Guns Don't Kill People, Vaccines Do.

First, it is important that you understand that this article is not pro or anti guns or vaccines.  It is an analysis of the similarities between the positions in each debate, and why it is impossible for anyone to win either argument.

To sum up the arguments of each side (in the simplest terms possible), I have made the following graphic:

The 'anti' arguments of both debates are basically the same.  They use hard facts of something that is really happening right now to argue their point.  They then embellish those facts with some scary data that is possibly true.

The 'pro' side of each argument has to acknowledge that at least the hard facts are true - people are being killed.  But they counter with a catastrophic historical event that they hope is being prevented from happening again in the future.  The argument is that the comparatively small tragedy from year to year is justified by the prevention of a exponentially greater tragedy.  These catastrophes cost so many lives that it would take thousands of years to reach a break even point with just one, let alone all of the catastrophes that have occurred in just the last century.

These are some shocking numbers.  Numerically speaking, they blow the 'anti' arguments out of the water.  But there is just one problem: they are purely hypothetical.  We don't know the future.  The fact that none of these things are currently occurring in the U.S. makes it even less convincing.  Which results in an argument like this:

And around and around they go.

There is no resolution to this argument.  People pick and defend their sides based on completely different methods of reasoning, each of which has its merits and flaws.  I have picked my side, and I believe it has more merit than the other side.  But I understand that the other side feels the same way.  There is probably not a meme or blog post out there that will convince anyone to switch sides.  All of the arguing only cements people stronger in their position as they look for reasons to justify themselves. 

It would be depressing if we didn't get to feel superior to the people that are too dumb to agree with our side of things.