Omnibus Bill removes existing checks on funding of JUNK SCIENCE ANTIGUN RESEARCH

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abajaj11

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I got the mail below from Gun Owners of America. They very rarely send out an email, and when Larry Pratt asks for help it's usually for a good reason.


Within the next few days, Congress will consummate a deal on the massive “omnibus” appropriations bill to fund all discretionary functions of the government.

House Speaker Paul Ryan is widely reported to be crafting a deal which would pass the bill with Democratic votes -- in lieu of conservative pro-gun Republicans.

In particular, Pelosi is demanding that Congress remove “boilerplate” text which has existed for twenty years -- language that prevents the use of taxpayer dollars for “junk science” government studies in support of gun control.

According to The Hill this weekend, while many Republicans are balking at Pelosi’s request, some have indicated that they are willing to engage in some horse-trading on this issue, and “House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has declined to take a position” at all.

We saw on Sunday how newspapers like the New York Times use fraudulent “studies” from anti-gun nuts like the “Violence Policy Center” -- and then pretend how these Leftist kooks are “unbiased.”

Imagine how much worse this would be if liberal Obama-controlled government agencies began pushing these same corrupt anti-gun “analyses.”

Remember, there’s a reason that Congress defunded this research in the first place.

Remember Dr. Mark Rosenberg, a former head of the CDC's National Center for Injury Control and Prevention in 1994, who said: "We need to revolutionize the way we look at guns, like what we did with cigarettes.... Now [smoking] is dirty, deadly, and banned."

And don’t forget Arthur Kellerman who, using CDC funds, published a study in 1993 supposedly claiming that a gun in the home is roughly three times more likely to be used against the homeowner, than to be used in self-defense.

For years, Kellerman’s junk science “research” was used by every anti-gun nut in America to demonize firearms. That is, until parts of his data were finally released in the late 1990s, and it became very clear that Kellerman had skewed his data.

If Ryan were to agree to Democrat demands for “junk science gun control” -- in order to get their votes -- he would be doing something that even his predecessor, John Boehner, wouldn't have done, turning the appropriations process over to Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats.

So please contact your Representative. Tell him or her to vote against any version of the “omnibus” which would allow fraudulent anti-gun “junk science” studies by Obama's government agencies.

To contact your congressman you can go here:

http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/

________________________________________________________________________
This is the email I sent to my congressman:

Dear XXX,
I have heard that House Speaker Paul Ryan is planning to push an omnibus bill that MAY TAKE OUT THE TEXT THAT BANS CONGRESS FROM FUNDING JUNK SCIENCE STUDIES related to GUN CONTROL.

There’s a reason that Congress defunded this research in the first place.

Remember Dr. Mark Rosenberg, a former head of the CDC's National Center for Injury Control and Prevention in 1994, who said: "We need to revolutionize the way we look at guns, like what we did with cigarettes.... Now [smoking] is dirty, deadly, and banned."

And don’t forget Arthur Kellerman who, using CDC funds, published a study in 1993 supposedly claiming that a gun in the home is roughly three times more likely to be used against the homeowner, than to be used in self-defense.

For years, Kellerman’s junk science “research” was used by every anti-gun nut in America to demonize firearms. That is, until parts of his data were finally released in the late 1990s, and it became very clear that Kellerman had skewed his data.

If Ryan were to agree to Democrat demands for “junk science gun control” -- in order to get their votes -- he would be doing something that even his predecessor, John Boehner, wouldn't have done, turning the appropriations process over to Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats.

So please vote against any version of the “omnibus” which would allow fraudulent anti-gun “junk science” studies by Obama's government agencies.


Sincerely
YYYY
 
There are a lot of 1993-1994 quotes that elements at the CDC made their minds up in favor of gun control, and decided to generate research to promote gun control. Patrick O'Carroll, Acting Section Head of the Division of Injury Control, Centers for Disease Control:
"We’re going to systematically build a case that owning firearms causes deaths. We’re doing the most we can do, given the political realities."

What kind of "science" do you get from research designed to support a presumption? Politicized lobbying in favor of a medical crusade ... anyone else remember the 1924 Racial Integrity Act of Virginia?

Doing research to support a political theory is not classic scientific method. That is why the CDC Appropriations Act forbids use to federal funds to lobby Congress.

Additional Requirement 13 aka AR13 on CDC funding grants for research:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grants/additional_req.shtm#ar13
AR-13: Prohibition on Use of CDC Funds for Certain Gun Control Activities

The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act specifies that: "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."

Anti-Lobbying Act requirements prohibit lobbying Congress with appropriated Federal monies. Specifically, this Act prohibits the use of Federal funds for direct or indirect communications intended or designed to influence a member of Congress with regard to specific Federal legislation. This prohibition includes the funding and assistance of public grassroots campaigns intended or designed to influence members of Congress with regard to specific legislation or appropriation by Congress.

