Last night, President Obama held a town hall in Virginia to discuss the incredibly controversial topic of gun control. 

The event brought those passionate about further restricting the purchase and use of weapons in this country face to face with those just as adamant about protecting their second amendment rights. 

Of course, any worthwhile debate should be grounded in solid facts. But when it comes to what we know about guns in the US - the research is limited, at best. 

That's in large part because the federal government is strictly prohibited from funding work that looks into the root causes and effects of gun violence.

For more on that, Take Two's Alex Cohen spoke to Dr. Alice Chen,  Executive Director of Doctors for America.

The group recently went to Capitol Hill to deliver a 2,000 signature petition asking for the government to end the CDC restrictions on studying gun violence and recognize the dangerous attacks as a public health issue