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Republicans Obstructing Data Gathering on Gun Violence
The reason we keep having the same ideological, emotional debate about the cause of gun violence is simple: We don’t have good data to guide us.
So anyone can promote their own pet theories with nothing to refute them except…someone else’s pet theory. The left and right seem equally guilty here.
But what is not equal on the left and right is the approach to solving this problem. Basically, the left wants to gather data, i.e. use science, to illuminate the issue, and the right is doing everything they can to stop that from happening.
http://thehill.com/policy/finance/245983-gop-panel-votes-to-keep-funding-ban-for-gun-violence-research
http://www.propublica.org/article/republicans-say-no-to-cdc-gun-violence-research
http://www.thetakeaway.org/story/gop-rejects-gun-violence-research/
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/gop-gun-violence-cdc-study-charleston-south-carolina-119384
Here’s my advice: if you know the answer to root cause analysis is gathering data, find the people who are keeping that from happening.
Those are the people who are afraid of what they data will show.
Notes
I think the data are likely to show many non-liberal-friendly things as well, so it’s not like I think the truth is fully liberal on this matter. The fact that the Oregon shooter got his guns legally, and that 79% of mass shootings are done with legal weapons is a great example of where the data is counter to the liberal narrative. But the Republicans will maintain ZERO credibility while they continue to obstruct the collection of data on the matter.