Colon Cancer Mortality Rates

This map first struck me because of the obvious disparity between the great lakes/rust belt region and the rest of the country. It would seem as though the industrial chemicals that are prevalent in the area, along with other factors, are causing lots of harm. However, on closer inspection, we see how this graphic lies to us. By choosing a scale from bright red to cool blue, they highlight the differences from area to area. But the differences are really not large. The difference between the brightest red and the middle white is about 6 deaths in 100,000. This map exaggerates the differences between areas way to much.