Celebrity advice (was: Advice to a Junior in High School?)

[rzed]

Peter Hansen wrote:
> Terry Reedy wrote:
>>
>> (I think it safe to say that during the 20th century, 99% of the
>> 100s of millions of murders were committed by armed govern-men
>> rather than by private persons acting alone.)
>
> It may be safe to say it, but is it true, or merely hyperbole?
>
> Were there "100s of millions of murders" in the 20th century,
> assuming commonplace definitions of "murder" (killing humans),
> "million" (10 to the 6th power), and "20th century" (period
> beginning roughly January 1, 1900 and ending on or one year before
> December 31, 2000)?
>
> That's a lot of people getting themselves killed, whatever the
> cause...
>

A little overstated, maybe. One site
<http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/massacre.html> estimates about 147
million, and its estimates run a little higher than some others. If
war casualties includes deaths by starvation and the like, and if war
casualties are murder victimes, then it runs reasonably close.

On the other hand,
<http://www.bradycampaign.org/press/release.asp?Record=289> claims
that more Americans have been killed by domestic gun violence between
1979 and 1997 than in battle in all the wars in which America was
involved. Their estimates for the civil war seem low to me, but of
course that preceded the 20th century anyway.

--
rzed