A Message from the AAP President: Protecting Children
from Gun Violence
Dear Dr. Helft:
It is difficult to believe that a year has passed since the
terrible shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown,
Connecticut last December 14. As with any national tragedy, all
of us remember where we were at the moment we learned of this
nightmare. Even now the shock and pain remain present and we
continue to keep the families and pediatricians in Connecticut
in our thoughts.
In the immediate aftermath of the event, the AAP responded to
express our grief and urge that children be protected from
images of the tragedy. We talked about resilience, but the truth
is that no one—especially a child—should need to recover from
something like this. So we, along with so many others across the
nation, called for a united effort to prevent such an awful
thing from happening in the future.
Unfortunately, children and adolescents still are being killed
with guns as often as ever in this country…about 7 every day.
But the tragedy that occurred at Sandy Hook School woke up the
nation and invigorated us to continue to address that issue even
more strongly.
The AAP is observing the upcoming anniversary by
renewing our call to pediatricians, parents,
policymakers and all who care for children to keep working to
protect them from gun violence.
We also highlight examples of
progress made in the last
year, particularly in six states where legislation has advanced
to protect children against injury from firearms.
Several AAP members
are featured in a
new video that the AAP has
created on this topic.
Additional video clips are available on the AAP's
YouTube channel, and some
great
resources for educating
communities are available through the new campaign from our
Section on Medical Students, Residents and Fellowship Trainees.
The AAP will be sharing messages on
Twitter and
Facebook about keeping
children safe, and I hope that you will help us to spread the
word by sharing links to these pieces via social media, and
other channels.
In addition, we are renewing our
call to national leaders in
Congress to put children’s safety first in legislation and
appropriations related to gun violence and injury prevention.
As I expressed to the White House Task Force on Gun Violence
Prevention shortly after the Newtown tragedy, gun safety is a
public health issue that profoundly impacts children and
adolescents. As pediatricians, we are uniquely suited to help
raise awareness about gun violence in the lives of children. I
encourage each of you to use this occasion as a time to reflect
and commit to doing one thing in the coming year—whether large
or small—to help
advocate for stronger gun
laws and access to mental health services, or to educate your
community about the importance of asking about guns in homes
where children live and play.
Last December 14, I stated the simple truth on behalf of all
pediatricians: Children
deserve to feel safe wherever they live, play, and learn.
This should not be too much to ask.
So I ask you to
engage
with your communities…engage
with families…and
engage
with policymakers to help create a brighter picture in the
coming months and years. We know this work will not be
easy, and success will take time. But by working together and
joining with like-minded advocates, we can make children safer
from gun violence.
Thank you for your dedication and work on behalf of children.
Best
regards—
Thomas K. McInerny, MD, FAAP
AAP President |