LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Physicians and mental health specialists were at the capitol on Thursday, reaching out to lawmakers to express their support for gun violence prevention bills.
Those who spoke at Thursday’s press conference said they are in support of extreme risk protection orders and red flag laws.
“I am here to say on behalf of doctors and of this state, please pass these bills now. I’m tired,” said Thomas Veverka, a MyMichigan Health trauma and general surgeon.
“I think frustrated is probably an understatement. Furious that this keeps happening and every time we say we have to do something. I mean, Parkland, Uvalde, Columbine. I mean, it goes on and on. Sandy Hook. Children being gunned down and we can not figure out how to do this,” said Lia Gaggino, a Medical Behavioral Health Solutions Pediatric Consultant.
Universal background checks, safe storage, and extreme risk protection orders are the bills in question.
Recently, firearms became the leading cause of death for people under the age of 19.
Just two days ago, Michigan Republicans, like David Rainey, came out against all of the bills, saying that they “trespass on the Second Amendment.”
“We need to focus on the people who are clearly committing the majority of violent crimes, we need to focus on people who clearly do need assistance,” said Rainey.
Back at the capitol, the words ‘tired’ and ‘exhausted’ were heard a lot.
“I’m tired of operating on a three-year-old who’s the victim of a drive-by shooting while strapped to a car seat in the back of an SUV. I’m tired of the recurring image of the look on the face of an eight-year-old while he’s being wheeled into the trauma bay holding his intestines in his hand from a gunshot wound to his abdomen,” said Veverka.
