I am an American who is concerned about school shootings and gun violence. I am a physician.
On 10/30/18, the American College of Physicians published policy recommendations to reduce firearm-related injuries and deaths (in Annals of Internal Medicine). In response, the National Rifle Association posted on Twitter "Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane.”
I am not anti-gun. I am anti-bullet holes in people.
And this is my lane. Doctors are on the front lines seeing the effects of gun violence in this country. In my own experience as a Retina Fellow at USC/Doheny Eye Institute and LA County Hospital, I treated teenagers senselessly blinded by gun violence. Imagine being 17 years old, with one's entire life ahead of you, and a bullet changing everything in an instant? And these patients are the lucky ones - blind, but still alive.
Firearm violence is a serous public health crisis in America and more needs to be done to address this problem. I do not want your guns. I I want more funding for the CDC to research gun violence #EndTheBan. I support Doctors for America. I want decisive actions by our elected officials.