"As a scientist, a ban on studying anything is appalling. In the spirit of open access to knowledge for all, here are some resources to equip you with the facts we do have about gun violence.
First, here is a roundup of some previous PLOS Blog posts published on the topic. They are filled with links to many primary sources of data relevant to gun violence:...
Next, here are some articles from other outlets which are data-rich and well-researched:...
Finally, I’d like to link to some primary open access literature which may or may not have been cited in these various blog posts...
I urge everyone, regardless of your opinion on gun control, to arm yourself with the information that does exist while also pushing for more public health research on gun violence."
A friend of mine put this together, and I feel super lucky to have great people in my life.
The first step is obviously to study the problem. I see a few correlations and big picture statistics. I see scary pictures of guns and statements that feel logical on their face, but honestly I don't know anything about guns or the different kinds or what it means to feel like you need one or how people practice their gun ownership.
I can totally understand how invasive and aggressive it would feel if the government declared that a belonging which made me feel safe and was perhaps part of my cultural identity was illegal for me to own.
So it's deeply important that we collect data, granular data that pulls apart all the different variables in the way that good science does, and which informs us about what the most effective policy would be to prevent people from dying.
And the terrorist watch list is not a great document, we really shouldn't be using it to selectively restrict rights. <-- link to watch list article
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