Extreme Toddler Vetting

Did you know that you are more likely to be killed by lightning than by a terrorist? Only if you qualify that statement by making our hypothetical terrorist foreign-born. Actually, make that foreign-born terrorist from one of the seven countries Trump banned travel from. And don't count those people who were self-radicalized, only those who were trained at an official ISIS camp from one of those countries.

It turns out that lightning strikes killed thirty-eight people in 2016. Wasn't there a single attack last year involving gay Puerto Ricans that killed 49? I guess it doesn't count for one of those reasons above.

The average number of people killed by lightning each year is thirty-one. And the average number of Americans killed every year by Islamist terrorists is less than that (remember that the start year has to be 2002 - something happened in 2001 that screws up the averages).

The main problem with this argument is that lightning doesn't have the will to kill you.

There are other problems with this argument as well. It seems to say that it doesn't make sense to take precautions against admitting people who may have homicidal tendencies. "When we change that means the terrorists win," they will repeat as if repetition makes this truth.

But we take precautions against being struck by lightning. You tell people that if they are in a thunderstorm, to get to shelter. Put the golf clubs back in the bag and head to the clubhouse. Stay in your car (the wheels are rubber and provide a path to ground).

Another cause of death more likely than being killed by a foreign-born, foreign-trained ISIS terrorist from Syria, is getting shot by a toddler.

That's why we lock up guns when toddlers are around.