Neil deGrasse Tyson was the butt of criticism after posting a tweet that downplayed the impact of the mass shootings in El Paso, and Dayton, Ohio that left at least 29 people dead.
‘In the past 48hrs, the USA horrifically lost 34 people to mass shootings,’ the astrophysicist wrote.’On average, across any 48hrs, we also lose… 500 to Medical errors … 300 to the Flu … 250 to Suicide … 200 to Car Accidents … 40 to Homicide via Handgun.’
The 60-year-old wrapped up in saying, ‘Often our emotions respond more to spectacle than to data.
The latest: Neil deGrasse Tyson, 60, was the butt of criticism after posting a tweet that downplayed the impact of the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio that left at least 29 people dead
The Manhattan native was taken to task by a number of other users on the site, including the band Smashmouth, who wrote, ‘F*** OFF!!!!There’s your data!!!!’
Activist Shannon Watts took a more eloquent approach in a tweet illustrating the flaw in Tyson’s logic.
‘Cold take, Neil,’ Watts wrote. ‘200+ Americans died from gun violence in the past 48 hours. And you list causes of death that are researched, regulated and also happen in other high income countries.
‘Our gun violence crisis is preventable and senseless and driven by a special interest.’
All-star response: The band Smash Mouth received a bonanza of likes after its short, direct message to Tyson
Responses: A number of people took the astrophysicist to task over his sentiments