American College of Physicians President on Gun Violence: This Is Our Lane
*By Max Godnick*
This is our lane.
That was the rallying cry from doctors that sounded across the United States after the NRA appeared to mock a position paper from the American College of Physicians earlier this month. Following an October report on ["Reducing Firearm Injuries and Death in the United States"](http://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/2709820/reducing-firearm-injuries-deaths-united-states-position-paper-from-american), the advocacy group found itself on the receiving end of an [NRA tweet](https://t.co/oCR3uiLtS7) instructing doctors to "stay in their lane" on the national gun-control debate.
"Our lane is taking care of people, our lane is saving lives, and our lane is really public health and taking a look at these questions from a scientific perspective," Dr. Ana Maria Lopez, president of the ACP, said Monday in an interview on Cheddar.
The NRA's barb inspired hundreds of doctors and nurses to share photos on social media depicting [first-hand accounts](https://www.npr.org/2018/11/11/666762890/after-nra-mocks-doctors-physicians-reply-this-is-our-lane) of how gun violence affects their lives every day. The graphic imagery includes pictures of blood-stained operating rooms and other visuals of the aftermath of shootings around the country. In most cases, the images are paired with either #ThisIsOurLane or similarly biting responses to the NRA's initial message.
"These are folks who, on a daily basis, are saving lives and are experiencing this," Dr. Lopez said, adding that she was "very surprised" that the back and forth has taken on a life of its own online.
According to Lopez, last week's tragedy at a country-music bar in Thousand Oaks, California, was the 307th mass shooting of 2018.
"There have not been 307 days \[in the year\]," she added, pointing out that the NRA's tweet was posted just hours before the shooting that left 12 people dead.
The position paper in question assesses the rise in firearm-related injuries as a "public health crisis" requiring the nation's "immediate attention."
"We're very concerned that this is a public-health epidemic," Dr. Lopez said. "It's very important for the dialogue that we be able to work together to save lives."
Now, the ACP's priority remains securing the necessary funding to properly research and understand "the best approaches to help address this escalating violence," Dr. Lopez said. But, with conservatives still controlling the White House and Senate, she said the medical community's hands are "somewhat tied" moving forward.
But the social campaign highlighted how passionately many doctors feel about the issue ー and how personally they are affected by gun deaths.
"There is hardly anyone in the country who is not in some way connected to someone who has been touched by this personally," Dr. Lopez said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-president-of-the-american-college-of-physicians-to-the-nra-this-is-our-lane).
Mark Brim, President of Aquent's Recruiting Division Vitamin T, joins On The Job to discuss how remote work has transformed hiring and recruiting process across the board, and the latest trends surrounding remote hiring across the globe.
Miami's real estate market has boomed since early 2020, thanks to an overall strong housing market, remote work, and no income tax as incentives. The city is preparing to welcome even more residents as people relocate to warmer climates to work from home. Garrett Derderian, director of market intelligence at SERHANT, joined Cheddar to discuss the Magic City's red hot market.
Actor, entertainer, and hip hop icon Queen Latifah is partnering with It's Bigger Than Me, an initiative with the goal of ending the stigma around obesity. She joined Cheddar News to discuss how she is working toward educating others and having important conversations about the social struggles that come with obesity. “We can’t let the Queen Latifah’s of the world not exist. We need people to care about other people," the "Hustle" star said.
Sarah Warbelow, legal director for Human Rights Campaign, joins Cheddar News to discuss why advocates want to overturn the FDA's rule restricting gay and bisexual men from donating blood.
Actor Jamie Chung joins Cheddar News to talk about her upcoming projects and her new partnership with Duracell helping parents learn more about hidden dangers in their home. But that's not all, she plays a fun game with us too!
Child care marketplace startup Kinside announced raising $12 million in a Series A round led by venture capitalists who are mothers themselves. The company aids parents searching for affordable child care easier by providing concierge support in a marketplace of verified professionals and helping them tap into flexible spending accounts (FSA) and other benefits. Founder and CEO Shadiah Sigala joined Cheddar News to talk about the fresh funds and the ongoing effects of the pandemic on the care of young children.
When it comes to diversity in children's toys, we have come a long way as a society but we still have a ways to go. One group of students decided to take matters into their own hands. Truly You! Character Creator is a fashion illustration activity set made for youth by youth. Lindsay Buckingham, one of the toy’s creators, sat down with Cheddar News to talk all about it.
David Levine, elections integrity fellow with Alliance for Securing Democracy, joins Cheddar News to discuss Politico's bombshell finding revealing the RNC's plan to contest the elections.
Perfect for Pride Month, Hulu’s "Fire Island" is a queer take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The cast of the gay rom-com, Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, and Matt Rogers, joined Cheddar News to discuss the groundbreaking film. "I had to write it completely and have something to point to, to say this is the story, this is actually good, this is something that people will want to watch," said the writer and star Booster. "And so it took a long time, but I'm very lucky and blessed that I had a lot of people along the way who believed in it."
