I have recently become aware of some interesting government statistics on sports related injury and death ( my sources are available upon request - no, not the NRA, it has turned into a political action committee ).

The National Safety Counsel statistics for 1996, reveal that 87 people were killed accidentally in hunting and firearms related accidents. The same year, 85 people died from being struck by lightning and 2,500 from drowning. I guess, it's much safer to shoot than swim, and don't go shooting in a thunder storm ( or you will double your chance of getting hurt ). Take your scatter-gun with you while surfing, to reduce the chance of accidental drowning?

Other sports are also more dangerous that firearms related ones, in relation to injuries.

Emergency room treatment statistics indicate this, in statistics with numbers based on, per 100,000 participants. Football, soccer, baseball, and basketball are all over 1,000 per 100,000, with ice hockey triple that. Golf, fishing, tennis, and swimming are all over 100 per 100,000, with roller-skating and bicycling multiple hundreds. In fact, even billiards and bowling, well under 100 per 100,000, beat out the 6 per 100,000 for firearms related emergency room visits, by a multiple of two or more.

It sure sounds like shooters are trying to be careful, in what has always been characterized as a dangerous sport.

- Bongo ( Go ahead, make my millenium. )