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Indian Pediatr 2016;53: 1118 |
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Are Guns There to Kill or to Save Life?
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Kam Lun Hon
Department of Pediatrics, The Chinese University of
Hong Kong, China.
Email: [email protected]
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Gunshots are one of the most common modes of deaths and injuries among
young Americans in the post-World War II era [1]. The most effective way
to prevent firearm injuries is to remove guns from the home and
community [1,2]. High rates of injury and death from firearms in United
States (US) are in stark contrast to the cities with no or few cases.
This difference is most likely related to firearm legislation [2,3].
Interestingly, Hong Kong has no gunshot incidents among the pediatric
population [4,5]. There are extremely strict laws concerning possession
of firearms in the city. Since 1960, even fireworks are forbidden in the
city. It is accepted by the public that there is no place for guns and
firearms in Hong Kong.
In any civilized nation, there is no need for
civilians to possess weapons of massive destruction under any
circumstance. In the US, the National Rifle Association has used fear as
a motivator to get citizens armed. Nevertheless, procession of a gun by
civilians or police does not necessarily save life. On April 27, 2016, a
mother was fatally shot by toddler who found gun in car. On July 7,
2016, five armed police officers in Dallas, Texas were killed by a
civilian with automatic weapons. On the same day, a Minnesota police
officer fatally shot a man in a car with a woman and a child. The man
was licensed to carry a gun and was trying to get his ID and wallet when
the officer shot him. His licensed gun costed his life rather than
saving it.
Nevertheless, a nation must uphold the current strict
gun regulations for human rights to safe-living. The only solution for
the Americans would be to prohibit automatic or semiautomatic weapons of
massive destruction, and tighten regulations for rifles and hand guns if
gun-free environment is politically impossible.
References
1. Dahlberg LL, Ikeda RM, Kresnow MJ. Guns in the
home and risk of a violent death in the home: findings from a national
study. Am J Epidemiol. 2004;160:929-36.
2. Coyne-Beasley T, McGee KS, Johnson RM, Bordley WC.
The association of handgun ownership and storage practices with safety
consciousness. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2002;156:763-8.
3. Hon KL, Poon WY, Fung L, Leung AK. Gunshots
involving children and minors. HK J Paediatr. 2016;21:127-30.
4. Hon KL, Leung TF, Cheung KL, Nip SY, Ng J, Fok TF,
et al. Severe childhood injuries and poisoning in a densely
populated city: where do they occur and what type? J Crit Care.
2010;25:175-12.
5. Hon KL. No guns at children: not even a toy one! Indian J Pediatr.
2011;78:1556-7.
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