Americans More Likely to be Killed by Furniture Than Terrorists
The real terrorists are INSIDE YOUR OWN HOUSE!
A few recent articles have highlighted the irrational fear of terrorism. Sure, many people have irrational fears, but this particular fear is manipulated to justify liberty-draining laws and baseless wars. Check out the statistics below.
- “In cases where the religious affiliation of terrorism casualties could be determined, Muslims suffered between 82 and 97 percent of terrorism-related fatalities over the past five years.”
- Of 978 terrorism-related kidnapping last year, only three hostages were private U.S. citizens, or .003 percent. A private citizen is defined as ‘any U.S. citizen not acting in an official capacity on behalf of the U.S. government.’
- Of the 13,288 people killed by terrorist attacks last year, seventeen were private U.S. citizens, or .001 percent.
Since September 11th, 2001, 238 American citizens have died from terrorist attacks. This figure is less than the amount of people that have died because their furniture fell on them. According to the 2011 report on ‘Instability of Televisions, Furniture, and Appliances: Estimated Injuries and Reported Fatalities’, 293 people died between 2000 and 2010 because of their furniture.
Americans should be far more afraid of themselves. Even with crime falling across the U.S. over the past five years, there have been almost 150,000 murders and 300,000 suicides since 9/11. If anything, we should be scared of everyone around us, but even that is unnecessary.
As Micah Zenko points out in his article “America Is a Safe Place“, America is becoming safer.
- In 2010, fewer Americans died in a motor vehicle, either while driving or as a passenger, than at any time in at least the last fifty years.
- In 2010, fewer Americans died in an airplane than at any point in at least the last twenty years.
- In 2009, fewer Americans died as a pedestrian—“any person on foot, walking, running, jogging, hiking, sitting or lying down”—in a motor vehicle crash than at any time in at least thirty years.
- In 2009, fewer Americans died riding a bicycle than at any time in at least the last thirty years.
The most likely thing to kill you is yourself. 87% of all deaths in America are the result of noncommunicable diseases, most of which are preventable. Practice good diet and exercise, as well as healthy smoking and drinking habits, and you’re all but taken out of this category.
Remember, the real terrorists are INSIDE YOUR OWN HOUSE! Don’t get caught up in the hysteria, a lack of self-control is more dangerous than any terrorist.
Source: The Atlantic Via: Kevin Pereira