ETHICS IN PRACTICE CASE The NRA and the CDC Trade associations exist to support their member organi- researchers to let them know if the studies they are zations and the industries in which they operate. If conducting involve firearms and then the CDC forwards another organization begins work that can potentially that information to the NRA as a courtesy. Arthur Kel- undermine that industry and lead to a decrease in sales, lermann of the Rand Corp notes, "The (NRA) strategy of the trade association will naturally respond and try to put a shutting down the pipeline of science was effective. It stop to the work that threatens its industry. This is true is almost impossible today to get federal funding for across industries but when the trade association is the firearm injury prevention research." National Rifle Association (NRA) and the organization pos- ing a threat is the Center for Disease Control and Preven- 1. Do you think the NRA is justified in its actions tion (CDC)'s National Center for Injury Prevention and toward the CDC? Control (NCIPC), a variety of ethical issues arise. 2. Do you think the CDC should pursue gun-related Prior to the mid-1990s, the NCIPC published a vari- injury research? ety of studies that analyzed gun-related injuries and 3. The NRA contends that the CDC had an anti-gun deaths, but then the public health scientists clashed agenda and that they were doing politics instead of with the NRA and the NRA fought back by lobbying medicine. Does this alter your assessment of the sympathetic lawmakers to take action. The lawmakers NRA's approach to lobbying? first tried to close the NCIPC but, when that failed, they 4. Where do you draw the line regarding lobbying by successfully put forth an amendment that removed industry groups? The NRA's actions promote share- $2.6 million from their budget-the same amount holder wealth-is that not the responsibility of a used the previous year to fund gun-related research- trade group? Are there lines that trade associations and stipulated that money may not go to research that should not cross when they lobby and, if so, what advocates gun control. Today, the CDC asks funded are they