NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The nation's top doctor has declared gun violence a public health crisis. Unfortunately, Middle Tennessee has seen its fair share of gun violence.
The U.S. Surgeon General is calling this advisory a call to action.
A landmark advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General sounds the alarm that gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children and teenagers. The data shows more than half of adults say they or one of their family members have experienced a gun-related incident.
The 40-page document calls for solutions from stricter gun laws including a ban on assault weapons, community involvement, and talks about safe gun storage at the doctor's office.
"We don't have to live like this and I lay out a series of strategies in this advisory that can help us reduce the profound toll of gun violence and help recognize that this is an issue that's infiltrated the psyche of America," said Dr. Vivek Murthy.
The NRA says the answer is to prosecute criminals and not restrict gun rights.
According to the CDC, Tennessee ranks 5th for firearm homicides of children and 7th for overall homicides in the country. In Middle Tennessee there has been six shootings involving teenagers in the last month.
The surgeon general says numbers like these take a toll on people's mental health, even if they're not directly involved in a shooting. He says nearly 80 percent of adult Americans stress about the possibility of a mass shooting and half of all high school kids worry about a shooting at their school.
Dr. Murthy says hopefully this data will lead us to solutions to protect us all in the future.
"My hope is that if we understand this as a kids issue, that we will raise it on the priority list and we will see it not as a political issue but a public health issue that should concern all of us," said Dr. Murthy.
Journalism is at its best when we can shine a light on an issue that needs more attention. Once again, Hannah McDonald does this beautifully by highlighting the hardships of teens aging out of the foster care system. I learned something new in her reporting and am inspired by the work I AM NEXT is doing to make a difference. I think you will be too!
-Carrie Sharp
