We are in a Quagmire alright

ASB | 10/22/03 | Anitius Severinus Boethius

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 25,677,727 males between the ages of 16 and 28 during the year 2000. A quick review of the murder rate among men 17 to 29 during the year 2001 shows this group of men being murdered at a rate of 19.6 per 100,000 according to the FBI.

Compare this to the approximately 120 military service men and women killed in Iraq since the beginning of May. Around 200,000 troops have been stationed in and around Iraq. If the figures hold up, we will lose right at 250 from May 2003 to May 2004, or a death rate of around 125 per 100,000.

So we have a "war zone" that is around 6.3 times as deadly for men of this age than is found in the United States. Sounds horrible, right?

292,131 dead in World War II out of 16,353,700 U.S. Servicemen is a death rate of 1786.3 per 100,000 or 91.1 times the current murder rate.

33,651 dead in the Korean War out of 5,764,100 U.S. Servicemen is a death rate of 583.8 per 100,000 or 29.8 times the current murder rate.

47,369 dead in the Viet Nam War out of 8,744,000 U.S. Servicemen is a death rate of 541.7 per 100,000 or 27.6 times the current murder rate.

Yes, we are in a quagmire. A quagmire of media spin and politically motivated lies. Let's get the truth out there!

[Agnes Heep]

I hate to see even a single serviceman get killed in the line of duty. But the purpose of a military is not to protect the troops. Give them every advantage, but acknowledge that they have a job to do, and a dangerous one at that. Which, of course, is why we honor them.

[ASA Vet]

Here's the graphic for you.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Interesting. You make no attempt to address the argument. See no evil, speak no evil, think no evil eh?

[Frank_Discussion]

Williard - I always think of a Rat... Hmmm, curious.

What's the argument?

[No Blue States]

yeah wheres the argument?

i dont understand your post. Well said Agnes.

[ASA Vet]

Ditto what Frank posted.

I merely supplied a graphic for you.
I see nothing to "argue" about.

My only thought was that my metro area isn't doing their
part at all.
At those rates we should have four or five times he murders we do.

[concerned about politics]

19.6 per 100,000 according to the FBI. -- Non-military

around 125 per 100,000. -- "Eastimated Future" Military.

So, it's a fact. Military men die more often than collegs students, maybe, could be.

Of course, the "what if" (as in "estimated") factor doesn't count. Things can change overnight when it comes to war. For better or worse. Hopefully , better. We're making progress.

[woofie]

What was the murder rate in NY, Pennsylvania, and DC on 9/11/01?

[Onelifetogive]

Seems that the first two (low) numbers are annualized, the last three (high) numbers are total over the course of the war. May not be fair comparisons.

[Congressman Billybob]

The comparison is good, as far as it goes. But the principal cause of deaths among young men is auto accidents, most of them due to alcohol or drug use. Plus there are drug overdoses. While alcohol and drug use is not exactly unknown among servicemen in the field, the rates of both are certainly much lower in Iraq than in America among this age group.

Having these young men and women in Iraq exposes them to the war risks there, but it protects them from the civilian risks here. I would wager that the TOTAL death rate among 200,000 young men and women in Iraq (properly weighted for the preponderence of men in Iraq) will be equal to or LESS THAN the total death rate if the same people were on the streets of America. Now THAT is a story that is powerful -- and totally unreported.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, "A Trip Down Possumtrot Road," discussion thread. IF YOU WANT A FREEPER IN CONGRESS, CLICK HERE.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

I looked at those numbers as well, and the death rate overall for the age group is a little higher in Iraq at this point. I didn't include accidental deaths in Iraq (which I know were involved in the casualty numbers in the other wars, but they won't throw the impact of the numbers that significantly) so I didn't include accidental deaths Stateside.

The fact of this exercise was to show that, yes, a war zone is dangerous and it's tragic that our men are being killed. But, this is not the "quagmire" or "killing fields" that the media is having a stroke to convince us of. I know a lot of people don't have ready access to real numbers to show liberals at work or school who complain about the "quagmire", so I thought I would provide some ammunition for the good guys.

[Norse]

Statistics are B.S.