There have been some interesting articles in the local newspaper the past few days. They've been on the subject of shooting deaths in Milwaukee (who says we're not a "real" big city?...but I digress). Seems people around town are being shot to death in robberies, personal feuds and the occassional stray bullet, sometimes at a rate that compares favorably to Iraq. Some kid in high risk areas actually sleep in bath tubs since some have been killed in their homes by stray projectiles. In any event, the folks with the pointy pencils make little marks on paper and keep track of how many folks get shot and how many of those die each year.
The good news: It seems that shooting deaths may have leveled off and, in some periods, actually declined.
The bad news (which, I think, contains some good news): There are as many or more shootings as ever. Thing is, more of the victims are surviving because of the increasing skills of our trauma center and EMTs (thank you JB). So that's a mixed message.
(That reminds me of an article I read that talked about army surgeons spending time at Los Angeles emergency rooms to learn about the treatment of gunshot wounds. Maybe we civilians should be getting hazardous duty pay).
In the Pulse section (an insert on scientific subjects) today, there was a well illustrated full page demonstration showing how different caliber bullets cause different tissue damage and different exit wounds. I was surprised to see that the 9mm round (which I shoot at the target range) is a real show stopper. It seems that, along with better surgical skills, our enlightened society is producing a better quality bullet. On the other hand, we are also producing more nonlethal devices now in use by several police departments.
I've always worried about crime, especially since having children. Now, with a grandchild on the way, I worry more than ever.
Paddle safe...
DS
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