tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181810725696409953.post1457174794522247990..comments2024-03-17T04:20:11.083-04:00Comments on The Population Health Blog: The Horrific Newtown Shooting and the Inconvenient Facts About Gun Control, Mental Illness and How the Physician Community Should RespondJaan Sidorovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05072456803925863874noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181810725696409953.post-70861444950518598842012-12-19T13:47:59.047-05:002012-12-19T13:47:59.047-05:00The whole thing is a tragedy, but gun control is n...The whole thing is a tragedy, but gun control is not the answer. I have two school aged children, and I have never owned a gun before. I was kind of against it, but seeing the faces of those children has made me change my mind. I'm looking at getting a gun. They now make a handgun that will not fire unless the owner is holding the gun. Which eliminates the fear of my kids accidentally using the weapon on themselves, as well as if an intruder gets the gun it cant be used on me or my family. Andrew Jacksonhttps://www.jrsmedical.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181810725696409953.post-78549238433682967952012-12-17T15:07:58.721-05:002012-12-17T15:07:58.721-05:00I can certainly see the knee-jerk reaction by many...I can certainly see the knee-jerk reaction by many to this horrific tragedy by calling for "gun control". As a responsible gun owner, I cringe to think of how the politicians will abide by their adage of "never let a good crisis go to waste". <br /><br />You have rationally presented this in practical terms (unlike the physician blogger this weekend who called all gun owners sociopaths). <br /><br />As the Sandy Hook shootings are still sinking in, perspective is not easy for many to obtain. As solutions are sought, they must be crafted from a practical, and not emotional perspective.<br /><br />We see that "drug-free" school zones provide those with authority a false sense of security, and politicians a means of making it appear that they have done something to address the drug problem. Yet drug availability is MUCH higher in schools these days than when I went to school in the 70's. The same goes for gun free zones. The 2 only provide PENALTIES to those who violate these zones, and do nothing to prevent gun and drug crimes. <br /><br />With the possibility of a single-payer (government) health care system in the future (and thus government access to medical records), documenting firearms in the chart would not sit well with many gun owners. I wonder how many would answer the question of gun ownership truthfully? (just as I wonder how many now answer the question of tobacco use truthfully). Having worked in Peds for many years, I think it's reasonable to mention gun safety to ALL parents as anticipatory guidance. <br /><br />I am of the belief that Sandy Hook is a Black Swan event-random and unpredictable. Unfortunately, this is difficult to stop, although we can put measures in place to minimize the effects of such incident.Jeffhttps://twitter.com/JeffSRNnoreply@blogger.com