Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Parents Shouldn't Leave The Gun Protests Just To The Students
Chicago Tribune: School Boycotts? Yes, Parents Must Pressure Congress To Pass Smart Gun Laws
In the wake of another mass shooting at a public school, a colleague and I floated the idea of a parent boycott of schools to drive action by Congress. The idea is gaining traction — parents across the country understand that a national crisis deserves a national response. And our voices, and votes, are the most powerful tools we possess. The concept is straightforward. School parents are a massive voting block — maybe 100 million strong — and live in every Congressional district in the country. After the Labor Day holiday in September, if they kept their kids out of school for a day or a week or even two weeks, maybe Congress would do something about gun safety. (Arne Duncan, 5/23)
Sun Sentinel: Dreams Of Gun Control And The Reality Of Civilian Gunshot Wounds
I am a neurosurgeon who has treated many patients with gunshot wounds to the brain. Most died. Indeed, about 97 percent of such victims die. Medical professionals treating them are profoundly frustrated because their efforts are usually fruitless and they must inform victims’ families of the situation and try to support them. They also frequently need to explain brain death and introduce the subject of organ donation. (Howard H. Kaufman, 5/23)
Miami Herald: Health Officials Can Attack Gun-Violence Epidemic The Way They Attacked HIV/AIDS
With the dust settling after the familiar uproar immediately following another mass shooting, let’s assess where these tragedies, and subsequent discussions, leave the gun debate in America. The daily threat of gun violence is unique in our society. As the violence pervades our public spaces, the need for a public-health approach is often pondered, but rarely discussed carefully — and even when it does receive deeper discussion, it’s never fully explicit as to what this approach might mean for an epidemic already framed within a criminal justice and mental-health paradigm. (Roderick King and Katelyn McGlynn, 5/23)
