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Abstract
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It feels daunting to broach the subject of firearm injury prevention because guns are so polarizing in our country. We love our guns. Forty percent of us, myself included, have firearms in our homes. (Boston Globe. July 21, 2022; http://bit.ly/3ZOfHNp.)
I am married to an avid waterfowl hunter, and we have five guns locked in a gun safe in the attic. The number of civilian-owned firearms in this country actually outnumbers our population--393 million to 326 million. (Boston.com. July 11, 2022; http://bit.ly/3TcMf1f.) Guns are so extensively woven into our political discourse that any mention of gun safety policy can push peoples' political buttons. Sadly, responses too often seem intended to fight against opposing political camps than greater gun safety.
It's time for a new approach. The American gun violence epidemic is a public health emergency that won't be solved by politicians alone. Trust me, political agendas are trivial when you're watching a mom bury her son like I did a few weeks ago, a story I shared in my last article. (EMN. 2023;45[4]:10; http://bit.ly/EMN-ERGoddess.) We need multipronged public health solutions that go beyond politicians to include educators, physicians, law enforcement, community organizations, and gun owners...
Language: en |