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I've lived in both Baltimore and Roanoke (and worked in the trauma centers in both) and must confess, I am stunned to see Roanoke with a higher FHR/100K than Charm City.

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It’s crazy, right? That’s why we need to track the small city stats, too. As someone who had worked in trauma, do you agree that death rates from gunshot wounds have fallen because trauma surgeons have gotten so good at treating gunshot wounds with experience & improved techniques?

Evidence hard to find. We know 2x more people survive than die from gunshot injuries but in some cities there are 10x + more survivors! Are the shooters really bad at aiming or are trauma surgeons just getting really good at their jobs? Homicides are tip of the iceberg.

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It is a tough call. We do keep getting better at repairing trauma (wars help teach us to be better at life and limb salvage), and very few shooters routinely practice at the range, thanks for small favors. There was an informal tally kept at a trauma center where I worked, and GSW survival was 70% on first admission, 50% second admission, but 15% on the third. 🤷‍♀️

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Just a minor quibble: I wouldn’t describe PA as “deep blue.” Philadelphia and a handful of other cities are, but the rest of the state is very red. PA voted Trump in 2016 and Biden only won by 1.2% in 2020. We had a republican governor as recently as 2014, and both houses of the legislature have been republican controlled since 2011.*

Edit: My error: Democrats took control of the PA House in 2023.

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I wonder how many of these states’ legislatures will flip red in 2024, too. Remember the “shellacking” of 2010?

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*Shivers, remembering the backlash of the Obama/Biden win, flipping my state I was in (North Carolina) after decades of Democratic control* Oh, yes. Yes, I do remember.

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You’re right, PA is more accurately described as purple. Midwest rust belt states like WI & MI also confuse me because they are so much swingier than other places I’ve lived that are more accurately describing as deep red (Alaska) or deep blue (Washington & Illinois)

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