It's been more than two years since the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Since that time, community leaders have debated ways to keep guns off the streets, and lawmakers have pursued sweeping gun control legislation. President Obama went so far as to pass 23 executive orders regarding guns in the US. By and large, very little changed.
Meanwhile, recently-confirmed Surgeon General Vivek Murthy drew criticism for tweets he sent out after an NRA press conference about the Newtown shooting. Dr. Murthy faced intense congressional scrutiny over the tweets, and his confirmation was held up over a year.
Medical ethicist Art Caplan — who has spoken out in support of Dr. Murthy's stance on guns — said it wasn't a surprise to him that the public, and lawmakers, have lost their appetite for change.
"Gun rights support is growing, and control is on the decline," Caplan said Wednesday on Boston Public Radio. "We have done a wonderful job this year (...) freaking out the American people beyond endurance. (...) People are beyond the point of worry, so I think they arm themselves," Caplan said.
Caplan said it may be time for the health care community — the Surgeon General, physicians and nurses — to lead the charge on gun safety. "From a public health point of view, (...) you ought to be talking to your patients about safe guns," Caplan said. "Do you lock it up? Did you teach your kid what to do if they found one?"
Caplan said a gun-awareness initiative would require physicians expand their purview beyond things like treating infectious diseases. Caplan said the statistics support it. "Accidents with guns, number of kids killed by guns — there's something for medicine to talk about."
>> Art Caplan is the head of the division of medical ethics at NYU's Langone Medical Center. He's the host of the Everday Ethics podcast.
