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Let's be honest: the love of the gun in this country is akin to religious devotion. So, I should probably not write anything, but I just can't resist
Two things: (1) There is nothing in the US constitution that specifically deals with gun ownership. The conservative elements in the US have done an excellent job in making the phrase "the right...to keep and bear arms" to include silencers and Hello Kitty assault rifles. The right for gun ownership is not as simple as pro-gun advocates make it seem. (2) The scientific literature overwhelmingly supports the view that gun ownership is a risk factor for mortality/morbidity for every person living in a house with a gun. As scientists who support evidence-based practice, I argue that you should all advocate for less gun ownership
JAMA, NEJM, and the APHA have convincing shown the effects of gun ownership in protecting yourself from strangers, protecting your family, and protecting yourself from yourself. None of it is positive. If these studies were about any other unsafe practice, you would conclude it should be discouraged. As physicians, you should advocate gun-free households to increase positive outcomes in your patients, just as you should discourage smoking and obesity.
And while I'm in fantasy land, can we also have JCAHO require hospitals to use only the metric system to decrease mortality/morbidity from medical errors?
Awesome, thanks
Two things: (1) There is nothing in the US constitution that specifically deals with gun ownership. The conservative elements in the US have done an excellent job in making the phrase "the right...to keep and bear arms" to include silencers and Hello Kitty assault rifles. The right for gun ownership is not as simple as pro-gun advocates make it seem. (2) The scientific literature overwhelmingly supports the view that gun ownership is a risk factor for mortality/morbidity for every person living in a house with a gun. As scientists who support evidence-based practice, I argue that you should all advocate for less gun ownership
JAMA, NEJM, and the APHA have convincing shown the effects of gun ownership in protecting yourself from strangers, protecting your family, and protecting yourself from yourself. None of it is positive. If these studies were about any other unsafe practice, you would conclude it should be discouraged. As physicians, you should advocate gun-free households to increase positive outcomes in your patients, just as you should discourage smoking and obesity.
And while I'm in fantasy land, can we also have JCAHO require hospitals to use only the metric system to decrease mortality/morbidity from medical errors?
Awesome, thanks