Yesterday, 19 elementary school children and two children were murdered at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX. Just days ago, ten people were killed in Buffalo, New York. Dr. Rachel Villanueva, President of the National Medical Association, issued the following statement:
“Gun violence is a public health crisis that kills 45,000 Americans each year and is wreaking havoc on communities all across our country. The risk factors of our uniquely American disease can be easily identified: the proliferation of guns puts us at increased risk for continued carnage, and the unwillingness to pass any sort of limitation on the very thing that’s making us sick will ensure more tragedies to come.
“Until lawmakers stand up to the gun lobby, more children will die. The thought of just one child dying a preventable death should be enough to spur every lawmaker into action, today. Here is our suggested treatment plan: pass mandatory universal background checks, close gun show loopholes, invest in violence reduction and increase funding for community policing. Precious lives are at stake.”
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The NMA promotes the collective interests of physicians and patients of African descent. We carry out this mission by serving as the collective voice of physicians of African descent and a leading force for parity in medicine, elimination of health disparities and promotion of optimal health.
