Jan Broe wrote: > David Ross wrote: > >>One last word on this then I'll leave it, too. >>Australia banned guns, crime shot up (no pun intended). >> > > The nice thing about statistics is that you can always find something that > will prove your point... > > Here in Denmark guns have been banned ever since they were invented (or some > time just about then), and I'm sorry to report that in this well-developed > country (our standard of living is higher than both Australia and the United > States by all accepted international ways of measurement) we have very > little crime compared to these two countries, and of a much 'milder' nature. The Human Development Index (HDI), arguably the most authoritative of living standards measurements, is published annually by the UN. It ranks nations according to their citizens' quality of life rather than strictly by a nation's traditional economic figures. The criteria for calculating rankings include life expectancy, adult literacy, school enrollment, educational attainment, and per capita GDP. The latest rankings (for 2001) are as follows: 1. Norway 2. Australia 3. Canada 4. Sweden 5. Belgium 6. USA 7. Iceland 8. Netherlands 9. Japan 10. Finland Denmark came in at 15. Sorry Jan, but we've got more sunshine and better beaches too ;-) Come down under and see for yourself. Grant SYD QF