Surgeon General Declares Gun Violence a Public Health Crisis

Ah, yes, this old gem again. Due to increases in gang violence and related public shootings, which historically spike every year during the summer months, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called for — you guessed it! — a ban on “automatic rifles,” the implementation of universal background checks, laws restricting the use of firearms in public spaces, heavier regulation of the firearm industry, and stiffer penalties for those who don’t store their guns safely.

From the AP:

“It is now time for us to take this issue out of the realm of politics and put it in the realm of public health, the way we did with smoking more than a half century ago,” Murthy told the AP.

But of course. He’d like to take it out of the realm of politics by first and foremost seeking a ban on the specific type of firearm that’s almost never used in the types of shootings he specifically points to as the “public health crisis” and, in fact, are used in only a fraction of a single percent of murders with a firearm in the country each year.

Naturally this also describes the rest of his typical Democrat anti-gun legislation wishlist; restrictions that affect the typical gun owner but matter not to the people responsible for the “public health crisis.” Sure, sure, go ahead and explain to your friendly neighborhood gang banger that there’s now a universal background check law so he can’t steal a gun during a home burglary and sell it on the streets or that he isn’t allowed to have the gun in the public space where he shot up a block party. Maybe he’ll listen when you explain that he’s supposed to store his gun safely or that the gun industry has to jump through even more hoops.

Clearly the way to solve a culture in which young men are willing to shoot up public spaces due to gang rivalries or perceived disrespect or whatever is via more little laws that anyone intent on murder clearly couldn’t care less about.

But, but…think of the children! Again from the AP:

Children and younger Americans, in particular, are suffering from gun violence, Murthy notes in his advisory called “Firearm Violence: A Public Health Crisis in America.” Suicide by gun rates have increased significantly in recent years for Americans under the age of 35. Children in the U.S. are far more likely to die from gun wounds than children in other countries, the research he gathered shows.

In addition to new regulations, Murthy calls for an increase on gun violence research and for the health system — which is likely to be more amenable to his advisory — to promote gun safety education during doctor visits.

“Children and younger Americans” aren’t just suffering from gun violence, they’re perpetrating it. The liberal side of the aisle needs to stop pretending like every 15- to 24-year-old gang member is an innocent child who’s suffering from gun violence when they’re typically the ones responsible for approximately two-thirds of the murders committed with a firearm each year.

Suicide is a horrible tragedy and the suicide rate in the U.S. is far higher than it should be. Unfortunately, a firearm is a very good tool for committing suicide and, when one is available, it’s the go-to method for many or most people, males in particular. But we know it is political rather than public health any time we hear gun violence or gun crime or gun suicide rather than a concern for violence or crime or suicide in general. Their focus is on guns, for obvious political reasons, rather than the health or safety of the public.

Though there’s very little data or any other correlation suggesting that suicide rates would be different if guns didn’t exist or that violent crime rates or murders rates, etc., would be different — in fact, there’s plenty of data suggesting that crime and murder would be worse without firearms! — the anti-gun politicians and others whistle past the facts by focusing on the guns, not the crime.

The Surgeon General should stick to public health and stay out of politics and out of my gun safe.