The story continues, but this time it could have positive consequences. We have been following the case of CDC that is studying gun violence as a public crisis throughout the year. However, emails obtained from a FOIA request (below), show that the organization is not on the up. Two GOP representatives are demanding answers.
Why did the CDC delete data to make it appear that gun violence is a public health crisis?
It is not at all question whether or not the CDC deleted data. Below, we know it did. They have been working with Democrats, a gun control group, and others to remove facts that are not in line with the narrative. This can be done with 2.5 million defensive guns per year.
Rep. Stefanik responded to the CDC’s decision not to remove the information. Breitbart News posted the reply:
“The CDC must immediately stop their blatant politicization and manipulation of facts to pursue the Far Left anti-gun agenda. The Biden Administration is shamefully lying to the American people and hiding the facts of how law-abiding citizens use their Constitutionally-protected Second Amendment rights to keep our families and communities safe. The truth is what the American people want, not more partisan action by the CDC. I will continue to be a critical critic of Joe Biden and hold Democrats responsible for attacking the Constitutional rights Americans.
Reps Stefanik, Pfluger also sent a letter to the CDC requesting answers. Pfluger also posted it on Twitter.
The CDC is censoring defensive gun use data on its website at the behest of gun control activists. @RepStefanik and I are standing up for law-abiding gun owners and against political censorship.
Read our letter👇 pic.twitter.com/Aas5sc9N6O— Rep. August Pfluger (@RepPfluger) December 20, 2022
This letter highlights the dangers associated with censoring data for political purposes. In it, Pfluger notes:
“There is a difference between providing information to educate consumers, and censoring facts that third-party groups may disagree with politically…Removing studies without explanation in an apparent effort to curry favor with political allies of the Biden administration will only further deteriorate public trust.”
He continues by saying, “If agencies that are charged with informing the American population are so easily influenced by political-interest group, they will lose all credibility among the American people.”
The CDC Must Answer
This in mind, Stefanik & Pfluger have some direct questions to ask the CDC:
“The politicization must stop. We ask that your office respond to the following:
If not, why not? If not, please explain in detail how the CDC removed studies from their public information pages. Also, provide a list of all studies that were removed from CDC.
These are questions that we all want answers to. The CDC has not set a deadline for answering these questions. They may not come and this could all end up being more theatre. We will continue to follow this story as it unfolds and share any new developments.
Personal Defense World reported the following on December 16, 2022:
In October (below), we reported on the CDC’s entry into the gun control arena. It was hoped that the CDC could use its “research” and leverage to make gun violence a public crisis. This is evidently at the end of the government using the notion of a “public healthcare crisis” to impose harsh policies. It appears that the CDC engaged in misinformation to achieve its goal. All at the request of gun control advocates.
CDC Scrubbed Defensive Gun Use
It is said that if the government allows the government to violate the law in an emergency, they will create new laws. We may be witnessing this play out right now. I must admit that I was not keen on the idea that the CDC would be involved in gun control. It seems my concern was justified.
Fox News reports that “statistics sourced from a CDC commissioned study finding that defensive gun use occurs between 60,000 to 2.5 million times per annum.” After private meetings with gun control advocates, emails obtained by The Reload show and published by them, references to the study were removed from the site.
To be clear, scientists have been telling us for more than two years to trust their science. Now, there is evidence that scientists are removing the science they don’t like.
“Trust science. “NO, NOT THAT SCIENCE!”
One email sent to The Reload by Mark Bryant, executive Director of the Gun Violence Archive, directed The CDC to destroy the data.
“[T]he 2.5 million need to be killed, buried and dug up again, killed again, and buried again.” It is misleading and is not used in context. I believe it has no value, even as an exception point in honest DGU conversations,” he wrote.
He claimed that the study that produced this number was debunked and called it misinformation. His claim that Gary Kleck was the author of the study is completely false.
Breitbart News reports that Kleck responded to criticisms of his past studies regarding DGUs. Breitbart News stated that Kleck showed why the criticism was wrong and why a minimum 760,000 DGUs per year is still a valid claim.
Politics Kills Science
It turns out that anyone can use the scientific process to achieve a specific goal. We no longer have science being directed at us as a society. This is an excellent example.
According to The Reload Bryant claimed Kleck’s research was detrimental to the political prospects for passing new gun restrictions. He petitioned The Reload to have the data removed from the CDC. Although initially the CDC supported the study, they eventually gave in to pressure. It could be because of who organized the meeting.
It turned out that gun control advocates were able to reach top officials at CDC through introductions from Senator Dick Durbin (D., Illinois) and the White House. After initial attempts at gun control were unsuccessful, this was achieved.
After the introductions and subsequent emails, Beth Reimels, Associate director for Policy, Partnerships and Strategic Communication at CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention, sent a email to the advocates. She states in it:
“We plan to update the factsheet in early 2022, once we have more data. We will also make some changes to the content that we discussed, which I believe will address the concerns that you and other partners raised.
