Gun Control - A Public Health Issue?

Not a big surprise here.

In a very quiet development last month, the National Institute of Health (NIH) began studying gun violence after a 13 year ban on the topic.

In 1996 Congress stripped the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of its $2.6 million dollar annual funding for firearm injuries. The Bush administration continued this ban while in control of the agency. At the time, Former Senate Majority leader Bob Dole and Former Senator Trent Lott argued gun related violence was not a public health concern and therefore not under the jurisdiction of the CDC.

Interestingly, the same gun control advocates who are steamrolling a massive government takeover of health care are looking for ways to make the right to bear arms a public health issue.

I suggest it's not a coincidence that gun control is being snared into the universe of health-related crises requiring government action at the same time the government is swallowing the health industry.

Companion posts at GunWatch and The Jawa Report.