Americans are pretty concerned about violent crime—particularly crimes committed with guns, “assault weapons” most specifically. This concern, statistically speaking, is fairly irrational. You are far more likely to be killed by being beaten or stabbed than you are to be killed by any kind of rifle, “assault” or otherwise.  So why are so many people so tied up in knots about it? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they discuss this and more on this week’s episode of Words and Numbers.

Quick hits

Corona brewing replaces plastic six-pack rings

Illegal immigrants and Social Security numbers

The economic case for immigration

W&N episode #51: America relies on immigrants

Foolishness of the week

Being morally right vs being factually correct

Criticism vs harassment

Topic of the week: Reality and Perception of Crime

Pew report on violent crime data

FBI crime data

Bureau of Justice Statistics crime data

Gallup polls on perception of crime trends

Defensive uses of guns

Firearm homicide and suicide rates by city

2% of US counties account for 50% of US homicides

Feinstein introduces assault weapons ban

Assault weapons ban of 1994

Article I, Section 8

10th Amendment

Join the conversation

Antony Davies on Twitter

James R. Harrigan on Twitter

Antony Davies on Minds.com

James R. Harrigan on Minds.com

Words & Numbers Backstage