Statistics

Isn't it ironic that an editor's note cites a figure from the National Abortion Rights Action League following a Letter to the Editor pointing out that no one has died in an abortion-clinic bombing? Of the 24 injuries, I'm sure the majority include having a torn shirt or being jostled in a crowded area. Not that I agree with the above - it's wrong. My point: Why didn't you also mention the statistic that nearly 10 million children have been murdered since 1980 by abortion and compare that figure with 24 "injuries"?

Are there actually seven million Americans unemployed? Did Americans really produce $3.6 trillion worth of goods and services last year? How did someone calculate that 9.8 million automobiles were sold in the United States in 1985? And how much more was spent on new plants and equipment in 1985 compared to 1984? Each of those statistics, however, is critical to policy making and planning. Statistics are an integral part of every aspect of American life. They not only measure what has been accomplished, they also are the foundation upon which much planning for the future is based.

The East Goshen Planning Commission is considering how best to update the township's vital statistics and whether to regulate the use of satellite dishes. In response to a request from the Board of Supervisors, the commission will be updating statistics and looking at long-range goals for the township. Among those statistics are the number of acres developed, the number undeveloped, the township population, the number of residences and traffic statistics. But Janet Emanuel, who chairs the commission, said she doubted the update was necessary.

Two years ago, a provocative study made headlines nationwide: Legalization of abortions in the 1970s had reduced crime rates in the 1990s. Two months ago, a little-publicized study reached the opposite conclusion: Legalized abortion actually raised the adult murder rate in the 1990s. Statistics, it seems, rarely have been more ubiquitous in public discourse, nor more questionable and confusing. Whether it's unborn criminals, census undercounts, or divorce rates, the American public and news media have been getting hard lessons lately in "numeracy" - literacy in numbers.

Some of the leading batters in Southeastern Pennsylvania baseball, as reported to The Inquirer. Statistics are through Monday. Hitting Minimum of 50 at-bats. Player   School   AB   R   H   RBI   Avg.     Kyle McCrossen   Archbishop Wood   62   28   39   33   .629    Mike Zolk   Neumann-Goretti   80   36   50   38   .625    Mark Gervasi   Central   54   29   30   24   .556    Kevin Jewitt   West Chester Rustin   79   27   39   28   .549    Sam Lis   Central Bucks West   51   18   22   8   .547    Mike Cavallaro   Central   51   25   27   19   .529    Matt Hanson   Central Bucks West   52   13   20   9   .516    Matt Wagner   Conwell-Egan   51   19   26   22   .510    Norm Donkin   Ridley   59   19   30   19   .508    Jake Poeske   Central Bucks West   51   11   21   14   .508    Jimmy Kerrigan   Neumann-Goretti   64   24   32   28   .500    Tim Lazor   Holy Ghost Prep   60   23   30   24   .500    Joey Casselbury   Methacton   89   15   44   30   .494    Dylan Glassmire   Central Bucks South   65   15   32   27   .492    J.T. Crits   Wissahickon   56   13   27   19   .482   ...

  Player G   FG-A   FG%   FT-A   FT%   OR   DR   TR   A   TO   Avg.    Holiday . . . 6   39-94   .415   22-28   .786   10   21   31   28   10   18.2    Williams . . . 6   24-65   .369   25-32   .781   1   7   8   15   9   12.8    Iguodala . . . 6   26-74   .351   15-19   .789   5   30   35   21   4   12.0   ...

To truly appreciate this great, complicated sport of baseball, it isn't enough just to understand the nuances of the hit-and-run and stuff like that. Nah, everyone knows that what you really need is a doctorate in mathematics. Aw, OK, we'll accept a master's maybe, but it had better be from a heck of a school. Well, whatever, the degree isn't the big thing here. The big thing is that, if you want to qualify as an authoritative baseball expert, you have to be able to spout as many essential-type baseball statistics per second as possible.

The 39-year-old man shot to death in Chester on Thursday was the city's fifth homicide victim of 2012, and another sign that Delaware County's most beleaguered community can be a dangerous place. "Your chances of being a victim of violence while living in Chester are astronomically higher than if you live in Philadelphia," said Andrew Schiller, founder of Location Inc., a data-mining firm that markets to real estate companies and that last month listed Chester as the country's second-most dangerous city.

Misleading child-snatching statistics, bureaucratic infighting and a rise in fly-by-night businesses hoping to profit from parental fears have been byproducts of the explosion of attention devoted to missing children, a congressional panel was told yesterday. Representatives of missing children's groups told a House subcommittee that the problem of children being abducted by strangers had been exaggerated, with some questioning whether the use of photographs of missing children on milk cartons, posters and shopping bags had become excessive and frightening.

Player G   FG-A   FG%   FT-A   FT%   OR   DR   TR   A   TO   Avg.    Pierce . . . 6   42-98   .429   34-39   .872   3   35   38   23   21   21.2    Garnett . . . 6   45-89   .506   22-25   .880   9   54   63   12   8   18.7    Rondo . . . 5   38-82   .463   5-9   .556   6   22   28   59   18   16.8    ...

NEW YORK - The zigzag in the stock market last week may leave you wondering queasily: Will this quarter build on the blockbuster gains from the start of the year or wipe them away? History suggests the winning streak will continue. Over the past 30 years, strong quarters like the one that ended in March have tended to be followed by more gains. Smaller gains, usually, but gains nonetheless. From 1982, the start of what some consider the modern era of investing, through the end of last year, there were 17 quarters in which the Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 10 percent or more.

The 39-year-old man shot to death in Chester on Thursday was the city's fifth homicide victim of 2012, and another sign that Delaware County's most beleaguered community can be a dangerous place. "Your chances of being a victim of violence while living in Chester are astronomically higher than if you live in Philadelphia," said Andrew Schiller, founder of Location Inc., a data-mining firm that markets to real estate companies and that last month listed Chester as the country's second-most dangerous city.

Opening: Preview, Monday-May 24; grand opening, May 25. Size: 6.3 million square feet, 47 stories on 20 acres. Cost: $2.4 billion. Guest rooms and suites: 1,898 (all rooms have ocean views). Smoking policy: 100 percent smoke-free. Spa: 31,000 square feet. Retail: 55,000 square feet. Theaters: Two, with capacity for 5,050 and 700 seats, respectively. Nightclubs: Two. Day clubs: One, featuring performance deck, cabanas and saltwater pool (42,000 square feet of space)

Southeastern Pa. Basketball Scoring Leaders Here are some of the top scorers in Southeastern Pennsylvania basketball. Statistics are through Wednesday. Boys Player   School   Gms.   Pts.   Avg.      Nadir Matthews   Bodine   17   494   29.1    Savon Goodman   Constitution   26   676   26.0    Jordan Reed   Wissahickon   26   646   24.8    Larry Webster   Parkway West   20   484   24.2    Ben Holl   Friends Select   22   502   22.8    Jamal Nwaniemeka   Conwell-Egan   23   502   21.8    Tim Abruzzo   Pennridge   22   470   21.4    Steve Vasturia   St.