We’ve reached a turning point in better protecting our children from violence. As a child abuse pediatrician, this brings me hope.
Watch the repeat and the highlights of tonight’s incredibly inspiring CNN town hall (This is truly “breaking news!”)
If you need encouragement, read this from a Florida teen, “Don’t let my classmates die in vain”, NY Times.
“If you have any heart, or care about anyone or anything, you need to be an advocate for change. Don’t let any more children suffer like we have. Don’t continue this cycle. This may not seem relevant to you. But next time it could be your family, your friends, your neighbors. Next time, it could be you.”
*While DFA continues to fight for GVP research, this new NEJM piece, “Broken Hearts and Opened Eyes”, reminds us of our opportunity to prevent GV in our clinical practice. As physicians, we provide education to patients every day.
“We need to normalize discussions about firearm violence and the threat it presents to public health, wherever those discussions happen, whether in the school administrator’s office, on the playing fields, in community settings, or among parents.”
Last weekend, I attended a gun show in New Hampshire (“Live free or die”) to learn, create dialogue with gun owners, and find some middle ground. We need to have conversations with our institutions, colleagues, friends, families, community organizations, and legislators. We need to increase awareness about the Dickey Amendment and its effect on federally funded research. Most people are unaware, shocked, and supportive of research.
Over the next few weeks, please share your GVP advocacy experiences and challenges. A big thanks to our DFA GVP leadership team — David Berman, Justin Lowenthal, Harold Pollack, Sanjeev Sriram — for your continued dedication. I hope you’ll join us!
In unity,
Nina Agrawal
