What do you think is more dangerous to a child, an gun or a swimming pool?

Question

This may seem like a obvious question right?
Take a minute to think about it...
(I didn't know where to put this question so i thought to put it under, where i read it )

Now consider these facts

There is one drowning for every 11 000 residential pools in the US
Therefore roughly 550 children in america drown every year

There is one child killed for every million or so guns
So it is estimated that 175 children die each ear for guns

Do we automatically assume that the pool is safer then a gun?
Don't pools kill more then guns, especially since we have more guns then swimming pool?

It takes less then 30 seconds for a child to drown, often noiselessly.
An infant can drown in even a couple of inches of water.

My point?
Has people been underthinking or have I been overthinking?
Is it because of the fact swimming pool accidents seem more preventable so they actually seem safer?

My point isn't advocating of the dangers of pools but the fact that everyone seems to put off things until it is too late to do anything about it.

Take the weight of a particular country (i.e. America) isn’t it true that the government puts off a simple solution to encourage more exercise, but instead he waits, and waits. Now U.S. is known as the fattest (last time I checked), country in the world. Largest economy and largest people no coincidence eh?
What do you think….. I don’t know if that made any sense to you
Oh yeah , and I credit Steven Levitt, for the question, and most of the information.

Answer 1

May be the Key Word to your question is 'Known'! It is known that America is the fattest country in thee world, but it is not known to many that over 75 % of women in the countries such as Qatar, Kuwait, Dubai etc for th fact they are converged, and it is not permitted to know how they look under their hijab only their other female family members and their husband do know. The high birth rate in their nation, doesn't give them a chance to get back to their girlish figure, and after a while, they don't car about it anymore. But the point here is, you don't know about them, hence the known factor to us.

As for your question, the swimming pools are more dangers, not because of the reasons you gave, but because the we seem to drop down our guards when it comes to the things that is supposed to give us pleasure, swimming, and not paying as much attention to it that it may cause our death in much less time than the gun, in some situations. You can teach your kids not to touch the gun, and keep away from it, but it becomes more effort to teach them how to have fun in a place that may take their life if they are not too careful, and when someone is having too much fun, one may go over board.

But, then again, you can drowen drinking a glass of water, or in few inches of water in a bucket! think about it.

It is all in the teaching, anything can be dangerous if you don't know your way around it.

Think about what I posted, and before you jump into a pool, make sure there is enough water for you to a have a big splash!

Answer 2

Well Charles, you make a good case for taking more care of swimming pools - perhaps we need more enforced laws? On the other hand, the stats may not include how many children are orphaned because of guns. Also, the message of vilence guns bring. Someone has already hinted at the advantages of pools. Personally I don't want to have the responsibility of a pool. Neither do I have a gun, but if I did, I would keep it well locked away.
If we look at things logically, - an automobile is not built with the purpose of killing, but it does kill. So most if not all governments require that you ahve a permit before driving an automobile, and a license to even own one. Guns are manufactured for the purpose of killing something, if not someone. Much more reason for governmental restrictions, a license to own, and a renewable permit to use, - oh yes, and compulsory insurance as well. In the same way, if pools are really the cause of so many drowning deaths, shouldn't there be more restrictions? - an obligatory course in order to have a license to own a pool, for instance?

Answer 3

What is more dangerous is uneducated and sensible education and training of the inherit dangers of both. A child won't encounter a swimming pool if they aren't exposed to it,, and a child when not subjected to exposure to a gun, does not have a logical fear of it,, it's merely an object..

None sensible enlightenment of the dangers and risks are the only DANGERS in either situation.. an object is an object,, but if you put it that way, basic object to object, a pool ,, body of water to which an infant does not know of the apparent danger, then that is you're answer.. however you didn't say your gun was loaded, but a child of same age might not have the physical capacity to pull the trigger or load a firearm, so there isn't a danger based on the object.

I respect your agrument, ... but it's still pretty unclear, as you compared 2 unequal variables,, so,, I've had to evaluate it as equal danger, to equal capacity to view dangers in the inherit risks. Ultimately danger is substantial in either situation, and I tried my best to compare the two,,, way to many varibables,, but I suspect pools would be more of an issue, or shall I suggest drowing, as this can be done either tub, small amounts of water, and if there is a complete elemination of a gun/firearm, there is no danger, ... one exist for potentially hazard more then other,, as least in cause of death/injury! Be well! Insightful discussion!

Answer 4

undesirable occasion even banning automobiles that kill extra is off the factor . In a not suitable international purely the stable adult males might turn of their weapons and we'd be helpless and on the mercy of the undesirable adult males.Too undesirable we are able to in no way understand if a police officer replaced into assigned to that school what proportion lives ought to he have stored. drugs and under the effect of alcohol using have been a criminal offense for years and that doesn't help. Having a gun won't help each and every of the time yet being defenseless will in no way help.. we could use the money we provide to worldwide places that dislike us,our childrens are extra important!! isn't it extra valuable to have a gun and not want it than to wish it and not have it!!

Answer 5

Forget statistics: When it's one mother's child who is threatened by either, they are equally dangerous and throughly devastating. Guns should be locked up with bullets in another place. Swimming pools require a tall fence with gate that swings shut and locked.

Answer 6

what's the purpose of a pool?
what's the purpose of a gun?

answer these questions and you should see why you still want to say that it's better to have a pool in your back yard than a loaded 45.


AND what's more, the statistic you cite (child deaths per number of pools or guns) isn't the best indicator of the safety of an item. consider the following (harder to measure) statistic: the number of child deaths in swimming pools per number of child encounters with swimming pools. if you compare this statistic to the number of child deaths from guns per number of child encounters with guns, it should ring more true to your intuitions. clearly this statistic would show that guns are much more dangerous than swimming pools are. this just shows the spurious seductiveness of some statistical evidence. we should always be careful when interpreting statistics.

Answer 7

Neither one are dangerous to anyone. People may be dangerous to themselves if they are uneducated about pools or firearms, or if they don't pay attention to what their children are doing. Educate your children, and keep an eye on them, and they will be much less likely to harm themselves.

Answer 8

Anyway, pools are safer if the parent are careful wen their children r in.

Answer 9

all i know is pools are a lot more fun...maybe it's not the fault of the pool, but of the children's parents who don't watch them.

Answer 10

I'm going to assume you've answered your own question because it's is too long to read.