The Institute of Medicine published findings:

In 2010, more than 105,000 people were injured or killed in the United States as the result of a firearm-related incident.

Recent, highly publicized, tragic mass shootings in Newtown, CT; Aurora, CO; Oak Creek, WI; and Tucson, AZ, have sharpened the American public’s interest in protecting our children and communities from the harmful effects of firearm violence. While many Americans legally use firearms for a variety of activities, fatal and nonfatal firearm violence poses a serious threat to public safety and welfare. …

Priorities for Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-Related Violence

William Saletan summarizes:

Earlier this year, President Obama ordered the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assess the existing research on gun violence and recommend future studies. That report, prepared by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, is now complete.

Its findings won’t entirely please the Obama administration or the NRA, but all of us should consider them. Here’s a list of the 10 most salient or surprising takeaways. …

1. The United States has an indisputable gun violence problem.

According to the report, “the U.S. rate of firearm-related homicide is higher than that of any other industrialized country: 19.5 times higher than the rates in other high-income countries.”

2. Most indices of crime and gun violence are getting better, not worse.

3. We have 300 million firearms, but only 100 million are handguns.

4. Handguns are the problem.

5. Mass shootings aren’t the problem.

6. Gun suicide is a bigger killer than gun homicide.

7. Guns are used for self-defense often and effectively.

8. Carrying guns for self-defense is an arms race.

9. Denying guns to people under restraining orders saves lives.

10. It isn’t true that most gun acquisitions by criminals can be blamed on a few bad dealers.

Rethinking Gun Control

Surprising findings from a comprehensive report on gun violence.

Republicans Say No to CDC Gun Violence Research. Most in the GOP don’t want to know the facts. And definitely don’t want their voters to know the facts.

Dr. Garen Wintemute, a professor of emergency medicine who runs the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis, spent $1 million of his own money to continue the research.

As I’ve said before, I don’t think people are very far apart on this issue. Fire arms lobbyists are going to have an increasingly difficult fight buying politicians over the coming years. And they’ll have to outspend their opponents at an even greater rate.

Republicans must change. Or lose. Long term.