Per a recent Politico article (https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/24/controversial-gun-advocate-justice-department-440251 economist John Lott has been appointed as an adviser for research and statistics to the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). Lott, who is most known for his book "More Guns, Less Crime," is also known for producing research "studies" that are extremely problematic - flawed data sets, poor research methodology, findings that cannot be replicated, etc.

Unlike most legitimate researchers who study gun violence, Lott has repeatedly - and without evidence - made claims that are both political and dangerous to the American people. For example, he has repeatedly claimed that arming teachers and/or permitting more guns in schools would reduce the number of school shootings. Numerous other studies - as well as a basic review of cases (e.g., the University of Texas at Austin, Columbine High School, Umpqua Community College, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School) - refute this with rigorous and methodologically sound evidence.

John Lott's main concern is how many times he gets on Fox News or gets his name in the press. He is concerned neither with helping to legitimately reduce gun violence nor have a productive, research-focused conversation about this issue in our society. OJP should have advisers who have a strong methodological background, conduct non-partisan research on the issues related to gun violence, and propose solutions that are about saving lives rather than gaining notoriety for themselves.

Accordingly, the signers of this petition urge our incoming president-elect, Joseph Biden, Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris, and the Office of Justice Programs to undo this travesty. Gun violence does not discriminate against U.S. citizens and those charged with helping address it should not either.