Chicago (WLS) – Chicago officials applauded the U.S. Surgeon General’s decision Tuesday to declare gun violence a public health crisis. This announcement comes at a time when armed violence is the leading cause of death for young people.
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Gun Violence: A Daily Reality for Many Chicago Communities
For many Chicago communities, the trauma and tragedy of gun violence are part of everyday life. The country’s top doctor has called for a new approach to combating it.
“I hope with this advice we can actually take it out of the realm of politics and put it in the realm of public health, where it belongs,” said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. “A lot of people may not realize that this is the leading cause of death in children and adolescents. And as a parent, I feel strongly that this should be a higher priority as well.”
Frontline Reactions: A Critical Announcement
Those on the front lines of treating people directly and indirectly affected by gun violence see the announcement as critical.
“It’s very welcome and very critical, because the surgeon general has basically pointed to a common value that we all share, which is that we have to keep children safe. We have to keep people safe,” said Dr. John Rich, director of the BMO Rush Institute for Health Equity.
Call for Comprehensive Measures
The Surgeon General called for more violence prevention programs, universal background checks for gun purchases, and a ban on the sale of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines for civilian use.
Rich likens this approach to what happened when the surgeon general started smoking cigarettes 60 years ago, calling them a public health hazard.
“We can take the same approach to gun violence,” he added. “We need to have better data and understand the risks. At the federal level, we can also invest in education to address these root causes.”
Community and Government Responses
Rev. Anthony Williams, who has advocated for years to make violence a public health crisis, hopes communities will become safer thanks to the surgeon general’s efforts to raise awareness.
“Let’s not talk about gun violence. Let’s talk about violence as a disease. The question is who wants the disease? I don’t think anyone wants the disease. Violence is a disease,” said Williams, of King International Ministries. “When people start talking to me about gun violence, I avoid it because the big picture is the disease of gun violence. This disease affects all of us.”
At an unrelated event on investments in early childhood care, the governor emphasized the importance of focusing on violence prevention.
“I think one of the reasons for an announcement like this is to remind people that early intervention, just like with health care, early intervention, what do we say? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said. “This is also true when it comes to gun violence.”
Chicago’s Commitment to Violence Prevention
Also on Tuesday, the Chicago Department of Public Health announced it is now accepting proposals for hospital violence prevention plans. The city is investing $3 million in this effort.
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