Thread:Comments:Reports of at least fourteen dead this week due to gun-related suicides in the United States/Suicides in United States

While the subject matter is grave, and not to be spoken of lightly, this particular article strikes me as more propaganda than legitimate news. I would note that on average, according to http://www.suicidology.org, there are roughly 101-105 suicides daily in the United States. The sensational nature of this headline would indicate alarm if not for the fact that taken literally, it would mean over 700 suicides this week weren't gun related.. or 99.8%. (Indicating guns are not a major cause..) This however, is not true either, as suicidology.org also notes in their statistics that roughly 50%+ of all suicides in the last two years counted (2009[1] - 2010[2]) were gun related.

Now that being said, the statistic itself somewhat misleading. It is sort of like saying musical instruments were used in over 50% of the songs written last year in the U.S.. or over 50% of all nails pounded in the U.S. were pounded in with hammers. The gun is probably the primary choice of tool when it comes to killing one's self because it is, by its very definition, a tool used by some people to kill things. Attempting to kill one's self with a carp would merely prove one to be suicidal and stupid.

"Iran's PressTV published an opinion piece claiming that for every gun owner who uses their weapon in their home for self-defense, there are eleven suicide attempts involving a weapon." - Am I to assume that Iran's PressTV is somehow an expert reference on American violence statistics? ..or are we quoting conditions in Iran? I know if I lived in Iran and owned a gun, I'd probably be 11x more likely to commit suicide too.

[1] http://www.suicidology.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=248&name=DLFE-540.pdf

[2] http://www.suicidology.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=262&name=DLFE-636.pdf