Philly AAV --
First, let's get something straight: gun violence in America is a public health issue.
What else would you call it when gun deaths are set to surpass car accidents in 2015 as the leading cause of death of young people?1
But Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) doesn't see it that way -- so much so that he's trying to block
President Obama's nominee for Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, because Dr. Murthy
leads a group that says pediatricians should be able to ask parents about guns
in the home -- just as they ask about child car seats, swimming pools and smoking.2
Sen. Paul calls that view "an attack on Americans’ right to own a firearm."3
Dr. Murthy's confirmation vote could come any day now, and we urgently
need your help to overcome Sen. Paul's NRA-backed antics. Can you tell your senators
that Dr. Murthy's confirmation will help more Americans protect their children from harm?
First -- do no harm.
That's the most basic oath a doctor swears to his profession and to his patients. And someone ought to remind Doctor -- now Senator -- Paul of that promise.
The leading organizations for medical professionals, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have made it clear that they consider guns a public health issue.4 And I'd take their word any day over the NRA's.
But that hasn't stopped the NRA and its allies from trying to pass laws at the state and federal level that actually make it illegal for doctors to talk to their patients about gun safety. These gag orders do nothing to promote public safety -- they just put our families at risk.
As a doctor, Sen. Paul should prioritize his constituents' safety above handing out favors to the Washington gun lobby. We need a Surgeon General who looks at data and listens to the experts -- not the NRA.
Send a message to your senators now and ask for a speedy confirmation for Dr. Murthy:
Thanks for taking a stand with us. Let's make sure common sense prevails over these cynical gun lobby tactics.
Sincerely,
Mark Glaze
Executive Director
Mayors Against Illegal Guns
P.S. In case you're wondering, this isn't a Republican or Democratic issue. Ronald Reagan's
Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, wrote an important article arguing that gun violence is a
----- 1. "Guns To Surpass Car Accidents As Leading Cause Of Deaths Among Young People," Think Progress, February 22, 2014. 2. "Gun Safety is Good Medicine," Doctors for America, May 10, 2011. 3. "Sen. Paul Holds Surgeon General Nomination," Sen. Rand Paul Press Release, February 26, 2014. 4. "Rand Paul Blocks Surgeon General Nominee For Saying Gun Violence Is A Public Health Threat," Think Progress, February 26, 2014. 5. "Violence in America: A Public Health Emergency," the Journal of the American Medical Association, June 10, 1992. | 
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