Gunless: The Religion of Those Filthy Progressives!

Hmmm....I Wonder Why?

Cruising the net the other day, I saw a link to the CBS online presentation of "Guns in America". It's a rather cool interactive site where, among other things, you can find out which states have the highest/lowest rate of deaths due to guns. Check it out - it's a real eye-opener. I was able to come up with a rather surprising correlation: the more "secular" and religiously diverse states had lower rates than the so-called "Judeo-Christian Values" states:

National rate of deaths related to firearms: 10.3 per ten thousand

Massachusetts: 3.2 - of course, they prefer public burnings. New Jersey: 4.8 - few outsiders (and as Rosane Rosanadana said: "Mr. Feder, this young King Tut is dead. Don't make matters worse for him by makin' him go to New Jersey!"). New York: 5.2 "...your poor and huddled masses..." are too busy standing and waving outside the Today Show's studio. Illinois: 9.3 Chicago gave up playing the violin years ago. Washington 9.4 - the populace only shoots the chipunks on Mount St Helen. California: 9.7 - Surfers have gotten way too mello, dude. Pennsylvania: 10 - South Philly is being "gentrified."

Now look at these:

Texas: 10.6. - actually very low since everyone is socially required to carry a gun. Georgia: 13.3 - It's all those Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Savannah town squares (and their Voodoo). West Virginia: 15.0 - One word: Deliverance. Tennessee: 15.6 - What do you expect from the last state to ratify the 15th Amendment (in 1997!!?) Alabama: 16.2 - Poverty and Boredom. Arkansas: 16.3 - Ditto. Louisiana: 19.0 - Luring people to the bayou and its 'gators just takes too long.

The lowest: Hawaii at 2.9 - Well so much for the image of Hawaii 5-0

And THE Highest rate of deaths due to firearms: (drum roll, please)

District of Columbia at 34.3!

That's an awful lot of political potshots! Can't fault the administration for not supporting the NRA! The highest states also have the most lax guns laws. There's a big difference between "shall issue" states and "may issue" states as far as concealed weapons are concerned. Other aspects to consider: 1. purchase limitations 2. licensing 3. possession by minors 4. gun storage and 5. waiting period. So with over 19 deaths per 10,000, let's look at Louisiana's laws:

1. Louisiana is a "shall issue" state: guns can be sold to anyone who isn't a convicted felon
2. There are no purchase limitations
3. While no minor under 17 can obtain a license for a handgun without parental permission, there are no age limitations on possessing rifles or shotguns
4. There is no child access provision (CAP) or storage law in this state
5. There is no waiting period to acquire a handgun or shotgun

Oh, and BTW: those states with the highest rates also have the largest concentrations of churches and the fewest number of denominations. So it might actually be safe to say that the NRA has quite a lucrative tie to ..... The Southern Baptist Convention! Mercy! Who would have thought....?

So the next time an SBC minister says he can shoot your evolution ideas full of holes - run for cover!

"Child's Play" in the South