Reply #2: Have you heard the latest meme?

[X_Digger]

WaPo is at it again..

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/28/AR2010122803737.html

Military and law enforcement officers there have seized some 60,000 weapons that were used in these crimes and traced to the United States.

That link leads to another WaPo story.. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/12/AR2010121202663.html

Federal authorities say more than 60,000 U.S. guns of all types have been recovered in Mexico in the past four years, helping fuel the violence that has contributed to 30,000 deaths. Mexican President Felipe Calderon came to Washington in May and urged Congress and President Obama to stop the flow of guns south.

Now, if you find the statement from Calderon made before congress, it's a bit different..

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/05/mexican_president_challenges_c.html

Just to give you an idea, we have seized 75,000 guns and assault weapons in Mexico in the last three years. And more than 80 percent of those we have been able to trace came from the United States — from the United States.

Notice that Calderon did not say that 80% of the guns seized came from the US- he said 80% of the guns seized that were able to be traced.

Now where did WaPo get that magic 60,000 number? Well, 80% of 75,000 is.. *drumroll* 60,000!!

When you look for an actual count, you find this GAO report-

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09781t.pdf

Adding up the numbers from 2007 and 2008, you get a total of- 9,760. If you add in 2009's 4,449 - http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/downloads/pdf/issue_brief_mexico_2010.pdf -- you get 14,209. -- not 60,000.

A more accurate figure, based on verifiable facts, would be 19% of those guns seized- not 90%-- 14,200 not 60,000.