Statement attributed to:
Patrice Harris, M.D., M.A.
President, American Medical Association
“The devastating gun violence tragedies in our nation this weekend are heartbreaking to physicians across America. We see the victims in our emergency departments and deliver trauma care to the injured, provide psychiatric care to the survivors, and console the families of the deceased. The frequency and scale of these mass shootings demands action.
“Everyone in America, including immigrants, aspires to the ideals of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Those shared values – not hatred or division – are the guiding light for efforts to achieve a more perfect union.
“Common-sense steps, broadly supported by the American public, must be advanced by policymakers to prevent avoidable deaths and injuries caused by gun violence. We must also address the pathology of hatred that has too often fueled these mass murders and casualties.”
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Editor’s note: In 2016, the AMA declared gun violence a public health crisis and continues to advocate common-sense solutions including research, background checks, and gun buy-back programs to reduce injury and death by firearms in America.
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The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.
