Politifact ran the math on Gwen Graham's Washington Post story comparing numbers of 2018 US school shooting deaths vs 2018 US armed service combat deaths to-date. Schools have seen more deaths than combat this year. Politifact, however, reminds us that combat-zones should be be more dangerous than public school.
Combat zones should be more dangerous, but are not. How incredibly we are failing.
Graham wrote, "So far this year, more students have been killed in schools than soldiers in combat zones."
On the numbers, she is right. This year at least, within Graham’s stated parameters, exactly twice as many students have died in school shootings than military personnel have died in combat zones.
It is important to know, however, the likelihood of being killed in a combat zone is still vastly higher than it is in a school.
The statement is accurate but needs additional information. That meets our definition of Mostly True.
Earlier this month my daughter, aged 11, spent an afternoon sheltering-in-place at her school. There was an unrelated-to-school incident of domestic violence a block or two away. The sound of shots appropriately sent the school into 'save the kids' mode. My daughter huddled in a corner for 3.5 hours. This is not the school experience our kids should have: wondering when it will be their turn to die.
