Government

The 20-Year-Old Ban That Silenced Research on Gun Violence

Hours before Wednesday’s mass shooting in San Bernardino, doctors called on Congress to reverse a ban blocking the CDC from studying gun violence.
A spent cartridge lies on the ground as police officers secure the area where two shooters killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California.Reuters/Mario Anzuoni

It’s a debate that comes up over and over again, particularly right after tragic mass shootings like the one that took 14 lives Wednesday at a social services center in San Bernardino, California. Opponents of gun control argue that if the employees at Inland Regional Center had been armed, they could’ve protected themselves. Advocates say the key isn’t more firearms, but more gun control.

So what does science say about whether gun ownership makes us safer? It says very little.