This is a graphic that some gun supporters are throwing around to try to show that there is not a need for any gun reform in this country. What they fail to point out is deaths done to one's self versus deaths by the hand of another.
Abortion: First of all, this number is subjective...depending on when one considers "life" actually begins. Notice that they don't have a separate category for miscarriages or still-births. One has to wonder....are these being clumped in with abortions to make a point? Also, how many of these abortions were due to the pregnancy being a danger to the woman's life, or after finding out that the fetus was not viable or wouldn't survive long after birth even if they were carried to term? They like to throw out that abortion number without any other details behind it, to make it look that there are all these women just using abortion as a means of birth control!
Tobacco: This is a very slow death, and for most of the people in this number, something they did to themselves knowing the risk they were taking smoking. Smoking in general...unless you are pregnant...doesn't cause death to another person due to your actions.
Obesity: Much like tobacco, this is a very slow death, and doesn't cause death to another person due to your actions.
Medical Error: While this is the result of a doctor making a medical error, and thus is someone causing death to another...true. However, so much can be said about this that would be it's own blog! You have nurses and doctors that are often required to work back to back shifts, and mistakes can be made due to lack of sleep. And what about issues that are related to not having all of the facts about a patient, because either they didn't share, or they didn't have full medical records? So many factors here.
Alcohol: Considering drunk driving has it's own category, I'm going to assume that we are talking the slow death that happens as the result of drinking over time. Again, just drinking by itself only shortens you own life, and doesn't cause death to another person.
Suicide: 100% does not cause death to another person! It doesn't also list the reasons a person may take their own life. Were they diagnosed with a terminal illness, and wanted to die on their own terms? Did they suffer from mental illness? Also, fails to break down how many of these suicides were by gun! Shouldn't these count in gun deaths.
Drunk Driving: Yes, again this is a case where your actions cause the death of another person, though this number fails to break down the number of victims who died due to a drunk driver versus the number of drunk drivers who met their own demise due to driving under the influence.
Poisoning: Though this is something that you can do to another person, more breakdown on this is needed. Are we talking accidental poisoning (like a child getting hold of a cleaning product)? Are we talking environmental poisoning?
ANY drug related death: This goes right up there with tobacco and alcohol. Though, not always a slow death, this is something someone inflicts on themselves, for various reasons. The mere use of drugs does not cause death to another person due to your actions.
Murder by gun: 100% the result of a person's actions causing the death of another! Also, while many of the other causes do not have an evil intention involved, so many shootings do! You point a gun at a person, you plan or want to do harm to that person! It has intent, while none of the ones above actually have intent to do harm to ANOTHER person! And this only addresses murder. What about accidental gun deaths, like maybe a hunting accident? Doesn't include that number, I bet!
And let's talk about intent, for a minute. No one smokes, overeats, or drinks with the intent of killing themselves! Suicide and maybe some drug related deaths (as I'm sure there are many overdoses that don't get classified as a suicide when they should be) are people who are hurting...physically and emotionally. Some have untreated mental illness (because we all know mental health services in this country sucks). Some are just tired of their body hurting. Some want deaths on their own terms. And I've already spelled it out for abortions. Quit throwing around numbers simply to try to support your point, without including the details behind them! I notice, they aren't listing some of the other many ways the pro-gun folks try to claim people will kill another person if guns were illegal. How many knife deaths? How many were beat to death by someone's bare hands or with a bat? How many died due to bombings? How many were purposely run down by cars this year so far? All of these other evil things...I bet would make those gun death's look high!