Republicans block research on gun violence, because knowledge might lead to action

How serious a public health issue is gun violence? Any information we have on that sure won't be funded by the government—House Republicans just blocked Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey's effort to reverse a ban on funding the Centers for Disease Control to research gun violence. The reasoning was pretty simple: If we know more, we might do something about it.

In the GOP panel’s report on the funding bill, Republicans wrote that the ban is to protect the rights granted by the Second Amendment.

“The restriction is to prevent activity that would undertake activities (to include data collection) for current or future research, including under the title 'gun violence prevention,' that could be used in any manner to result in a future policy, guidelines, or recommendations to limit access to guns, ammunition, or to create a list of gun owners,” the report says.

Seriously. Having the data on what's actually happening in the United States would be a threat to the ridiculous over-expansion of the Second Amendment. Arguing for less knowledge because more might endanger your priorities is a corrupt, disgusting position to take ... but it's hardly the first time Republicans have taken such a position.