What do guns have to do with health? Actually a lot.
Health is measured in two ways: Mortality (Duration of Life) and Morbidity
(Degree of Illness) both of which are being severely impacted by Gun Violence.
I actually started this blog a while ago but the events in the Navy Yard today
caused me to resurrect it. Are we not yet tired of this violence and the thing
that begets it : Uncontrolled Access to weapons? There are age groups were gun
violence is the leading cause of death and young people have more to fear from
Gun Violence than actual diseases we can be immunized against. The incidence of
gun related suicide is directly related to ease of gun access.I'm not a
politician and I am not trying to be one but let's get real, look at the
numbers, Gun Control has become a Public Health issue and is working its way to
the top of the list. Soon we will be more concerned about stopping a bullet
than getting cancer. Nail me to the stake if you have to but as a Public Health
professional allow me to say what needs to be said. More important PLEASE stop
and educate yourself on the situation and be glad it wasn't someone in your
family who got killed this year. However would you not rather act before it
hits closer to home? I was initially moved to write this blog earlier this year
when I read about a University of Maryland student who got killed by another student
over some frivolous incident. The first thing that came to mind was: "Yet
another parent who thought they had finally got their kid in college, only to
turn around and they are gone in a puff of smoke" (How many since Virginia
Tech?) Just food for thought. Please Be Well, Oh, and stay alive !
Originally Published in 2013 by Dr. Tuakli
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