There are lies, damned lies and statistics.

I was driving in this morning listening to Massachusetts State Rep David Linsky tout his newest legislation, 'HD02678 - An Act to Reduce Gun Violence and to Protect the Citizens of the Commonwealth' and I noticed that he kept saying, "30,000 people die each year as a result of gun violence in the United States."

That number shocked me so I decided to go look at the FBI Uniform Crime Statistics to verify it.

You know something? It's bad enough that the legislators of Massachusetts feel the need to legislate for the sake of legislation but do they have to lie to us as well?

If you look at that table and add up the columns, you will see that there were a grand total of 12,664 murders in the United States in 2011. Of those 12,644 murders, 8,583 involved a firearm and 4,081 involved something else.

Now lets be realistic, 8,583 murders is a pretty big number and we really should do something about it but for Christs sake, don't lie to me to make your point. If you are going to restrict my constitutional right to own a firearm, at least use real data to make your point.

In other words, if you are going to screw me, at least have the common decency admit that it's for your own pleasure and ego, you arrogant little twit.

Oh, and by the way Mr. Linsky, if you can prove that the data provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation is inaccurate or incomplete, I will be more than happy to post an update along with whatever data source you provide as long as that data source is a legitimate data source.

And just to be clear, I do not consider "The Coalition of Concerned, Overly-Protective, Easily-Frightened, Non-Gun-Owners for a Safer, Greener, Less-Obese America" or whatever website you got your data from, to be a legitimate data source.

*

These links are for you:

• Key phrase in this story: "...the poet in question would appear to be extremely angry, somewhat paranoid and possessed by an overly active imagination."



• Which means the rest of Europe probably don't have to worry about them invading anyone because they'll be too busy playing with themselves.



• Yes, alcohol was involved.



• Some women sure know how to hold a grudge...