In addition to the restrictions in the Anti-Lobbying Act, CDC interprets the language in the CDC's Appropriations Act to mean that CDC's funds may not be spent on political action or other activities designed to affect the passage of specific Federal, State, or local legislation intended to restrict or control the purchase or use of firearms.

The Administration wants the CDC, part of the Executive branch, to use federal funds approriated from Congress, to lobby the Legislative branch in favor of gun control legislation in violation of the existing Anti-Lobbying Act and the CDC Appropriations Act restrictions against blatantly politicized research to promote an apriori assumption.
 
It is reported that CDC funding for research did not survive in the final deal on the spending bill.

Noticeably missing from the deal — and a blow to congressional Democrats — is the lifting the nearly 20-year ban on the Centers for Disease Control to study the impact of gun violence. That despite Pelosi personally raising the issue with the speaker himself late last week.
 
"Noticeably missing from the deal -- and a blow to congressional Democrats -- is the lifting the nearly 20-year ban on the Centers for Disease Control to study the impact of gun violence. That despite Pelosi personally raising the issue with the speaker himself late last week." -- Alex Moe and Frank Thorp V, "House Democrats Have Concerns Over Details in Trillion-Dollar Spending Deal", NBC News 16 Dec 2015 4:10pm ET.

No. What was not repealed was AR-13: Prohibition on Use of CDC Funds for Certain Gun Control Activities to wit: "CDC's funds may not be spent on political action or other activities designed to affect the passage of specific Federal, State, or local legislation intended to restrict or control the purchase or use of firearms."

Doublespeak.
 
Sounds like a crisis averted, for now. Good thing Pelosi attached her name to the issue, or it could've been missed.

In these brave new days of 2000pg bills being routine (thank you again, Ms. Pelosi), legislation becomes more, not less fluid as it approaches passage. We will need to keep a very close eye on this (and the terror watchlist garbage that even a bunch of 'gun-friendly' republicans voted in favor of today)

"Doublespeak."
More like triple negatives. The repeal of language forbidding an (already illegal) activity was rejected by failing in the senate :rolleyes:

TCB
 
I'll bet money that quite a bit of the stupid government grants for BS studies winds back in some politicians pocket. I think the politicians use those studies and get kickbacks from who ever get the grant. good Old boy politica at it's best.
 
Done.

Thanks for the links. Makes it real easy. I heard about this on the radio yesterday.

As there are attempts to get states to enact restrictions on their level it is a good idea to remind your state reps where you stand as well.
 
I don't want to hijack this thread, and am glad that the crisis was averted, but I want to learn more about this particular piece of legislation about CDC funding for firearms. In my discussions with gun control proponents and fence sitters this issue often comes up. The popular narrative now is that the big bad NRA lobby passed this funding freeze to stifle research. Now that I have seen the text here it seems like the CDC should still be able to fund studies and collect data as long as it's not explicitly against guns, so why don't they?

The reason this often comes up is in conversations is that A) both sides question each other's fact sources and often agree that there is almost always flaws or biases. B) I'm able to convince them that many of the common pro-gun bills would be useless (i.e. assault rifle bans, high-cap mags, UBCs) but they when they want to know what measures would work (to theoretically provide a more thoughtful base for discussion) there is no reliable research to suggest what would work (because of the funding freeze).

So what should be my response, and if not the CDC who should we rely on to research the gun issues.
 
"I'll bet money that quite a bit of the stupid government grants for BS studies winds back in some politicians pocket. I think the politicians use those studies and get kickbacks from who ever get the grant. good Old boy politica at it's best."
Not so simple as that, but the paid researchers kick back favorable research supporting the pol's positions/policy. Not entirely their fault, since the money is only sent to favorable researchers, but the effect is basically politicians buying propaganda with citizens' money to support their legislative efforts. They can only do this now because of all the bureaus and agencies that can ostensibly benefit from the research.

TCB
 
I don't want to hijack this thread, and am glad that the crisis was averted, but I want to learn more about this particular piece of legislation about CDC funding for firearms. In my discussions with gun control proponents and fence sitters this issue often comes up. The popular narrative now is that the big bad NRA lobby passed this funding freeze to stifle research. Now that I have seen the text here it seems like the CDC should still be able to fund studies and collect data as long as it's not explicitly against guns, so why don't they?

The reason this often comes up is in conversations is that A) both sides question each other's fact sources and often agree that there is almost always flaws or biases. B) I'm able to convince them that many of the common pro-gun bills would be useless (i.e. assault rifle bans, high-cap mags, UBCs) but they when they want to know what measures would work (to theoretically provide a more thoughtful base for discussion) there is no reliable research to suggest what would work (because of the funding freeze).

