US Surgeon General Declares Gun Violence a Public Health Crisis

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Facts

• US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy on Tuesday declared gun violence a public health crisis due to a rising number of gun-related deaths and injuries.¹
• This announcement comes after health officials, including four of Murthy's predecessors, called for similar steps to be taken and for firearm deaths to be viewed as a health issue rather than a political one. The National Rifle Association has campaigned against the move for years.²
• Murthy's 40-page advisory publication includes legislative recommendations concerning banning assault weapons, universal background checks, and increasing funding for gun violence prevention research and educational and mental health programs.³
• In his publication, Murthy said there is 'broad agreement' that gun violence is an issue, citing a 2023 poll that found that most Americans worry about themselves or their loved ones being injured or killed by a firearm. In 2022, more than 48K Americans died from gun-related injuries.⁴
• Murthy previously issued warnings about other things he views as worrying health trends, including loneliness and social media usage. Murthy has expressed optimism that addressing the issue of gun violence through a public health lens will have similar success to campaigns for smoking and motor vehicle safety.⁵
• Meanwhile, the US endured a second consecutive weekend of mass shootings in the US this weekend, and the US Supreme Court earlier this month upheld a federal ban on guns for domestic abusers.³

Sources: ¹Washington Post, ²New York Times, ³NPR Online News, ⁴Associated Press and ⁵NBC.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by The Daily Beast. The US is engulfed in an epidemic of gun violence, which is inordinately putting children in physical peril and harming their mental health. If Republican lawmakers insist on blocking measures that could make the US safer, then the public health approach suggested by the surgeon general may be a workaround. Similar campaigns on other issues, including tobacco use, proved successful in reducing harm and eventually motivating Congress to act. Murthy made the right call.
• Republican narrative, as provided by PJ Media. This declaration is nothing but another attempt by freedom-hating Democrats to violate law-abiding citizens' Second Amendment rights and seize their guns. If there's a problem with gun violence in the US, it's not because of a health crisis but it's a product of Democrats' lax crime policies and their allowing of drugs and criminals to cross the Southern border. This announcement should be ignored.

Predictions