This Is Our Lane

​

In November 2018, the National Rifle Association (NRA) tweeted: "Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane. Half of the articles in Annals of Internal Medicine are pushing for gun control. Most upsetting, however, the medical community seems to have consulted NO ONE but themselves. [Link].” The tweet was in response to a recent paper published by the American College of Physicians advocating for a public health approach to reducing gun violence, and the tweet was published only hours before a man shot and killed 12 people in Thousand Oaks, CA. Healthcare professionals all across the country promptly responded with photos of bloodstained scrubs and hospital floors of gunshot victims they have treated, retorting #ThisISMyLane. With shootings increasingly becoming the norm in American society, now is more important than ever for the medical profession to have a seat at the table. As individuals who treat the gruesome aftermath of gun violence, healthcare professionals need to have a stronger position in helping stop gun violence in the first place, because unfortunately for the NRA, this IS our lane.