So what should be my response, and if not the CDC who should we rely on to research the gun issues.
Glad we dodged that one.
I view this issue the same way as having the government fund studies on whether free speech on the Internet is dangerous or not. Would we allow that with regards to 1A?
Bet you China, Saudi Arabia, etc have numerous "studies" showing how unregulated Internet usage can hurt the citizens. Studies not worth the paper they are printed on.

There are two possible takes on 2A:
a)It is meant to protect the citizenry from a central militia working on behalf of a potential tyrant(in other words to allow us to regulate the militia)
OR
b) We the people are the militia , and a well run militia is essential to our security from a potential tyrant.

It is important to note that ALL governments, however well meaning, are potential tyrants. They all fear a well armed citizenry.

Why on earth would we have an organization that fears "something" be able to fund studies "investigating" whether that "something" is good or not?
Studies funded by the organization will ALWAYS prove that "something" is bad.
In this case the "something" is 2A.
:)

To your question about what would work? One possible source of good peer reviewed analysis is "more guns, less crime" by John Lott.
Also recall that the only 3 armed societies in the world are Afghanistan, Switzerland and USA. Culturally the 3 are very different. All they have in common is that the populace is armed.
None of these have EVER been subjugated by a tyrant, since their populace became armed. The Nazis did not dare subjugate the Swiss, the British Empire and the Soviet Empire got screwed in Afghanistan, the Japanese did not dare invade the US homeland.

Also, people in all 3 societies are inherently polite with each other (we should NOT confuse afghanis with the foreign fighters and Taliban).
Bottom Line: Armed societies are free, polite societes with reduced crime.
 
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The CDC will be outright filming AdCouncil propaganda against firearms within a fortnight if this funding is restored. Keep in mind that the CDC actually does studies on how to reduce public consumption of tobacco, citing its indisputable claims of a health risk. Very dangerous path to tread when we realize they already see gun violence as a 'disease' along with gun ownership. The left had such great and unadulterated success destroying the tobacco industry largely through whole-cloth propaganda generated by the CDC*, that they would scarcely be able to contain themselves if they got the opportunity to use it against firearms (or especially the NRA).

At that point, the NRA/us would be facing:
-Overwhelming media bias and misreporting
-An adamant president condemning the organization's goals
-Politicians pushing proposals to undermine the organization
-Endless reams of studies like Bloomberg's, but with several orders of magnitude more funding and presumed legitimacy
-Renewed judicial emphasis on these presently-discredited bogus studies
-The renewed portrayal of gun control as a curative to a disease
-Special interest groups lobbying representatives as always against us
-The renewed conflation with lawful gun ownership with terrorist activities

All working in tandem with each other. It's a tough row to hoe as it is, but CDC 'research' legitimizing our oppositions' claims may be enough to cause us to start back-sliding. Hell, two idiots with ARs in California may yet be able to.

TCB

*The truthfulness of their conclusions has nothing to do with how the personal choice to use tobacco was framed as a stain on society that needed elimination, nor how doggedly this narrative was pursued by ostensibly impartial researchers. Knowing what we know now about how scientific research really functions through the spectacle of global warming fraud, it casts a certain light on the similarly-unanimous condemnation of everything tobacco by all the 'expert scientists' of the 90's. We've actually since discovered that pretty much all the fear-mongering over second hand smoke was complete BS, and eCigs are suggesting on some levels that nicotine wasn't as directly harmful or addicting as was being claimed (I remember as a lad, nicotine being claimed more addicting than heroine in school)
 
Glad we dodged that one.
I view this issue the same way as having the government fund studies on whether free speech on the Internet is dangerous or not. Would we allow that with regards to 1A?
Bet you China, Saudi Arabia, etc have numerous "studies" showing how unregulated Internet usage can hurt the citizens. Studies not worth the paper they are printed on.

There are two possible takes on 2A:
a)It is meant to protect the citizenry from a central militia working on behalf of a potential tyrant(in other words to allow us to regulate the militia)
OR
b) We the people are the militia , and a well run militia is essential to our security from a potential tyrant.

It is important to note that ALL governments, however well meaning, are potential tyrants. They all fear a well armed citizenry.

Why on earth would we have an organization that fears "something" be able to fund studies "investigating" whether that "something" is good or not?
Studies funded by the organization will ALWAYS prove that "something" is bad.
In this case the "something" is 2A.
:)

To your question about what would work? One possible source of good peer reviewed analysis is "more guns, less crime" by John Lott.
Also recall that the only 3 armed societies in the world are Afghanistan, Switzerland and USA. Culturally the 3 are very different. All they have in common is that the populace is armed.
None of these have EVER been subjugated by a tyrant, since their populace became armed. The Nazis did not dare subjugate the Swiss, the British Empire and the Soviet Empire got screwed in Afghanistan, the Japanese did not dare invade the US homeland.

