Doctors Are Fighting the NRA's Call for Them to 'Stay in Their Lane' About Guns

By Sophie Weiner  |  November 21, 2018 | 1:23pm
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A mass shooting at Chicago’s Mercy Hospital this week resulted in the deaths of a doctor (the shooter’s ex-fiancée), a pharmacy assistant, a police officer, and the shooter. The shooting comes less than two weeks after the NRA publicly criticized doctors for their understandably anti-gun stance, telling them to “stay in their lane” on the topic. Now, medical workers have taken to social media to push back against the NRA’s framing, as The Guardian reported on Tuesday.

Warning: graphic and disturbing images follow.

The hashtag #ThisIsOurLane began trending on Twitter last week, when doctors and other medical workers shared stories of their personal experiences with gun violence as well as statistics and opinions on gun violence in America.

Some of the stories shared on social media contained graphic descriptions of death and disturbing images.

In the past, healthcare professionals have often abstained from expressing opinions on government policy. But some say those norms are now changing.

“The willingness to take on politically charged topics is definitely increasing,” Dr. Mark Seamon told The Guardian on Tuesday. “Previously many physicians were hesitant to speak out about the horrors of what they saw on a daily basis. No more.”

“I have told countless mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, wives, husbands, sons and daughters that their loved one is dead,” he continued. “It never, ever gets easier. But honestly, I don’t want it to get easier–I want to not have to do it any more.”

 
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