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nately I have recently learned that starting in 1996 every effort to study the subject of gun injury has been completely squelched.
• It started with the House removing $2.6 million from the budget of the National Center for Injury Prevention at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and adding restrictive language forbidding the funding for research into the topic. This and the repercussion that spread throughout Washington, flat-out dried up any government-funded research on gun injury. We are left now with 17 years of no research, ignoring the value of careful study, because of some misguided effort to worship at the alter of autonomy.
• Something should and can be done to reduce gun injury to our family of humanity, without unintended consequences, and with respect to our freedoms. But we have to have facts to do it. It doesn't matter the issue, whether it be swimming pool safety, hand-washing, flu vaccinations, or gun safety: we need to have the facts to not only protect people but also to protect freedoms, including a pheasant hunt with your Dad.
• Neither Congress nor any government organization should ever restrict or suppress the honest search for information.
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• Dr. Rick Holm wrote this Prairie Doc Perspective for "On Call®," a weekly program where medical professionals discuss health concerns for the general public.  "On Call®" is produced by the Healing Words Foundation in association with the South Dakota State University Journalism Department. "On Call®" airs Thursdays on South Dakota Public Broadcasting-