Also, people in all 3 societies are inherently polite with each other (we should NOT confuse afghanis with the foreign fighters and Taliban).
Bottom Line: Armed societies are free, polite societes with reduced crime.
The comparison with the 1st amendment is useful. Unfortunately a lot of the antis and fence sitters I talk to are rarely swayed by the constitutional argument. Either they believe the 2A is being misinterpreted or if they get backed into a wall I always hear the "well then it should be amended." I think the problem with many of the fence sitters is that they support the concept of self defense and hunting, but they already view firearms deaths as a disease that is facilitated by either the easy access or sheer number of guns in circulation. They only need to see a chart of gun deaths in America vs other countries and it seems clear to them that something should be done.
 
There are two possible takes on 2A:
a)It is meant to protect the citizenry from a central militia working on behalf of a potential tyrant(in other words to allow us to regulate the militia)
OR
b) We the people are the militia , and a well run militia is essential to our security from a potential tyrant.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia’s opinion for a 5-member majority in District of Columbia v. Heller(2008) has sussed out the militia piece of the Second Amendment:

The “militia” comprised all males physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense. The Antifederalists feared that the Federal Government would disarm the people in order to disable this citizens’ militia, enabling a politicized standing army or a select militia to rule. The response was to deny Congress power to abridge the ancient right of individuals to keep and bear arms, so that the ideal of a citizens’ militia would be preserved. Pp. 22–28.
 
Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia’s opinion for a 5-member majority in District of Columbia v. Heller(2008) has sussed out the militia piece of the Second Amendment:

The “militia” comprised all males physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense. The Antifederalists feared that the Federal Government would disarm the people in order to disable this citizens’ militia, enabling a politicized standing army or a select militia to rule. The response was to deny Congress power to abridge the ancient right of individuals to keep and bear arms, so that the ideal of a citizens’ militia would be preserved. Pp. 22–28.
Yes, the Heller opinion used the second interpretation: that we are the militia.

For the folks who view gun deaths, versus other deaths, I have one response:
Would you rather be stabbed than shot?
 
"For the folks who view gun deaths, versus other deaths, I have one response:
Would you rather be stabbed than shot?"
Believe it or not, most probably do. They probably see knives as less lethal, or largely non-lethal, contrary to all evidence of reality. The probably think a knifeman can't kill a room full of people given the time, or cause heinous injuries. For a knife shorter than 4", I'd probably prefer the blade, but anything more than that, it's basically a wash with firearms; probably not lethal with urgent medical care, but near-instantly fatal otherwise.

When you've lived your whole life without any exposure to conflict, let alone violence, you get some very warped perceptions about the world; like how using a baseball bat to defend yourself is somehow effective enough for a small woman to do without much training, and isn't the most brutal and disgusting way to dispatch an attacker imaginable. Blood, broken bones, organ damage, and brute strength don't even figure into their sanitized world view; the only thing they know is that guns are louder than other methods (or conversely, quieter than all other methods with a 'silencer')

TCB
 
Yes.
A swordsman with some rudimentary skill can wreak havoc in a closed space. Limbs can easily get hacked off with single strokes.
A slash from a 3.5 inch plus blade can cause all sorts of life altering injuries.
A bullet wound may be more controlled in some cases.
Main difference is that infirm people can use a gun with less training.

Guns are the great equalizer in protecting the infirm, the weak and the few from the able, the strong and the many.
:)
 
So why is allowing funding for government run studies so bad, when private folk with big money (like B berg) are funding such junk already?

The key for the anti-2Aers is to get the Center for Disease Control to fund some junk studies...then these "findings" can be incorporated into Obama Care..For example they can find that "improper storage" of guns results in one death too many, and is a health hazard worthy of inspection. So if you have guns, they can schedule annual inspections in your home. Only fair and reasonable, right, because "we now know that guns are not harmless and can be a hazard to innocent people just by lying there" or some such gobbledygook.

They can make it a felony to lie on the medical info form you fill out if you have guns or not, since guns will be "proven" to cause harm to others.
They can do all sorts of things once they have some CDC funded studies.
Bloomberg is an interested party, the CDC is supposed to be "disinterested" and scientific.

Making policy and legislation based on bloomberg funded studies may seem fishy, but what "reasonable person" can argue with our hallowed CDC?
Hence it is necessary to BLOCK this insidious removal of language holding the government funded studies in check.
 
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