Medical Professionals Urge State Lawmakers to Support Handgun Background Checks

[GarandFan]

Medical Professionals Urge State Lawmakers to Support Handgun Background Checks

Common Sense Gun Laws Needed to Stem the Crippling Costs of Gun Violence

 

CHICAGO, April 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After a spate of random shootings and gun homicides, Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (ICPGV), along with doctors and medical professionals, convened at Children's Memorial Hospital to send an urgent plea to state lawmakers to require background checks on all handgun sales in order save lives and reduce escalating health care costs related to gun violence.

 

This week the state legislature reconvenes in the face of an unprecedented state budget deficit, underscoring the need for lawmakers to address the financial costs of gun violence. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, in 2008, Illinois acute care hospitals reported 1,547 cases of firearm-related hospitalizations, with an average charge of $52,000 per hospitalization. Gun-related hospitalizations resulted in charges totaling $80.5 million in 2008. Only one third of these hospitalizations were covered by private insurance; 40% of hospitalized gun shot victims were uninsured and 27% had public health insurance.

 

Contributing to this epidemic of gun violence is a dangerous loophole in Illinois law that permits dangerous individuals to access deadly handguns without ever having to undergo a criminal background check. This means that gang members, felons, domestic violence offenders, and individuals with severe mental illness are able to purchase handguns with no questions asked. Every year, thousands of guns are sold in Illinois every year through private transactions without background checks on the purchasers. A large number of these firearms, particularly handguns, end up being sold on the illegal market, a major source of crime guns.

 

Senate Bill 3709, sponsored by Dan Kotowski (District 33-Park Ridge), and House Bill 5480, sponsored by Harry Osterman (District 14-Chicago), would close this loophole in Illinois law. According to a recent bipartisan poll, nine out of ten Illinois voters across the state support closing the "private sale loophole."

 

"In addition to saving lives, there is a cost-benefit of requiring background checks for all handgun transactions. The $10 fee for a background check compared to the $52,000 average cost of a gun-related hospitalization shows why we desperately need to enact this law," said Mark Walsh, Campaign Director for ICPGV. "Bottom line, Illinois simply can not afford to continue to give criminals and other prohibited purchasers unquestioned access handguns."

 

A recent, tragic example of gun violence is Danny Gilmore, a 14-year-old freshman at Douglass Academy High School who was shot three times in front of a convenience store before going to school. He is now paralyzed and will need extensive physical therapy.

 

"Our state lawmakers need to recognize the enormous injustice and waste of a young student getting shot on his way to school and care enough to stop it, said Dr. Christoffel. "To prevent kids from getting shot, we must strengthen our gun laws and require background checks for all handgun sales."

 

SOURCE Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

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[burningspear]

No level of background checking would have prevented the tragic shooting of Danny Gilmore by the cowardly shooter. Anyone who asserts otherwise walks backwards with their head screwed on upside down.

[GarandFan]

Anyone who asserts otherwise walks backwards with their head screwed on upside down.

 

You were saying?

[erik316]

So do they honestly think by doing this, it is going to change the way criminals get their guns? It is not like they are heading to gun shops to get them.

[muskrat]

Isnt the ten dollars we spend for a foid already a background check. Did the shooter have a valid foid? Probably not but hey lets just punish the innocent again it seems work so well.

[Drylok]

I'm certain that when the criminals and gang bangers sell firearms to each other they are sure to follow the instructions on the back of their FOID cards.

[Drylok]

Isnt the ten dollars we spend for a foid already a background check. Did the shooter have a valid foid? Probably not but hey lets just punish the innocent again it seems work so well.

Now those are some statistics I would love to see. What is the average age of convicted street shooters and what percent of them had FOID at the time they committed the crime.

[lockman]

Anyone who asserts otherwise walks backwards with their head screwed on upside down.

 

You were saying?

 

You can't walk at all when your head is screwed into where I speculate it is. Hint: It's not in the sand.

[Johnnybgood]

I am a medical professional (Registered Nurse) and I advocate for concealed carry. I advocate for the complete repeal of all gun laws. I would love to see the list of the "medical professionals" that advocate for background checks. They get one or two and they have medical professionals. :Drunk emoticon:

[moparcardave]

Wife is a RN also and the quotes that medical professionals that always makes the news is in fact a very small percentage of what the feelings are of those in the medical field. Others that work with her are supprised that she was a Army Combat Medic as looks can be deceiving. The other day she came home shaking her head, a Dr she knows is pro 2A but never has owned a firearm. She was asking me how could someone be pro 2 amendment much less a man and not own a firearm? I honestly don't know the reply for that except upbringing sure was differnent thenhers and mine.

 

Background checks won't stop someone from doing harm if they chose to do so. Hands, knives, tire irons, boards and vehicles are often the "tool" that someone uses. When someone mentions a firearm 99% of the time it's not their real agenda, it's more about their view of the 2nd amendment.

 

My question is: How many times does someone pass a backround check and commit a crime? It's not the legal law abiding citizen that's going to do the crime. Background checks are not going to reduce crime, only burden the system and take more of your and my rights away.

[illinisnare]

You all missed the point. We need more background checks on doctors..... how many people a year do they kill?

[Federal Farmer]

You all missed the point. We need more background checks on doctors..... how many people a year do they kill?

 

A decade ago it was 300,000 per year. And that is not simply sick people that went to the doctor and died, that is killed by accident.

[bhannah]

They do not care about keeping guns out of criminals hands they are not that dumb they know it will never happen.

All they care about is getting all guns gone period making us all criminal and ending their crusade as we get tossed away.

It has nothing to do about crime.

[Bill Matio]

They do not care about keeping guns out of criminals hands they are not that dumb they know it will never happen.

All they care about is getting all guns gone period making us all criminal and ending their crusade as we get tossed away.

It has nothing to do about crime.

It's all about "control"

[spec4]

There should be on IL rep or senator that will call these two clowns on this bill. If FOID isn't a background check, I would like to know what it is. These two are clearly opportunistic morons.

[junglebob]

I am a medical professional (Registered Nurse) and I advocate for concealed carry. I advocate for the complete repeal of all gun laws. I would love to see the list of the "medical professionals" that advocate for background checks. They get one or two and they have medical professionals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know one doctor who kept a handgun in his desk in the E.R. and applied for a Pa LTC, another who was considering getting a Pa LTC, and another whose children deer hunt, don't know any personally that are anti-firearm. Maybe if I knew some who were liberal democrats, I'd know of one.

[sctman800]

My wife is also a RN and has Pennsylvania, Florida and Utah permits. Jim.

[Xwing]

Almost every single statement in that “press release” is a blatant lie. How can anyone print that as “truth”? It’s true that there are tragic shootings; but adding another background check on private transfers, after the buyer already has one in order to get a valid FOID, will do nothing except harass and annoying law-abiding citizens. Do the sponsors of this bill really think the gang-bangers and gun-runners will start doing background checks?

[BigJim]

My wife is a nurse and a pretty good shot too.

[Chris]

You all missed the point. We need more background checks on doctors..... how many people a year do they kill?

 

A decade ago it was 300,000 per year. And that is not simply sick people that went to the doctor and died, that is killed by accident.

 

 

If they were good at it, it wouldn't be called "practicing" medicine.