On the morning of January 8, I didn't expect anything out of the ordinary.
During my 24 years as a trauma surgeon in the U.S. Navy, most recently in Afghanistan and Iraq, I treated many soldiers who were torn apart as a result of battlefield injuries.
In addition to my service overseas, I have worked in many trauma centers here in the U.S. Most recently, I trained other surgeons at the Navy Trauma Training Center at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. Every day, we would treat so many people with gunshot wounds. Gang warfare, crimes of passion, way too many innocent bystanders, and law enforcement personnel. So many people are shot in the United States that we bring in Navy medical staff to train in the trauma centers so they can get used to treating gunshot wounds before going to war.
After my service in the Navy, when I came back to Tucson to become Chief of Trauma at University Medical Center, I didn't expect to see much that would remind me of the combat zone. Tucson is a peaceful place, not somewhere you expect to see many gunshot wounds. But in reality we see it every day, and especially on January 8, the feeling of being in a combat zone flooded back.
All at once, we were treating eleven patients with gunshot wounds. Despite the best efforts of everyone, six innocent people died that day at the scene and no treatment could have saved those innocent people as they were killed instantly. I am proud of the work by everyone, which helped keep that number from climbing. The outcome could have been worse. But unfortunately, we need to treat people who are shot all the time, all over the United States. When I go to Europe to lecture they often ask me to speak on how to treat patients that were shot. This is because they don't have gunshot wounds in Europe, because they don't have anywhere near our level of gun violence. In Japan and Korea, they have practically no gunshot wounds at all. One fact is true, and undeniable. Where you have guns you will need well-trained trauma surgeons.
My hope is that the January 8 tragedy will teach us a lesson, so we can make sense of that ridiculous day, and so we will do everything we can to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.
So, today I am joining other Arizonans, including several people wounded on January 8, and officials like Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard and former U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini to support a new plan to fix gun background checks.
For a doctor, an ounce of prevention is always worth more than any cure. Enforcing our laws and screening for unstable people like Jared Loughner, the accused killer, would surely help. I can't see how anyone would argue against that. Innocent people die from gunshot wounds all the time, right here in our country. We have to work to decrease that, don't we?
The plan I am supporting is, in my view, common sense. And it respects the constitutional rights we all share.
It is possible to have a better system that could have stopped people like Loughner, and I would like to be a part of helping to make that a reality.
Fixing these simple gaps in the law could mean the difference between a warzone and just another beautiful, peaceful day -- both here in Tucson and in cities across America.
1. Make all private schools illegal. The government, and only the government, should dictate where children go to school and what they learn. At a very very early age children shall be instructed by a teacher who is an employee of the government.
2. Create government run day care. The children will not relinquish their individuality to the collective unless we start early.
3. Ban guns. Only the government shall have guns, not individual citizens.
4. Raise taxes. More economic activity shall be tied to governmental spending decisions, not individual spending decisions.
5. Make all private interactions and/or exchanges that are associated with personal healthcare illegal. The government, and only the government, shall provide healthcare.
A very, very small percentage of firearms owned in the U.S. are used in crime... the overwhelming majority of firearms owners, 'law abiding citizens' are very responsible.
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I've no doubt that Dr. Rhee means well. I also understand he sees the negative results of gun use almost exclusively. Depending on which study you read, some 800,000 - 2,500,000 crimes are thwarted by armed citizens each year. Dr. Rhee's line of work doesn't bring him in contact with people who's lives were saved from predators by an armed citizen. He doesn't meet the women who were NOT raped because they were armed. His viewpoint is myopic.
The rest of the industrialized world seems to do quite well without their citizens having to arm themselves.
That is the burning question that doesn't get asked.
It would also seem reasonable that strictly enforcing the laws we have and reducing the number of civilian firearms produced and sold in this country would be a good first step towards addressing the concerns raised by Dr. Rhee.
We are a nation seemingly awash in firearms compared to the other developed nations.
At one time in my life, I felt the need to carry a firearm for protection and obtained a carry permit and registered my pistol with the local police department.
It was not something I did lightly, I was trained in the Marines to take firearms seriously as deadly weapons.
I also spoke with several police officers about the legalities of using a weapon and employing it in a defensive situation.
After getting this information, I realized that as a civilian, I was taking a big chance in using my weapon for defense.
Unless you have the drop on someone and are ready to kill them, a firearm is of little use. There are also serious legal consequences to consider.
I later disarmed myself and have not had a firearm for over twenty years.
You can live without personal armament.
Before you reply with the standard lib responses, explain to me how the criminal is not driven by cost, benefit, risk and reward.
I'd never deign to tell you that you MUST carry. Equally, I wouldn't be tolerant of you telling me that I can't carry. Zat make sense?
What other rights will you accept a psychiatric evaluation requirement for?
Of course nobody wants a depressed, drugged out schitzo owning a gun but I am not going to take a psychiatric exam just to exercise a Right.
Most (slightly over half) of the gun deaths in America are suicides. They are tragic but I doubt that they are preventable. Japan, as you stated, has tough gun laws yet their suicide rates are much higher than ours.
About 1/4 of the gun deaths in America are criminals killing other criminals. I really don't see much tragedy there. It's no loss to society.
The remaining 1/4 of the 30,000 gun deaths per year in America are innocent victims and this is sad, tragic and a loss. I hope that we can agree on harsher penalties for those responsible for these deaths....the criminals. Of course you could blame the gun dealer, the manufacturer and the NRA but using that logic you would also blame HP, Apple and Compaq for the actions of internet predators.
BTW, doctors kill about 50,000 people per year in America through mistakes, carelessness and incompetence.
Can you provide the proof for that statement?
Bad doctors kill more people than guns.
We have made the brain sacrosanct in terms of scientific reseaerch, and therefore have discouraged and delayed scientific investigation into its workings. This fear of the brain,along with popular dystopian novels, has made us overly fearful of disturbing this organ which holds scientific answers to serious mental illness like schizophrenia, manic deprsssion and related psychoses.
It is long past the time to find find the causes and cures for these age-old chronic diseases, and take the rationale steps towards preventing these for-now incomprehensible tragedies.
---Robert A. Heinlein
Violent crime, including homicides with firearms, is on a downward slide and has been for about 20 years. More guns, less crime. Do the math ST.
Curse Palin and her target Map !!!
too funny
In the era of GPS, who needs them anyway.