Interesting findings in the Centers for Disease Control report on causes of death (warning: pdf file) in America. There is much to be happy about, strangely enough, and some disturbing numbers. First, the good news. It may seem strange to say it, but the fact that accidents are the number five cause of death in America is good news. Only a rich and healthy nation (and those two things are related) has “accidents” that high on its cause of death list. It shows how well we deal with illnesses in this nation that accidents rank so high. Interestingly, accidents are the #3 killer for men, but only #7 for women, showing once again that men are idiots. The bad news. Somewhat disturbingly, suicide is the #8 killer for men, but only #17 for women. Also a cause for alarm, homicide is the #5 killer of African Americans. Among African American men ages 15-34, homicide is the #1 killer. AIDS is the number #6 killer of African American men, and the #2 killer of African American men between the ages of 35-44. AIDS is the #10 killer of African American women, and the #1 killer of African American women between the ages of 25-34. Perhaps not coincidently, suicide is the #10 killer of the same cohort. The life of the young African American is, to quote Hobbes, nasty, brutish, and short. One wonders when we will get serious about the problems in the African American community instead of patting ourselves on the back for making African Americans slaves on the government’s plantation. And scroll down to page 34 to see depressing numbers about American Indians. The #8 cause of death: Suicide. I won’t bore you with all the numbers, but let’s just say when you break down American Indians into age cohorts, suicide and cirrhosis of the liver play a large part in their deaths. I refer back to the plantation comment above.

Hat tip to Realclear.