Guns Lead to Rising Health Care Costs?

Somehow gun sales are making the health care costs in this country go higher. That’s what Dr. Marie Crandall of Northwestern tried to say on Chicago’s Fox News TV station. According to the Web site recap:

“Medical professionals are pleading with lawmakers to require background checks on all handgun sales. They say legislation of this kind would reduce the escalating health care costs related to gun violence. Dr. Marie Crandall of Northwestern joined us.

“She said a loophole in Illinois law allows private gun sellers to skip the background check when selling a gun, which can allow people who wouldn’t otherwise qualify to get guns. Roughly 40 percent of gun sales in Illinois are private sales.”

We have to ask, why would private sales of guns have any affect on health costs? Her point is that guns can be used in crime or that people could accidentally shoot themselves. But what about the results of smoking and health care costs? What about the fact that there are car accidents every day all over the country? What about the fact that kids fall off bicycles, and swing sets? Guns are not the problem of “escalating health care costs” anymore than guns are fueling the drug war in Mexico. The cause and effect simply isn’t there. Instead this is just another anti-gun zealot who connects the dots, even if there isn’t actually a picture to be seen when the dots are finally connected.