Gun injuries declared public health emergency
By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times
Seven medical specialty societies, the American Bar Association and the American Public Health Association on Monday joined forces to declare gun-related injuries, which annually kill an average of 32,000 Americans and harm nearly twice that number, “a public health crisis” that should be studied and solved “free of political influence or restriction.”
The professional societies jointly issued a “call to action,” and declared their collective backing for universal background checks, a ban on military-style assault weapons and large capacity magazines, more federal support for gun-injury research, and an end to laws that would punish physicians who discuss the safety of gun ownership with their patients.
They also called for better and more timely care for those with mental illness and substance abuse problems, and urged lawmakers not to stigmatize those patients or discourage them from seeking care in drafting laws to keep guns out of the hands of some.
Its about time…
Interesting.
The recently confirmed US Surgeon General raised the very same question last year and it almost kept him from being confirmed! His concerns made the NRA froth at the mouth. But what does one expect from the lobbying arm of the gun and ammunition industry, otherwise known as the NRA?
Did they minus out the criminals shot in the commission of crime?
There were 36,166 fatalities caused by automobiles in the USA during the calendar year 2012. Who knows how many injuries there were.
When will the public outrage begin to outlaw cars which aren’t covered under the constitution?
It never will because your comparison is ridiculous and most people know it.
How is it ridiculous? Dying from automobile-induced injuries is somehow less of a tragedy? One car crash can take out an entire family. Yet one bullet rarely kills more than one person.
“free of political influence or restriction” my heinie! This is pure politics at its very worst.
Some of the most highly educated people in the country, seeing first hand what guns have done to this country. Doctors, surgeons etc. voicing their concern and urging sensible changes to gun laws that the entire rest of the civilized world has already implemented.
…….and the best response from some of the readership is more slippery slope, flawed logic arguments about comparing guns to cars…..blah blah blah. Simple minds think alike. Poor angry souls…..opinions are not facts. You cannot escape the fact that this country has been turned into a gun toting jungle because the NRA dispense the guns and ammo under the guise of freedom and the doctors and surgeons are left to clean up the mess. You guys ramble on about misunderstood freedoms, twisted realities and paranoid delusions and the doctors on the front lines will do the heavy lifting.
Not all doctors agree with this flawed “public health crisis” stuff. Several of mine are not only highly regarded in their specialties but also firearms owners & shooters. They would seriously dispute these false claims. And, yes, one of them was in the Renown building when the shooting took place there a couple of years ago by a deranged individual just 1 floor up from his office. He doesn’t blame firearms but the user.
The average car driver will have 3-4 collisions in a lifetime. The vast majority of gun owners, including cops, never shoot at a human being, let alone hit him. Most gun owners are delighted when they hit the x ring on a paper target.
Pure anti-Constitutional drivel. The totalitarians never rest. G-D save the United States.
Sure, you can debate whether guns kill people or people kill people. Yet the numbers don’t lie. Anyone think we have a unique psyche in this country that just makes us more inclined to use guns in violence? Sorry, guns facilitate violence, no one can debate that. Sensible, real world gun control with strong 2nd Amendment safeguards is not only possible, it is the answer.
It is an indictment on the politicians that plainly know the truth and are paralyzed by fear for their political career.
here’s a statistic for you – 1 person per week dies from a Heroin overdose in our little Town.
do any of you folks know how many innocent people are shoot and killed by Law Enforcement?
Responsible gun owners are not the problem and restricting us will not solve the problem. NRA has had absolutely no influence on my gun owning decisions or actions. Bad people do bad things. They will do bad things with rocks if need be. European countries dont have guns so their incidents with knives is higher. Bad people find a way to do what they want to do. Restrictions on law abiding citizens will make them find any means to to obtain and retain their weapons.
Guns are NEVER going away. Get used to that. What the whining people who don’t like them should do is focus on the insects who use them for violence. THEY WILL ALWAYS FIND A WAY TO GET A GUN!!! Get that through your liberal minds for once. Put them in prison….if they are not shot and killed by a potential victim. “Seriously” is right. Idiots will always find a weapon of some kind.
The NRA has not influenced my ownership either. I believe in the 2nd Amendment, I hunt, and I believe early releasing of convicted felons endangers my quality of life.
Even some politicians like Feinstein carry a GUN. Why do you suppose that is??? I bet even Gov. Moonbutt carries one or at least his security team does. They don’t use knives…they use guns!!
GUNS SUCK
Dog, the article is about “weapons” not automobiles. When was the last time a person went into a Bank and said “give me all your money… I have my car idling outside.”
When cars or trucks do go out of control, we have large investigations to find why; ex. Firestone Tires, Ford Pintos, GM Ignition switches, Toyota Air Bags etc.
There was an article just a few months ago on this site regarding a loaded weapon left in a glove box of a car and someone’s grandchild finding the weapon and killing themselves. Clearly, somebody needed to talk to the person responsible for that incident about weapons and safety… why not the Doctor that treated the dead child?
Oh, but I forgot. You even wanted to protect the 2nd Amendment Rights of those junkies that were busted in that parking lot a few weeks ago. Sorry Dog, but some people just have no good reason having weapons.