California Puts Taxpayer Dollars Into Anti-Gun Research Center

We all know that CDC has been prevented from doing firearm research, and arguably they should be–firearms are not a actually a disease. That said, I’m not personally opposed to actual scientific, unbiased research being done. The problem is that guns are such a trigger topic for people, I think it is truly impossible to conduct such research. Both sides manipulate the data to “prove” their point.

Given that the CDC is still no help in producing “proof” of how bad guns are, the state of California has launched “the first state-funded center in the country dedicated to studying gun violence”. The center is located at the University of California, Davis and will be directed by Dr. Garen Wintemute, an emergency medical physician who has already been doing firearm violence research, albeit with an anti-gun stance (and has apparently contributed nearly one million dollars of his own money to the cause).

Wintemute states that “Firearm violence is a major problem.” I would argue that violence is a major problem. Maybe that should be the focus to utilize the $5 million in appropriations the center will be receiving over the next five years. Despite the somewhat anti-firearm tone of the article, the Wikipedia post on “Violence” produces this quote:

There is a strong relationship between levels of violence and modifiable factors such as concentrated poverty, income and gender inequality, the harmful use of alcohol, and the absence of safe, stable, and nurturing relationships between children and parents. Strategies addressing the underlying causes of violence can be effective in preventing violence.

I think the problem is how this is being conducted and by whom. It’s in a known liberal state, funded by a known liberal state government, at a known liberal institution, and directed by a likely biased individual. Does anyone actually think any results they effort out will be unbiased?

With enough mass and a loud enough voice, they can become the de facto “expert” in the field. And that could have disastrous consequences for policies in every realm. Don’t think it is that big a deal? Or that research coming from California won’t have national reach? Try and go buy a decent fuel can that you don’t have to hold it a specific angle while holding a crappy spring valve and taking 30 minutes to pour five gallons of gas.

Doc Rader

Tom is a former Navy Corpsman that spent some time bumbling around the deserts of Iraq with a Marine Recon unit, kicking in tent flaps and harassing sheep. Before that, he was a paramedic somewhere in DFW, also doing some Executive Protection work between shifts. Now that those exciting days are behind him, he has embraced his inner “Warrior Hippie,” and assaults 14er in his sandals, and engages in rucking adventure challenges while consuming copious water. To fund these adventures, he writes all manner of content (having also held editor positions at several publications) and teaches wilderness medicine and off-road skills. He hopes that his posts will help you find the gear that will survive whatever you can throw at it (and the training to use it). Learn from his mistakes--he is known (in certain circles) for his curse...ahem, ability...to find the breaking point of anything. You can follow him at https://linktr.ee/docrader.