BDN quotes Barkan in editorial about gun research
University of Maine sociology professor Steven Barkan was quoted in a recent Bangor Daily News editorial titled “With funding for gun research, safety measures should be a priority for study.” As part of a $1.4 trillion spending plan approved in December, Congress — for the first time in 20 years — approved federal funding for gun research. “Research can now begin to answer why gun violence is so prevalent in America, and more importantly, what works to reverse these deadly trends,” wrote the BDN. “Do waiting periods for gun purchases reduce suicides or homicides? What about age restrictions? Can smart gun technology, which has existed for years but been stalled, reduce accidental shootings?” Barkan, who has done extensive research on firearms and public health, told the BDN, “Given the paucity of funding for gun research and thus the lack of knowledge in this area, almost anything related to guns and the use of guns would be worthwhile to study.”