According to the Reload, “Kleck, Professor Emeritus of Florida State University’s College of Criminology and Criminal Justice stood by his research.” He claimed that the CDC didn’t reach out to him before making the change. He claimed that the removal of the mention to his estimate was “blatantcensorship” and that it was evidence of the agency’s politicization.
The Truth is Out
In the real world, however, the truth is out and there is plenty of evidence to support the claim that guns save lives. If I had the time, I could write a single example every day. I see many cases of guns being used in self-defense. You may also see them if you are a regular user of Personal Defense World online.
Bryant might want to read our article on the study of CCW holders preventing mass shootings. But, I’m sure he would ignore this too as it shows the fallacy in his argument. It was said by someone recently that “if you have to censor data, you’re wrong.” This is very similar with something I like to say, “If you have to lie in order to prove your point, it’s not worth making.”
Personal Defense World reported on May 16, 2022:
This is a fact that guns do not have anything to do with infectious disease. What is the Centers for Disease Control doing in trying to get into gun violence research? It may pretend that gun violence is a public health emergency, but it feels more like a backdoor attempt to control gun violence. Remember how much control they had in COVID? Now imagine that with the Second Amendment.
CDC Attempts to Paint Gun Violence As a Public Health Crisis
The Dickey Amendment, enacted 1996, has kept the CDC largely out of gun control. They are now back at it, having gained a taste of power and been encouraged by the anti-gun Biden administration. The organization is now focusing its attention on gun violence in America, as COVID is ending. There are no other infectious diseases that I can think of.
A report from the CDC states that “in 2020, coincidentally with the COVID-19 epidemic, the firearm homicide rates increased nearly 35%, reaching their highest level since 1994.” There were widening disparities in poverty levels and race. Although the firearm suicide rate was higher than that of firearm homicide, it remained almost equal overall, but increased in some populations.
It seems that it is using COVID as a shoehorn in order to make its involvement legal. Regardless of the reason, it is now.
The Washington Times writes, “The CDC said the drivers for the increases are hard to pin down but it pointed to possible culprits: Widespread disruptions in health, social, and emergency services during the COVID-19 pandemic; strains in law enforcement-community relations reflected in protests over the police and its use of lethal force; increases in gun purchases; and violence between intimate partners.”
After reviewing the list of possible causes, it’s almost absurd to hear Rochelle Walensky, Director of the CDC, say:
“The tragically high rate of firearm suicide and the increase in firearm homicide are both alarming signs that we must take immediate action to reduce firearm-related deaths and injuries.”
This raises the question: What kind of action is she referring to? The CDC took the necessary actions to create the list of drivers it cites as being responsible. They might want to leave this one alone.
Focus on the facts
The CDC wants to force a public approach to health, but the NRA suggests that we look at other causes.
Lars Dalseide, spokesperson for the NRA, told the Washington Times that “As communities across America choose to defund law enforcement and elect soft-on crime prosecutors, prematurely free dangerous prisoners, and institute no cash bail, no one should surprise to see an increase in violent crime.”
According to the NRA, this is nothing more than a pivot away from a “flailing” response to COVID. The CDC has been trying to take control of other aspects people’s lives. Gun deaths are not a “public health problem” like automotive deaths.
According to the National Safety Council 42,060 people died as a result from auto accidents in 2020. This is slightly less than the 43 595 gun-related deaths in 2020, more than half of which were suicides. But, no one is calling to tighten driving regulations.
Walensky spoke loudly to prove that this is about control, not an attempt to prevent gun violence.
According to her, the Washington Times has “emerging data” that suggests we need to dramatically increase our nation’s investments in research to curb the record number gun murders and near-record gun suicides.
I’m sure we all recall what happened when the CDC “radically increased” its involvement in our lives. We are still recovering from its radical involvement.
A Real Focus
It is absurd to call gun violence a public issue while neglecting all forms of violence. Nothing will change unless our public officials start to see violence in America as a whole. As a result, cities will continue to decline and violent crime will increase.
It is clear that the CDC does not want to reduce gun violence. Instead, it wants to weaken our Second Amendment. It is a time when people most need it and they are exercising this right in record numbers.
Alan Gottlieb, CCRKBA says that it is no surprise that more Americans are purchasing guns for personal and family security. And just like clockwork, here comes the CDC with research focusing on guns that appears tailor-made for the gun prohibition lobby’s crusade to add even more restrictions on a constitutionally-protected right. We shouldn’t be looking at new ways to disarm the population in a time of rising violent crime.
The CDC’s designation of gun violence a public health risk is very concerning to me. It feels like they are trying to assert their authority where none is. COVID gave the organisation a taste power that they will continue seeking out.
Additionally, citizens have been taught that the CDC can close down entire countries if it is related to “health”. What does it mean that they can’t take away our constitutional rights due to a “health emergency”?
Keep an eye on your back door. The CDC is trying to pick the lock.
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The post GOP Grills CDC – Altered Data to Make Gun Violence a Public Health Crisis appeared originally on Personal Defense World.
