Statistics don't lie but MSM and Politicians do.

First let me say that the events in Boston were a horrible tragedy and I feel terrible for the victims, their families and those that have suffered because of it. My point with this thread is to not minimize what happened or slight the people that it happened too but I feel I should bring some reality too the situation.

The best estimates I could find were 4 killed and around 200 wounded in the Boston bombing. While it is a current and relevant event, realistically compared to the statistics of deaths in the U.S. it is virtually insignificant. You almost have a better chance of falling on scissors and killing yourself accidently than you do of dying in a terrorist activity in the United States yet the media and our government would have you believe that relieving you of your liberty is the only chance you have of surviving the insurmountable onslaught of endless terrorist plots and destruction.

Lets take a look at just one statistic, from there, feel free to research your own statistic of choice for a little clarity on just how much terrorism poses a threat to us all and our country.

The CDC says:

In 2011, 3,331 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver, compared to 3,267 in 2010. An additional, 387,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.

To put this into perspective, more people were killed and injured in one year because of distracted driving than have been killed in terrorism events in the last 15 years. Where is the outrage? Where is the legislation to protect us from this insane amount of threat and danger? Where is the main stream media doing 3 hour long segments lecturing us about the terrors of texting while driving?

We have a seat belt law that protects us from ourself, a law to not text while driving in some states that is rarely enforced and some token 30 minute long segments on the news on why it is bad. This is because it's not entertaining or exciting to die while driving distracted and nobody really cares unless it affects them. Terrorism though, is big and bold and is painted to be worse than cancer for you and so scary in fact that we need to start ripping up the Constitution and giving up our liberties en mass. (I dare you too look up how many people die a year from cancer).

My point is, you have a better chance of being killed by some ass hat driving down the highway texting than you do dying from terrorism, it's not worth giving up any freedom or rights for, statistically speaking, terrorism is almost non existent.

The TSA has an 8.1 billion dollar budget per year and has been in operation for around 10 years yet they have failed to apprehend even 1 terrorist. How is that justified? The answer is, it can't be, it's a product of fear mongering and control implemented by the federal government. As is the DHS, completely redundant and unnecessary except for to provide Obama with the domestic military he said we needed publicly for reasons unknown. What exactly has the DHS done for us? What will they do for us? Compare their budget to terrorist events, it's laughable at best and treasonous at worst.

Thousands more people have claimed to see bigfoot this year than have been affected by terrorism. It's practically a myth except something like Boston is broadcast over every Main Stream Media outlet for days and weeks until every magazine, every newspaper, every television statement blows it up into such a big deal and has every joe blow on the street so scared there going to step on an IED walking from the train to work that they start getting angry when no freedom is taken from them in order to keep them safer.

It's out of hand. Look up any American death statistic you want, they all make death by terrorism look like a complete and total joke. A bad one.

Just some random animal related stats, I have to admit, even knowing the numbers, I am amazed at the over 1 trillion dollars a year we spend on terrorism prevention in this country when twice as many people have been killed by mountain lions in the last ten years as terrorism.

Strange animal deaths vs terrorism deaths in the U.S.

Average Number of Deaths per Year in the U.S
Bee/Wasp 53
Dogs 31
Spider 6.5
Rattlesnake 5.5
Mountain lion 1
Shark 1
Alligator 0.3
Bear 0.5
Scorpion 0.5
Centipede 0.5
Elephant 0.25
Wolf 0.1
Horse 20
Bull 3

Over the last 10 years, you are actually more likely to die from a spider bite than a terrorist act. Coming soon, 1 trillion dollar cans of raid!

All true - but htere are deep psychological factors involved - driving deaths are almost always the greatest source in any western country - but "we" all perceive that we are in control of driving, and "we" all think we are great drivers - "we" are all above average!

Also, sadly, road fatalities are an every day occurrence - we are innured to reading about them Terrorist attacks arenot (and let's hope they never are!)

so it is the control and familiarity aspects that ares important in generating outrage or interest - the effect is similar with air accidents - they are erlatively unusual - especially if they involve large aircraft - and as passengers we have no control over them.

consider the numbers of other shooting deaths in the USA too - apparenlty there have been alm ost 4000 gun deaths in the US since Newtown???!!

People living in the middle east are living in constant chaos. We don't experience things like that so much here. Look at the people dying in Mexico from the drug wars. We take the way it's been for granted. There are more innocent people killed in drive by shootings in Chicago in a month or less than died in Boston. That just includes the innocents in the cross fire. Most of these by the way are using guns that were not obtained legally. I don't like what happened in Boston but know it could be a lot worse in this country than it is.

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


Your completely correct. The problem is clearly one of perception and not one of statistical fact or relevance. Terrorism is less a factor in actual American death than bee stings or spider bites in the last decade.

I can understand why the media chooses to report, emphasize and sensationalize one over the other and while it can be justified as being done for ratings or to cater to interest there is a facet to this whole thing that is not so easily explained away or marginalized.

The U.S. is almost 14 trillion dollars in debt and the American economy has been on it's knees since 2008 with a record number of citizens at the poverty level or below not even able to feed their own families. With this being the case, how can the government of the United States justify risking our financial future by further devaluing our currency by continuing a war on terror when as you run the numbers just doesn't seem to exist except for the reality TV show we call the news?

4 people killed in terrorism related events in the U.S. in the last ten years is not worth an investment of 1 trillion dollars a year, loss of freedoms or broad sweeping changes in our traditional values as a free nation or even slightly devalued liberty. It is essentially.... Fake, the numbers are manipulated through fear, misinformation and sensationalism.

What is real is the economic train wreck we are facing, the continued assault on the Constitution and the destruction of families through government subsidized programs and family courts. The ponzi scheme that is social security, health care reform and the war on drugs. Toss in a dash of privatized for profit prisons and the fact that the U.S. has more inmates than any 3 other countries on Earth and you have to start to see some real problems, problems that don't need to be manufactured.

It's time to start helping to inform people, tell them that America has many problems and needs many solutions and terrorism is definitely one of them but if we are going to be honest, then bee stings are just as big a problem and sadly, I'm being completely serious.