Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site whuxl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!houxm!whuxl!orb From: orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Subway sheep, facts/statistics Message-ID: <512@whuxl.UUCP> Date: Thu, 7-Mar-85 08:48:58 EST Article-I.D.: whuxl.512 Posted: Thu Mar 7 08:48:58 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 8-Mar-85 04:02:43 EST References: <3441@alice.UUCP> Organization: /usr/exptools/lib/netnews/myorg Lines: 36 I agree with jj's attempt to consider various factors which affect an individual's actual risk of being murdered on the subway in a given year. It would be interesting to compare this risk to that in driving an auto and other activities. *This* is the kind of analysis that the media *should* have engaged in when discussing the Goetz case and the risks of riding the subways. Unfortunately they have not considered the actual facts or the extent of the problem whatsoever. I have no idea how many people ride the subway every day, which times murders tend to occur (tho it undoubtedly is *much* more likely at night: but how much?), how many people report robberies, or estimates of how many robberies there are that go unreported. Nor do I know how many murders that do occur in the subway involve robbery attempts and how many are between husband and wife, drug gangs, etc. which are not really relevant to most people. If I am not involved in drug dealing then unless I happen to get hit by a stray bullet I am much less concerned with killings which revolve around drug dealing. Certainly we all must be concerned whenever anyone's life is taken but such murders probably do not put my own life at risk. Why are the media more concerned about whether one person ate a baloney sandwich before shooting 4 alleged assailants than they are about assessing the actual risk in the subway for the average citizen? I think the media's coverage of this incident is typical of the way they become obsessed with a narrow-minded peculiar incident rather than intelligently analyzing or debating the broader issues involved. By sensationalizing the incident they have only invoked people's emotions and not really informed us whatsoever. So far, this has been the only hard fact of general significance I have seen in the media on the whole issue. "You may lie with statistics, but anecdotes are like consorting with Prostitution of the Truth!" tim sevener whuxl!orb