I know this series is called Fun with Maps but Map 57 is no laughing matter. It shows all the mass shootings throughout the United States in 2015. For the sake of this map, the Washington Post is using a definition of ‘mass shooting’ as any shooting in which four or more people were wounded or killed.
I do my best at all times to provide maps that will inform and entertain. If a particular map crosses my path that I want to share, it must, at a minimum, do one of those. Simply showing this map, I have taken a stance on a hot button issue with which many people will disagree. Those people are entitled to their opinion just as I am to mine. That being said, this is my blog and I makes the rules [sic]. Muslims are no more a risk of going on a shooting spree than the average person in this country. What this map doesn’t show you are any other religions. All the non-Muslim shootings could have been perpetrated by people of the Greek Orthodox faith for all this map shows, but of course, that is not the case.
Without knowing the religion of each and every shooter represented by a circle above, we must instead focus on what we do know. There are only three red circles. The most recent circle happens to be a red, yes, but calls by extreme conservatives to register Muslims, intern them, and/or end Muslim immigration are unfounded. I’m looking at you on this one, Donald Trump. Most of your Republican buddies have gone against what you’ve said. I know you get a boost in the polls every time you say something asinine but there are other ways. You could donate money to a charity (or several) or volunteer your time to people with disabilities by having them beat the shit out of you with baseball bats. There are dozens of ways to gain positive attention and potential votes. Not that I want you to succeed or anything, but try closing your mouth and breathing through your nose.
I’m going to step down from my soapbox now so I can show you Map 58. Okay, so it’s an infographic but there’s a map in there, I promise.
This map shows how sixteen athletes left Cuba to play professional baseball in America. Relations between these two countries have been strained since 1960 and many Cubans have fled their embargoed and financially unstable homeland in that time. I found this infographic quite interesting. You’d think most would have escaped to Miami based on proximity but only one man arrived in Florida (Tampa) having defected. Twelve out of the sixteen men defected to countries other than the United States in order to eventually move there and play baseball. Caribbean countries were popular with the Dominican Republic being the most common (6/16). The furthest destination from Cuba was the Netherlands. I’m especially proud of Rolando Arrojo for defecting just before the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. It takes real guts to defect at all but also give up on playing in the Olympics. Man, that timing probably really pissed off Castro.
A quick note to the Yahoo employees that made this infographic: I appreciate your effort but Buffalo, NY is not in Connecticut and Tampa, FL is not Miami. Try a little harder next time. Thanks.
Happy Holidays! Here’s a Bonus Map for your enjoyment: Religion Map Video.
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/02/where-2015s-mass-shootings-have-occurred-in-1-map/
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/infographic–how-16-baseball-players-escaped-cuba-011323239-mlb.html
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