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).
Guilty verdicts have been handed down to the three men charged with killing 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery on multiple murder counts, as well as other charges. The verdict was delivered last Wednesday by a mostly white jury after more than 11 hours of deliberation spanning two days. It followed eight days of testimony. Jason Nichols, senior lecturer in the African American Studies Department at the University of Maryland, joins Cheddar News to discuss what's next.
The ocean is an important topic when it comes to the climate. It plays a vital role in shaping our environment, with rising sea levels causing a 35% increase in natural disasters around the world, affecting 1.7 billion people. Dr. Sylvia Earle has been called perhaps the greatest advocate our oceans have ever had, with Time magazine dubbing her its first 'hero of the planet' and the Library of Congress naming her a living legend. She is also the founder of Mission Blue, an organization that inspires action to explore and protect the ocean. Dr. Earle joined Cheddar Climate for more on the importance of caring for the ocean and its impact on climate change.
The holidays are here, which means many will raise a glass. In fact, data shows the average American doubles their booze intake between Thanksgiving and New Years, with about 45% of those drinkers choosing vodka as their liquor of choice. Tony Latham, Bacardi's CFO, tells Cheddar what he anticipates will be the most popular spirit or cocktail this holiday season, as well as other trends going into the new year.
This holiday season, e-commerce sales are expected to hit 207 billion dollars, with17 percent of that chunk will occuring between the days of the deals - black friday and cyber monday. Deren Baker, CEO of edge by ascential, joins Cheddar News to give a Cyber Monday preview.
With Black Friday right around the corner, Trae Bodge, Smart Shopping Expert at TrueTrae.com joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss holiday shopping tips ahead of the annual event.
According to recent data, Americans are pulling away from their television screens in a big way. In the last few months, people have returned back to more normal activities, spending time with friends and less time doom scrolling on Instagram, it's a favorite pastime. Licensed Psychotherapist and Author of "Disconnected" Tom Kersting, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
One former employee at Sony Playstation has just filed a lawsuit against the company on allegations of gender discrimination and wrongful termination. According to Emma Majo, the company says she was terminated as a result of the company's decision to phase out a team she was only temporarily working with. Executive Director at International Game Developer's Association Renee Gittins, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Just hours before the scheduled execution of inmate Julius Jones, the Governor of Oklahoma Kevin Stit has now granted commuted his sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Several advocates along with a number of celebrities have been fighting to stop the execution. Defense Attorney and Police Director Erin Haney, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
According to recent data from the American Gaming Association, U.S. Casinos have just experienced their best quarter ever, winning nearly $14 billion in the third quarter of the year alone. Reporter at The Nevada Independent Howard Stutz, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Guilty verdicts have been handed down to the three men charged with killing Ahmaud Arbery. Arbery was out for a jog in February 2020 when Travis McMichael, William "Roddie" Bryan, and Gregory McMichael chased him down and killed him. The judge read the verdicts for each of the three men aloud, starting with the man who pulled the trigger, Travis McMichael. Kirk Burkhalter, professor at New York Law School joins Cheddar News to recap the trial.
