Maine Voices: I received the scariest call of my career this week

My fellow pediatric vital care physicians and I’ve devoted our careers to enhancing the well being and security of kids. I’ve been a doctor for 20 years, practising pediatric vital take care of the final 14 years. I’ve labored by way of the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 2009-10 and thru the continued COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve cried with numerous dad and mom when their little one was critically sick or injured. Fortunately, I’ve cared for only some kids with gunshot wounds.

Earlier this week, I obtained the scariest work name of my profession. It pressured me to reckon with the truth that sooner or later I could also be confronted with treating a number of victims of a mass capturing occasion.

There have been reviews of an lively shooter at an space highschool and I used to be requested if I used to be capable of assist with a mass casualty state of affairs. I mentioned sure with out hesitation. An hour handed earlier than it was confirmed to be a part of a hoax perpetrated on a number of space colleges. I spent that hour working by way of eventualities to organize myself and enhance the possibility that I might save lives.

This July, the U.S. Home of Representatives handed the Assault Weapons Ban laws, which might prohibit the acquisition and manufacture of recent assault weapons and enormous capability magazines. The invoice doesn’t require give up of beforehand bought weapons or magazines. The U.S. Senate has not but voted on the invoice.

Assault weapons are semi-automatic and extra highly effective than commonplace firearms. This results in extra harmful accidents, akin to what’s seen on the battlefields throughout struggle. When assault weapons and high-capacity magazines are utilized in mass shootings in our colleges, film theaters, locations of worship and grocery shops, there are extra rounds fired, extra devastating accidents and extra fatalities.

I urge you to contact Sens. Collins and King and ask them to assist the Assault Weapons Ban. The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Faculty of Physicians, and American Pediatric Surgical Affiliation all assist it. Two thirds of People assist the ban. With so many individuals and teams behind the assault weapons ban we’d like our lawmakers to assist it.

Subsequent month I’m going to Washington, D.C., together with different physicians from Maine and across the nation. We’re touring with March Fourth, a nonprofit advocacy group with the only purpose of securing a federal ban on assault weapons.

March Fourth was shaped within the days after the Highland Park, Unwell., July 4 parade capturing. We’re assembly with, amongst others, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to advocate for passage of a federal ban on the sale of assault weapons. I hope that our efforts are profitable at garnering assist for such a logical strategy to scale back the destructiveness of gun violence in our communities.

Will the Assault Weapons Ban forestall all mass shootings? No. Will it finish firearm violence? No. Will it make a distinction? Sure. Within the decade that the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban was in place the variety of mass capturing deaths decreased. If the ban had been reauthorized in 2004, it’s estimated that tons of of individuals would nonetheless be alive. Tons of of people who find themselves missed day by day by their family and friends would nonetheless be with us.

Greater than half of firearms utilized in mass shootings are bought legally. About 1 in 3 weapons utilized in a mass shootings are bought within the month earlier than the assault. The Assault Weapons Ban might interrupt this sample, the place people who’re bent on committing horrific acts of violence can legally acquire firearms and excessive capability magazines and perform assaults that have been as soon as unthinkable. A ban on assault weapons will assist do what I’ve dedicated my profession to doing: It’s going to save lives.

There wasn’t an lively shooter in Maine this week. Let’s work collectively so there may be not one tomorrow.

« Earlier

Subsequent »