control meme opening up with both barrels on the May 7 editorial page. The daily cartoon chose to take a tight gravesite view of an unfortunate accidental shooting victim. If they widened out the picture showing all victims of negligent firearm discharges going back 10, 20 or even 40 years, we would see the close-up view represented a significant reduction in year-over-year accidental deaths going back four decades. Moving to David Hemenway’s commentary: He appears to apply science in his arguments but selective in the data presented and the meaning conveyed. The survey participants were identified as authors of firearm-related studies. Hemenway states he balanced the responses because participants leaned more toward public policy and health or political science professionals. Fewer responses came from economists and criminologists. The poll requested opinion responses to his questions versus providing findings of their specific studies. Too bad the Free Press didn’t print Gary Mauser’s poll of economists for the Crime Prevention Research Center on the facing page with nearly opposite findings. The counterpoint would have been appreciated.