Is it really better not to know?

It has been a difficult time in Chicago as 36 students of Chicago Public Schools died in the past school years as a result of gun violence. We all know that "...guns don't kill people, people kill people." The NRA makes sure that message gets out. What is surprising is that they let the number of Chicago students killed by guns this year get out.
Chicago Sun-Times columnist Carol Marin has an interesting commentary is today's paper on how successful the NRA has been in preventing studies that might assemble the data to inform the public on the level of gun violence in America.
The NRA acknowledges their efforts to block such research. "We've interjected ourselves when we think there would be biased, outcome-based research," Todd Vandermyde, the NRA's legislative liaison for Illinois, said Tuesday by phone. This was in reference to a study proposed by the Center for Disease Control. I guess I never thought of them as a biased group. If the truth is uncomfortable perhaps it is better not to discover it.
Ms. Marin's piece today has put me in the awkward position of reflecting on the importance of the efforts of Rev. Michael Pfleger to force Chicago to face up to the severity of the problem of gun violence in Chicago. Fr. Pfleger is a man with whom I have major issues on many matters liturgical and theological, but I readily acknowledge his willingness to speak out boldly on major issues. As one side seeks to maintain a level of ignorance, perhaps it is necessary to have a Pfleger making noise.