Guns, Magazines, Surgeons and Politics

[swatsurgeon]

I want to share something from my surgical society that represents me to several entities including insurance companies as well as the US government.
The American College of Surgeons has published the following:


[ST-12] Statement on Firearm Injuries

(Revised January 2013)

[by the American College of Surgeons]

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The following revised Statement on Firearm Injuries was approved in January 2013 by the Officers of the American College of Surgeons and its Board of Regents. It replaces the February 2000 statement that was developed by the Committee on Trauma and approved by the College's Board of Regents—that statement replaced an initial statement addressing firearm injuries developed in 1991.

Because violence inflicted by guns continues to be a daily event in the United States and mass casualties involving firearms threaten the health and safety of the public, the American College of Surgeons supports:
1.Legislation banning civilian access to assault weapons, large ammunition clips, and munitions designed for military and law enforcement agencies.
2.Enhancing mandatory background checks for the purchase of firearms to include gun shows and auctions.
3.Ensuring that health care professionals can fulfill their role in preventing firearm injuries by health screening, patient counseling, and referral to mental health services for those with behavioral medical conditions.
4.Developing and promoting proactive programs directed at improving safe gun storage and the teaching of non-violent conflict resolution for a culture that often glorifies guns and violence in media and gaming.
5.Evidence-based research on firearm injury and the creation of a national firearm injury database to inform federal health policy.

This statement was put out without polling all of the members of the ACS, in violation of the bylaws. I felt it necessary to respond which could jepardize parts of my career but I felt it was just and necessary. Here is my response to them:

To Our Esteemed Colleagues of the ACS,
I want to share my disappointment in your unilateral decision, without asking the opinion of all fellows whom you represent, to publish the “ACS Revised Statement on Firearm Injuries” which serves as a template to infringe on the rights of those of us that both respect and appropriately utilize the tools used in the shooting sports and self-defense arenas by including statement #1. I am dismayed at the polarized statement that you have no data or proof that what you have printed can in any way effect the “safety” of citizens. I have not seen a statement from the ACS that airplanes, cars or other modes of transportation be restricted since the world trade center incident claimed more lives than gun violence that day, motor vehicle collisions claim more lives daily than firearms do in 1-3 months. The CDC WISKARS information does demonstrate the statistics of deaths that occur due to all means as you are aware and to state that you are representing my views and those of all of our colleagues to promote banning anything is not within the stated bylaws of the college.
Your opinions are important to you as mine are to me. As the agent of the college representing all of the fellows of the college, I believe you have administered a great injustice to our members and the public image of us as a whole. Please do speak of educational opportunities and enhancing preexisting laws and promote outreach,(statements #2-5) but do not promote the banning of an inanimate object and think for one minute that that will serve any purpose but ask for the college to reconsider its role in the life of many surgeon members. Please view the FBI data on the use of all rifles for acts of violence and appreciate that they make up a significant ‘minority’ (<5%) of civilian shootings. I am a full time Trauma Surgeon as many of you are and see what violence of all kinds does to our patients; GSW’s are a minority of all wounds seen for the last many years and I am sure NTDB data validates that point but MVCs and falls are rising while GSWs are falling. I have not seen revised statements on either of these high volume injury areas. I have also been a member of law enforcement and SWAT teams since 2002 and see it from the other side, as well as being safely involved in the shooting sports since age 9.
I thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts privately with you; understand I am not submitting them to the press or any other organization as your Revised Statement on Firearm Injuries is intended.
I have read your mission to us as fellows, part of which I have included below as justification for my statements.
Respectfully,
Sydney Vail, MD, FACS

From The College Website: your Mission

The duties of the Board of Governors and the relationship of the Governors to the Regents are clearly stated in the Bylaws of the College. The areas of interest and responsibility of the two Boards are clearly set forth in two statements:
(Article II. Section 1.) The management and control of the business and affairs of the College shall be vested in the Board of Regents.
(Article III. Section 4.) The Governors shall act as a liaison between the Board of Regents and the Fellows, and as a clearinghouse for the Regents on general assigned subjects and on local problems.
Primary Responsibility
These two statements make it clear that the Board of Governors carries the primary responsibility for serving as the connecting link between the Fellows and the Regents. While the Board of Regents carries the ultimate overall responsibility for conducting all College affairs, it depends heavily upon the Board of Governors to keep it informed of the Fellows' feelings and attitudes. Comments and suggestions from the Governors are often requested and always welcomed by the Regents. The presence of the Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary of the Board of Governors at all meetings of the Board of Regents gives these Officers the opportunity to keep abreast of actions of the Regents and to report them to the Governors, and through them, to the Fellows.
Summary of Responsibilities
There are a number of ways in which the influence of the Governors may be made effective, and in which they may carry out their responsibilities. These responsibilities include the following:
Communications: Governors are in every sense the direct representatives of the Fellows. Every effort should be made to insure freedom of communication between the Fellows and the Governors and, whether specialty society or chapter, from the Governors to the Regents of the College. Each Governor should take responsibility for knowing the problems, attitudes, and ideas of the Fellows as they may relate to their parent organization. Communication of important matters to the Chair of the Board of Governors is essential, and completion of the annual Board of Governors survey is required.

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[TXGringo]

Well done, Sir.

[Team Sergeant]

Agree, well said Syd!

[MR2]

Sic 'em Syd!

[Sdiver]

Bravo Zulu Doc.

[Badger52]

Well done indeed. Their statement is similar to the kind of thingf that often comes out of "associations of chiefs of police" in the pocket of mayors and others who are then taken by MSM to be speaking for rank & file officers.

Good pushback, Doc.