Senator Accidentally Makes The Case For Treating Gun Violence As A Public Health Threat
During an appearance on Fox News On The Record with Greta Van Susteren on Monday night, physician and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso (R) inadvertently made the case for tackling gun violence as a public health threat even while slamming President Barack Obamas Surgeon General nominee, Dr. Vivek Murthy, for holding that same position.
The gun lobby and its allies in Congress have been urging the Senate to reject Murthys nomination over his beliefs that gun violence represents an urgent public health threat, that doctors should be able to talk to their patients about gun safety, and that Congress should pass standard gun violence prevention legislation such as universal background checks.
After asking Barrasso if he would join fellow Republicans such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) in blocking Murthys nomination, Van Susteren brought up the fact that previous Surgeons General have held ostensibly political positions on public health issues such as smoking, and wondered what made those views different from how Murthy approaches gun violence. Barrassos answer was revealing:
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/03/11/3387191/john-barrasso-murthy-guns-public-health/#