Posted on 03/12/2015 6:01:13 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
The American College of Physicians, combined with the American Bar Association and eight other professional organizations, has issued a call for action to stem the national crisis in firearm deaths and injuries. In a white paper published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, they point out that more than 32,000 deaths a year are the result of gun violence. The United States has the most gun deaths of any industrialized nation. In addition, the number of injuries caused by guns is more than double the death number. The Children's Safety Network estimated that in 2010, gun violence cost $174 billion. The ACP considers gun violence a national health crisis. They have proposed six starting steps needed to begin to bring this crisis under control:
1) Universal background checks. There is statistical evidence that present limited background checks do weed out a substantial number of unstable individuals who should not own a gun. Unfortunately, many of these individuals can easily get around this restraint by purchasing a weapon at a gun show or from a private individual.
2) Repeal all physician "gag laws." There are states where it is a crime for a physician to ask his patient if he owns a gun. There are no rationally justifiable reasons for these laws, and if not repealed, every physician has an ethical obligation that exceeds the right of the state to enforce such laws.
3) Improve access to mental health services. The American Psychiatric Association has published a position statement on firearm access that clearly shows that early identification, intervention and treatment of mental and substance-use disorders reduces firearm-related deaths and injuries. Unfortunately, mental health services are the stepchild of health financing, making access to these services difficult and infrequent.
4) Modify mandatory reporting laws. Many states require mandatory reporting of individuals who show signs of serious injury to themselves or others. These laws often do not provide adequate protection of confidentiality and have resulted in disincentives to patients seeking treatment. There should also be a mechanism for an individual who has lost his right to purchase and possess a firearm because of mental disease to be able to re-establish his right once the mental condition is under control or cured.
5) Establish more reasonable laws concerning ownership of military-style assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. The only person who needs an assault-type weapon to hunt is the shooter who cannot hit the side of the barn with a modern lever-action hunting rifle. The argument of the insecure and paranoid fringe that they need such a rifle to protect themselves from a dictatorial government is nonsense.
6) Research. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health should be adequately funded to study firearm violence and methods for preventing gun violence. Scientifically studying gun violence could improve gun safety not only for the average citizen but also for the gun user.
First, police use training videos that are designed to test and shorten the defendant officer's reaction time. This is so ingrained in the policeman's psyche that he has come to believe that he must shoot first or be killed. Does this type of training result in a significant increase in unjustified shootings? Might training in which the officer is taught to first fall prostrate to the ground be a more-efficient training exercise? Would falling prone result in fewer accidental killings? Falling to the ground would provide less of a target area, might confuse the offender and would give the officer additional time to evaluate the situation while at the same time studying his shot if needed. Presently there is no data to even begin to analyze these questions.
Second, consider the recent threat of mall shootings raised by Islamic jihadists. If 1 or 2 percent of the people in the mall had legally concealed weapons -- or, for that matter, open-carry loaded weapons -- would this deter attacks or make the situation more chaotic? I doubt that a standard handgun would deter a suicidal jihadist when he comes with body armor and a rapid-fire assault weapon. Would the presence of several armed citizens make it difficult for the responding police to tell the good guys from the bad guys? Again, there is no scientific data available to use in trying to analyze this situation.
None of these recommended points is in any way contrary to the Second Amendment. I am in full agreement with these efforts and believe the time is long past since these recommendations should have been instituted. I am, however, realistic and believe none of this will be done until there is recognition of the individual, social, economic and political harm that has been done to this country by the gun lobby.
William D. Bezdek , M.D., is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and a retired cardiologist.
most of the acetaminophen/tylenol overdoses are suicide attempts...and a few are drunks who take six or seven for a hangover. And some cases of hepatic failure is blamed on tylenol just because the patient took it.
We once had three patients who had severe hepatitis within a week, all of whom had been in a local celebration. I begged the state public health department to check other hospitals for similar cases and check if there had been a toxic event but got nowhere because they had all taken tylenol, and that was blamed.
What about cars? They are pretty dangerous and scary too.
“the number of injuries caused by guns”
His improper use of language gives the game away. Injuries are not “caused by guns”. Injuries are inflicted with guns.
There is a world of difference. The “by guns” language implies volition and motivation to guns.
It shows a basic misunderstanding of reality.
Agree fully.
Liberals will BS you with how “evolved” government is now. People are genetically no different than the ones who followed Hitler, Stalin, and Mao. And the “progressives” kindly continue to give us ample warning on how jack-booted they are when given the slightest advantage, opportunity or reigns of power.
Liberals write lots of crap...
The scariest threats to our LIBERTY we have today comes from LIBERALS.
Egad. I swear I hate this line of reasoning the most. Nowhere does the 2nd Amendment say anything about type of platform or acceptable uses of "arms".
And why can't a lever action Marlin or Mossberg in 30-30 be considered an "assault-type weapon"?
I swear, when the chips are down after the SHTF, my 30-30 lever action will be doing plenty of assaulting when the situation requires it.
Effing morons.
No, Obamacare is a health crisis.
Correction:
"but they'll then be “safe” won’t they?"
In a 2010 publication by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General entitled “ADVERSE EVENTS IN HOSPITALS: NATIONAL INCIDENCE AMONG MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES” [OEI-06-09-00090] we read the following:
“The term “adverse event” describes harm to a patient as a result of medical care … An estimated 13.5 percent of hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries experienced adverse events during their hospital stays.” (Executive Summary, page i)
“An estimated 1.5 percent of Medicare beneficiaries experienced an event that contributed to their deaths, which projects to 15,000 patients in a single month.” (Executive Summary, page ii)
Thus the U.S. government estimates that annually somewhere in the vicinity of 180,000 people on Medicare who entered a hospital for medical treatment died “… as a result of medical care … . ” Obviously there are many more who suffer such ‘adverse effects’ from medical ‘care’ who are not on Medicare.
My point is this, maybe these pompous medical ‘professionals’ should spend time cleaning up their own practices before attempting to point out perceived faults elsewhere.
I can go along with the second part of #4, but the rest is bovine excrement.
You are exactly correct. When the disarmists found that the criminological research was against them, they decided to "medicalize" the issue. Here is a good history of what they have done.
The MSM, the Left, and Obama’s obsession over controlling people’s access to guns is a mental health issue.
You’ve hit the nail on the veritable head – this is all about control of your right of self defense but it is worse than that….
This about control of your PRIVATE Property – for once they can say what you can and cannot do with a firearm, what’s to stop them from doing the same with other items of your PRIVATE Property?
They’re concern of ‘Climate change’ will soon see them controlling anything that emits carbon dioxide – you car, lawn mower, tractor.
Want to sell it to you neighbor? .... well hold on cowpoke – you’ll need to run an Intergalactic Background check on that to see if meets emission requirements.. and if it doesn’t, you can sell it, etc.
Would anyone put it past them to try that?
An American Doctor schooled in history would know the single largest killer of children with guns is a government that does not fear the population fighting back. If they actually cared about saving “even one child” they would have Public Safety Announcements, pamphlets, etc, teaching firearm safe handling etc. provided for free without a record anyplace of who reads/watches them.
Dad taught us firearm safety from the earliest of my memories. Biggest impression was when I was about 7 and he took me out in the back yard, set up a gallon jug full of water, and shot it with a 12ga from about 15 yds.
Best gun safety tip, training or whatever for kids under 10 is DO NOT TOUCH!!!! or you will get your ass handed to you. Telling them you will get a “time out” just doesn’t quite have the same impact.
You are right. I should have chosen another example rather than acetaminophen to make my point. But in a way, your response proves my point in a different way. Thanks.
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