The idea of addressing "gun violence" as a public health problem persists among a number of scientists whom I think should know better: many of my fellow physicians, led by some of our specialty organizations. Guns are not pathogens—it is how they are used that matters. Epidemics are not characterized by gradual steady declines in morbidity and mortality, as homicides and violent crime have shown, accompanied by dramatic increases in gun ownership for 20 years. (more…)

A lot of people are of the opinion that everyone should have the right to protect themselves against harm. You might even think a weapon is the best way to protect yourself. Whether that's with a knife, a gun, or just physical force, no one should be hurt or killed because they aren't able to fight back with the necessary force. Dr. Brown, my colleague at DRGO, really got me thinking with his recent essay on The Ethics of Armed Self-Defense. Apparently, other people have been thinking...

The controversy surrounding firearms being allowed in hospitals rages on.  Those who believe that guns shouldn't be allowed in a hospital, or anywhere else for that matter, continue to point to incidents in which the use of a weapon is controversial. As Elizabeth Rosenthal points out in her recent article When the Hospital Fires the Bullet most hospitals are arming their security teams in one way or another, and in a few cases harm has come to a patient. (more…)

MD Magazine, a New Jersey-based website for medical doctors, recently conducted a poll of 1,700 physicians (of whom 901 responded) on their views about guns.  Results were mixed but tended to strip away the false veneer of hoplophobia that the medical establishment perpetually tries to stick on us. No one should rely on this poll as definitive.  The sample population was limited to readers of MD Magazine, a major selection bias.  The questions were poorly crafted and appear to demonstrate...

Discussions about the role of guns in society often founder under the weight of dueling statistics thrown out by both sides. I’d like to avoid the statistical food fight and base this article solely on the ethics of armed self-defense. How much do you value your life? Modern America has a strong pacifist streak that originated among some of our Christian denominations and spread to non-religious people, most notably during the 1960s. It is now associated with the liberal side of the ...

A unifying principle of American law governing the defensive use of deadly force is that a victim may use such force when an attacker threatens violence capable of causing death or grave bodily harm.  There is little doubt that it is justified when the robber draws and points a handgun at the victim. But what if an unarmed assailant advances with fists clenched, clearly getting ready to beat his victim?  Should the victim take a few punches and hope he remains conscious long enough to dra...

Not since Mike Weisser (Huffington Post’s “The Gun Guy”) last lit into us have we felt so warmed by the disdain of people who delight in irrational ad hominem attacks. Maybe more, since the less than a year old Gun Lobby Watch claims to be an organization of more than one person. GLW called itself to our attention with the article “Irresponsible Doctors for Gun Lobbying”. Apparently, we’re a “front group” for the Second Amendment Foundation, not that we aren’t honored by our association w...

Violence is a global problem, which in the context of this article (interpersonal violence), is intentional force against another person or persons with the potential to cause injury or bodily harm, resulting in disability or death. Despite what one has been led to believe, America is not the most violent nation. When it comes to violence, objectively compared to developed nations, the U.S. is in the middle of the pack; when considering the rest of the world, the U.S is far behind Latin-Amer...