Last four surgeons general call on CDC to resume gun violence studies

[n2doc]

A ban on federal funding for gun violence research was criticized today by a group of four former U.S. surgeons general, including a President George W. Bush appointee.

These former public health leaders called on Congress to end the controversial 20-year-old ban, joining a growing number of doctors and elected officials who object to the 1996 federal budget amendment that essentially prohibits the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from investigating shootings as a public health problem.

The ban, long a sore spot in the medical community, jumped into the national spotlight after the 2014 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn. President Obama ordered the CDC to get back to studying the causes of gun violence. But the agency didn't move because of the 1996 budget language that has been reauthorized every year by Congress.

“It is only through research that we can begin to address this menace to our nation’s public health,” wrote the three former surgeons general appointed by a Democrat, Regina Benjamin, Joycelyn Elders and David Satcher.

more

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/14/the-last-four-surgeons-general-call-on-cdc-to-resume-gun-violence-studies/

[2naSalit]

1. K&R

[Hekate]

2. KnR

[silvershadow]

3. K&R

[LiberalLovinLug]

4. Ok. Let me get this straight

As a Canadian, I find it hard to wrap my head around this. We are not talking about banning guns, even assault like rifles, or even talking about closing loopholes at gun shows or background checks. We are talking simply about studying the impact of "shootings as a public health problem"? And this has been a 20 year ban? Wow, I'm gobsmacked as they say across the pond.

the NRA's influence is like an asshole at a bar that you can't even dare look at or he'll puff up and turn to you while his maniacal friends stand up behind him, as he says "What are YOU looking at!"

[tortoise1956]

5. Actually, there is no ban

Here is the amendment:

“None of the funds made available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be used to advocate or promote gun control.”

Simply studying gun violence is allowed - crossing the line into advocacy isn't.

[LiberalLovinLug]

6. Oh, ok

Still, I'm sure the Republicans especially, want to blur the lines between what is "advocacy" and what is "studying". I mean isn't their whole fight against this because its pretty predictable that any kind of study will come to a conclusion that more could be done to prevent gun violence, and there is not one solution that the Republicans, and DINO Dixie Dems, want to hear about.

[tortoise1956]

7. The problem lies in what is an acceptable solution

Neither side will compromise.

However, if the CDC puts out facts on the causes behind the gun violence, that would probably be acceptable. For example, mental illness is a huge factor in gun deaths, especially suicides. Treat mental illness as an epidemic, put programs in place that actually deal with root causes, and reduce suicides. Another one - how many people are killed every year because of the futile war on drugs? As a start, legalize cannabis and tax the shit out of it. Use the proceeds for drug treatment programs of the nasty stuff like heroin and meth.

These two items alone would probably put a large dent in gun violence, and would most likely meet with public approval.

[jimmy the one]

10. War on DrugsII, nobel peace prize

tortoise: Here is the amendment: “None of the funds made available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be used to advocate or promote gun control.”
Simply studying gun violence is allowed - crossing the line into advocacy isn't.

The way this could be interpreted would allow the gun lobby to criticize Center for Disease Control (CDC) for any gun violence study which cast a bad light upon guns, while allowing favorable pro gun studies. Best of both worlds for the gun lobby, enabling them to point to CDC studies showing how nice & safe & fun gun ownership is, with no counterpoint.
In other words a biased imposition which CDC might not want to 'violate' due a greater excuse to curtail it's funding.
Don't try to put a smiley face on the restriction to CDC funding for gun violence studies. It's chicanery.

tortoise: However, if the CDC puts out facts on the causes behind the gun violence, that would probably be acceptable.

Can't stop coughing. Causes including felons avoiding background checks, ex felons with gun rights reinstated via state law or fopa and endorsed by the NRA? Plea bargaining gun felonies down to misdemeanors or tossed out? High capacity magazines? cheap handguns? gun lobby propaganda that more guns make a family safer? aren't these causes?

tortoise: For example, mental illness is a huge factor in gun deaths, especially suicides. Treat mental illness as an epidemic, put programs in place that actually deal with root causes, and reduce suicides.

Wow, how simple the tortoise solution! how have we missed this all these years?? Let's start mass dialing our congress peoples with a link to this thread. Tortoise, how should we treat 'getting jilted by my first girl'?

tortoise: Another one - how many people are killed every year because of the futile war on drugs? As a start, legalize cannabis and tax the shit out of it. Use the proceeds for drug treatment programs of the nasty stuff like heroin and meth.
These two items alone would probably put a large dent in gun violence, and would most likely meet with public approval.

Wow again! let's nominate tortoise for the nobel peace prize for his simple solutions to american gun problems.
Simple all right. War on DrugsII.

[flamin lib]

8. Yeah, like studying the use of vaccines. Just don't draw any conclusions about their use. nt

[billh58]

9. Access to Guns Increases Risk of Suicide, Homicide

Someone with access to firearms is three times more likely to commit suicide and nearly twice as likely to be the victim of a homicide as someone who does not have access, according to a comprehensive review of the scientific literature conducted by researchers at UC San Francisco.

The meta-analysis, published online Jan. 20 in Annals of Internal Medicine, pools results from 15 investigations, slightly more than half of which were done after a 1996 federal law prohibited the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from funding research that could be seen as promoting gun control. The review excluded studies that relied on survey data to estimate gun ownership and focused instead on studies that included more specific information about whether victims had access to guns.

All but two of the studies were done in the United States, where gun ownership is higher than anywhere else in the world and firearms cause an estimated 31,000 deaths each year. The review included studies about deaths by suicide and homicide but not accidental deaths.

Researchers found striking gender differences in the data. When firearms were accessible, men were nearly four times more likely to commit suicide than when firearms were not accessible, while women were almost three times more likely to be victims of homicide.

https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2014/01/111286/access-guns-increases-risk-suicide-homicide

The Second Amendment absolutist talking point that "better mental health care" will solve the suicide problem is hogwash, and they know it. To spout such nonsense is blatantly disingenuous and an outright falsification of the facts.