Toddlers Killed More Americans Than Terrorists Did This Year

[trailmonkee]

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By Stacie Borrello, Mon, June 10, 2013

Americans hate terrorists and love our kids, right? So you might be shocked to know that preschoolers with guns have taken more lives so far this year than the single U.S. terrorist attack, which claimed four lives in Boston.

This is admittedly tongue-in-cheek, but one has to wonder if the NSA’s PRISM program would have saved more lives had it been monitoring toddlers – or gun owners – rather than suspected terrorists.

11 Deaths in Five Months Where Shooter Was 3 to 6 Years Old

Listed below are the 11 gun fatalities I found where a preschooler pulled the trigger (from Jan. 1 to June 9, 2013). Starting with a list of five toddler shooting deaths The Jewish Daily Forward published in early May, I unearthed six additional cases. This tragic, unthinkable event has happened every month, like clock-work.

Jan. 10: 6-year-old playmate shoots and kills 4-year-old Trinity Ross, Kansas City, Kan.

Feb. 11: 4-year-old Joshua Johnson shoots and kills himself, Memphis, Tenn.

Feb. 24: 4-year-old Jaiden Pratt dies after shooting himself in the stomach while his father sleeps, Houston.

March 30: 4-year-old Rahquel Carr shot and killed either by 6-year-old brother or another young playmate, Miami.

April 6: Josephine Fanning, 48, shot and killed by 4-year-old boy at a barbecue, Wilson County, Tenn.

April 8: 4-year-old shoots and kills 6-year-old friend Brandon Holt, Toms River, N.J.

April 9: 3-year-old is killed after he finds a pink gun that he thinks is a toy, Greenville, S.C.

April 30: 2-year-old Caroline Sparks killed by her 5-year-old brother with his Cricket “My First Rifle” marketed to kids, Cumberland County, Ky.

May 1: 3-year-old Darrien Nez shoots himself in the face and dies after finding his grandmother’s gun, Yuma, Ariz.

May 7: 3-year-old Jadarrius Speights fatally shoots himself with his uncle’s gun, Tampa, Fla.

June 7: 4-year-old fatally shoots his father, Green Beret Justin Thomas, Prescott Valley, Ariz.

At least 10 more toddlers have shot but not killed themselves or someone else this year (see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here). In the first three cases, the shooter was only 2 years old.

I also found nine instances where children and teens 7 to 19 years old accidentally killed themselves, a family member or friend since January (see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here).

Of course, most if not all of the above deaths and injuries can be attributed to careless adult gun owners.

While this analysis focuses on children, another equally accurate headline could read: “U.S. Gun Culture Kills More Americans Than Terrorists Worldwide.”

[warrior1]

1. that's sobering

[morningfog]

2. Not to split hairs, but 3 deaths were caused by the bombing at the marathon.

The fourth was not part of the bombing.

[11 Bravo]

8. The OP specified the "terrorist attack ... in Boston", not just the bombing.

All four deaths were related to the attack.

[morningfog]

10. The cop was killed separately by the same guy, not in a terrorist attack.

Not that it really matters or changes the point of the OP.

[unblock]

3. shh!! republicans will be calling for a war on toddlers if this gets out!!

oh wait, considering all the government programs like head start that they keep trying to slash or kill, i guess they've already started that war....

[AnotherMcIntosh]

6. It's all the Republicans' fault?

[unblock]

7. why, yes! yes, it is.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

15. Then why do 3rd-Wayers want to be like them? Why isn't being a FDR-type Democrat good enough?

[GeorgeGist]

4. Toddlers generally: No phones, no internet.

Any questions?

[90-percent]

5. 3,000 dead on 9-11 vs. 30,000 per year on gun violence

How's this "keeping Americans 100% safe" working out for yah, U.S.-military-industrial-congressional-surveillance-complex?

Our government only wants to prevent terrorism. In terms of the magnitude of death and human suffering, they don't seem to give a rats ass about the 99.99999% of us that die from preventable causes other than terrorism.

I suggest our governments priorities are misplaced and it doesn't take much brain power to realize our government nullifying our Constitutional Rights has very very very little to do with keeping us safe.

Americans should be terrified of the stuff that has an astronomically higher probability of killing you - namely:

Number of deaths for leading causes of death:
Heart disease: 597,689
Cancer: 574,743
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 138,080
Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 129,476
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 120,859
Alzheimer's disease: 83,494
Diabetes: 69,071
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 50,476
Influenza and Pneumonia: 50,097
Intentional self-harm (suicide): 38,364

And it seems all of the above mass murdering forms of premature death are not even on the radar of our national conversations?

"Some scientists claim that hydrogen, because it is so plentiful, is the basic building block of the universe. I dispute that. I say there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the basic building block of the universe." Frank Zappa

The hidden in plain sight stupidity of our war on terror certainly comes to light when you quantify the magnitude of the acceptable death we Americans tolerate!

We sacrifice 30,000 American to guns every year. This is perfectly acceptable to us all. But loose 3.050 almost 12 years ago and it's time to go full blown TOTALITARIAN FASCIST POLICE STATE!

I currently fear my government a hell of a lot more than I fear terrorism!

-90%

[Robb]

9. OK so our idea to arm toddlers wasn't fully thought out.

What the hell, we're a nation of INNOVATORS. Still bugs in the system.

Freedom!

[Comrade Grumpy]

11. I, for one, am willing to sacrifice my liberties...

...if it helps the government protect me from the threat of killer toddlers.

[Initech]

12. The fact that we live in a world where "My First Rifle" exists is beyond disturbing.

[trailmonkee]

14. I heard they are developing an 'in-utero' edition....

[Douglas Carpenter]

13. knr