On 10/7/2013 9:08 PM, LizR wrote:
On 8 October 2013 16:36, meekerdb <meeke...@verizon.net <mailto:meeke...@verizon.net>>
wrote:
On 10/7/2013 8:15 PM, LizR wrote:
Oops, silly me, it was in the very same article. I missed it when I skimmed
through
to check...
*TO: After recent mass shootings, hasn't funding for gun violence
research
received more attention?*
*GM:* There is a proposal in Congress to allow for $10 million in
research
funding. But I suspect it essentially has no chance of making it. Even
if it
did, our Department of Health and Human Services prohibits any of the
funds
from being used
<http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2012/12/gun_violence_research_nra_and_congress_blocked_gun_control_studies_at_cdc.html>,
and I'm quoting directly here, “to advocate or promote gun control
<http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-CE-07-001.html>.”
That means
even if I had money to do the research, it would be a crime to talk
about the
policy implications.
That assumes the result of the research would imply gun control. Would the
research
consider the possibility of armed revolt against and oppressive government
which was
the original motivation for the 2nd amendment? Would he consider the value
of
recreational hunting? I think not. I think the researcher had already
assumed his
conclusion. Just because a certain device results in people being killed
and
injured is not sufficient reason for banning it. I'm sure there would be
fewer
deaths per year if motorcycles were banned, ditto for sky diving, swimming,
skiing,
and drinking beer.
That wasn't the impression I got. I assumed he was saying that /if/ that was the case,
then he'd be gagged.
Suppose his research showed that liberalized concealed carry laws reduced gun violence (a
popular argument among gun-rights advocates). Then he wouldn't be gagged. So he was
assuming the opposite conclusion in order to infer reporting the study would be a crime.
(But anyway, this does show that there are legal constraints on reporting some possible
results, which is all he said, and wha I quoted.)
I'm not sure whether a technical report of research would count as advocacy
or
political action or not. But the reason is obvious. Congress doesn't want
the CDC
going around them to advocate for legislation. And in any case the Supreme
court
has ruled that owning a gun is a Constitutionally guaranteed individual
right,
subject only to "reasonable restrictions".
Well, if it wouldn't be advocacy then he's OK to report whatever he sees fit. Personally
I would think it shouldn't be considered advocacy, but he's closer to the whole thing
and he seems to think it would.
Bureaucrats tend to be timid about offending Congress and may self-censor.
The Anti-Lobbying rule has been around a long time and wasn't motivated by
gun
control issues.
You're telling me /no one/ is allowed to lobby the US govt???
No, nobody who is an employee of the U.S. government is allowed to lobby it. Civil
service employees and uniformed military are not allowed to campaign for any partisan
candidates either (even in local elections if they are partisan).
Oh well, anyway .... I suppose I shouldn't make so much fuss, although as I said I find
the child deaths horrifying (as I do the millions of unnecessary child deaths worldwide,
most caused by diseases even more preventable than US firearm deaths). But if adult
Americans want to shoot one another, I guess that's their business. I don't live there,
thank God!
Yes, it's unfortunate that the psychology seems to be "It's dangerous out there. So I
should be able to have a gun to protect myself." That's what defeated a gun ban in
Brazil, which has even more shootings than the U.S., in spite of requirements to register
and license all guns.
Brent
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