Offensive E-mail from HFA

Email received by Swordmaker | 11/19/2002 | Handgun Free America

[Swordmaker]

	Did You Know:
	Compared to other industrialized countries, a child in America is:
	.	12 times more likely to be killed with a gun
	.	16 times more likely to be murdered with a gun
	.	9 times more likely to be killed in an unintentional shooting
	.	2 times more likely to kill themselves with a gun

	Over the past several decades, guns have begun to pose a deadly threat to the youth of our nation.  At school and in our communities, children face the lethal reality of a society where guns are common and easy to obtain.  Every day in America, 6 people are shot and killed in school, and many more face guns on a daily basis.  In many cases, youth in America wonder whether or not they will survive to adulthood.  Handgun-Free America was founded to address the growing problem of handgun violence facing all of us in America.  With your help, we can once again make America a safe place for our children to grow up in.  By becoming a member, you will allow your voice to be counted in the effort to rid ourselves of the handgun epidemic once and for all.  Join us today.
	Take a stand with us, become a member of Handgun-Free America. It's FREE.
	Every voice counts, so please, for the safety of our children, join us TODAY.
	Make an even bigger impact, forward this email to your friends, family & colleagues.
	Visit our site at: http://www.handgunfree.org   You are receiving this Special Offer as a valued iExpect.com member. If you do not wish to receive any Special Offers from us in the future, please click here to unsubscribe.

[Swordmaker]

I received this as SPAM today... and it is far more offensive to me than any of the pornography spam that has oozed its way past my filters. I have no idea how I got subscribed to iExpect.com but rest assured my subscription will be cancelled forthwith.

This organization designed to affect a political question and deprive us of our Constitutional Rights apparently has a 501c(3) tax exempt status.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Every day in America, 6 people are shot and killed in school

This is total crap

[Lunatic Fringe]

In many cases, youth in America wonder whether or not they will survive to adulthood.

I doubt that... most kids think they will live forever.

[mdittmar]

Does your state have a SPAM law,find out.

Who better to file a complaint against.

P.S. couldn't resist the real player link:)

[pollwatcher]

The "children" shot with guns are overwhelmingly late-teen gang members. Somebody needs to call them on the carpet for this nonesense!

[xm177e2]

Every day in America, 6 people are shot and killed in school

6 people shot and killed per day times 180 school days in a year equals 1040 people killed every year in this fashion.

That's ludicrous.

[linkster]

Did you know that every day in this country an honest business person is protected by his/her handgun ? Did you know that in every state that has a conceal and carry law, crime drops ? More children are killed by automobiles than guns. Are you going to ban automobiles ?

[Cicero]

Even if you define "child" to include urban gang members and drug peddlars under the age of 21--which in fact these statistics are notorious for doing--the figures are overblown.

[CPOSharky]

At least the web site has a "contact us" button, unlike the other gun-grabber sites.

They must be so new they haven't been hit with a bunch of pro-2A e-mail yet. (Hint, hint)

[TommyDale]

100,000 lives are saved daily by having guns.

[Mark]

Due to this organization 156.5 people are killed every day because they believed this crap! The figures come from an extensive study and the WAG system.

1. extensive study: 4 neighbors and a friend.

2. WAG = Wild Assed Guess

[diefree]

I made sure to cancel the subscription, which I don't know how I got either. I also told them why I was cancelling.

[lsee]

Here's some ammunition with which to refute such spam...

Guns don't kill children? Mar 2002 : Investigators compared five states with the highest gun : ownership (Lousisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, : and West Virginia) with states with the lowest rate of : gun ownership (Hawaii, New Jersey, Rhode Island, : Massachusetts, and Delaware). : Children from the states with the highest gun ownership : were "16 times more likely to die from a gun accident, : seven times more likely to die from a gun suicide, and : three times more likely to die from a gun homicide." : Hmmmmm....guns don't kill children????????

: I have to admit, this is a compelling statistic. Herein lies the problem (I am working under the assumption that everything you said is true): According to The Cato Institute, "In 1997, the last year for which data are available, only 142 children under 15 years of age died in gun accidents, and the total number of gun-related deaths for this age group was 642. More children die each year in accidents involving bikes, space heaters or drownings. The often repeated claim that 12 children per day die from gun violence includes "children" up to 20 years of age, the great majority of whom are young adult males who die in gang-related violence."

So, 142 children died in gun accidents in 1997. That's an incredibly small number, no matter how many states you bunch them in. You cannot just look at percentages for your truth. If there had been only one accidental gun death in 1997, and it happened in Alabama, would you be in favor of banning all guns in Alabama because, "One hundred percent of all accidental child deaths related to guns happened in Alabama?"

To clear your mind of the propaganda, read the following: Cato Institute -Rick

[sport]

They have guns and armed guards themselves. They just don't want you to have guns.

[cryptical]

I'd be interested in where this organization came from, i.e. is it a spin off of VPC/MMM/Brady Bunch, or did it spring forth out of thin air?

It looks like it's using the "Gun Grabbing for dummies" statistics package for it's agitprop.

[Marauder]

These socialist sheep-dips should at least try to find some new perspectives. Anyone that's been debating gun control for the past year could send these chumps to the locker rooms with their undies in a wad.
What they assert is still untrue, but now it's all trite cliches as well.

[PatrioticAmerican]

Dear HFA:

Did you know that in America:

1. You are 100 tens more likely to get real news from the
internet and AM radio than network news broadcasts?

2. More children are likely to be edumacated instead of educated?

3. Communism is the most likely party affiliation of an HFA member?

4. A child is 3.24 times more likely to have communists as parents than in the old USSR?

5. That gun control Nazi’s are more likely to lie about guns that tell the truth about them?

6. That more children each year are killed by “Assault Buckets”, “Assault Stairs”, and ‘Assault Knives” than guns, but Nazi organizations, such as the HFA, will never help protect children from these dangers?

7. You are more likely to be the victim of a violent crime in handgun-free countries, but HFA won’t tell you that?

8. that an HFA member is 15,000 times more likely to have a body guard with a gun than they would allow you to defend yourself?

9. That is it more likely that someone who rides to work in a limousine is more likely desire the banning of guns than to allow you the God given right to carry one?

10. HFA doesn’t understand the basis of their statements, and therefore perpetuates one lie after another?

11. If you are a liberal, you are infinitely more likely to be an ignorant schmuck who leads their life through fear and ignorance than to be knowledgeable and mature?


Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.

[TommyDale]

Here's an interesting statistic: Not one single incident has EVER been reported where a gun jumped up and shot a child.

[lsee]

True, but SUVs have well-publicized malicious, homicidal tendancies!