Whose lane is it?

     Who should talk about gun issues? The suppliers of the bullets or the people who save those who are shot by the bullets?

     On November 7, 2018, the NRA (National Rifle Association) posted a scathing twitter remark about doctors writing and publishing research papers about firearm injuries and deaths. “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.” said the NRA, with a follow-up post to an article of their opinion in full detail. Many people agreed with the statement such as Twitter user Brenda T. stating that “cars kill people, maybe we (doctors) should outlaw cars.” Others continued to follow in the like of Ann Coulter by saying “Emergency room doctors pull cue balls, vines & gummy bears out of human orifices every week. That doesn’t make them experts on pool, horticulture or chewy candy.” These comments sparked outrage within the medical community.

     Many doctors took to social media about how gun related injuries are absolutely “their lane” and to make a strong point many doctors began posting pictures showing images of the aftermath of gunshot wounds and telling stories of families that were impacted by injuries or deaths from gunshot wounds. From writing about tragic stories to saying this is just another day at work, posts kept flowing throughout social media. Following this incident, a twitter account called @thisisourlane was created for doctors to keep posting about the negative effects of gun ownership. Doctors are concerned with what enters the body. If it is the flu, disease, drugs, gummy bears, lettuce, or bullets, they are involved, and the have the right to share their concerns with the world.

     Doctors were not doing anything wrong by publishing their research articles. Even if they did not discuss gun control but mentioned what Ann Coulter said about cue balls, vines, and gummy bears. If gummy candy and billiards were pervasive issues like shootings then, of course, doctors would write about those concerns as well. No one ever said that doctors are experts on guns but they are experts on the effect of gunshot wounds. They know the common cause of these wounds is accidental due to lax gun regulations. Overall, these doctors advocated for gun control, not a nationwide collection of firearms. The main goal of the medical field is to keep you safe and healthy. If you listen to the CDC about lettuce, why won’t you listen to doctors about wounds?

Resources: https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/19/health/nra-stay-in-your-lane-physicians-study/index.html

https://hellogiggles.com/news/er-doctor-viral-tweet-ann-coulter-gun-control/