Guns and Ammo: Arming yourself with Data

The Atlantic has some good research out there that compares gun related deaths state to state.  Without re-stepping through their presentation, here was one of the interesting takeaways.

The Pearson Correlation is a way to measure how closely two variables are related.  Foot size and shoe size are highly correlated; the bigger the foot the bigger the shoe.  Whereas how many drinks Grant has and how well Green Lantern does in the box office has a very loose correlation; sure there may be a relationship but in the world of data it’s probably under 0.1. 

So it’s interesting to note that the biggest correlation found with gun deaths isn’t the measure of stress in the state or the amount of mental illness, but rather what the McCain vote share was.

Correlation is not causation.  Do McCain voters vote for weak gun control that leads to more deaths?  Or if you’re less educated you’re more likely to both a) vote for McCain and b) do something stupid.  Probably the latter.  But maybe neither.  We only know that there’s a link, but the article only speculates on how to connect the dots. 

The real takeaway is that it’s hard to argue against data.  In states with higher economic levels and tighter gun control laws, deaths related to guns decline. 

Unfortunately, plunging into a battle with data as our sword isn’t going to happen anytime soon.  Gun control is clearly a leftover issue of the 80s culture wars.  Prominent in Clintonian elections and fought in the proxy battles: Brady Bill, Ruby Ridge, and Assault Weapons today’s electorate is battlefield scarred from gun control debates.  In addition, Liberals relying on swing independents are hesitant to make a big stand on the issue and in states where gun control is mostly needed, as in Arizona, conservative passions prevail.

For today, I’m just going to pocket this little tidbit of knowledge.  When the guns start firing, I’ll be ready.