SECOND AMENDMENT
Pediatricians oppose
expanded gun access
Supporters of House Bill 875 — which would allow licensed gun owners to carry concealed weapons in bars, college campuses and houses of worship, among other currently prohibited locations — frame the issue as one of public safety. They believe that ready access to guns will make people safer. Research indicates the opposite. Individuals in possession of a gun are four times more likely to be shot in an assault than those without at gun, while gun storage in the home is associated with a threefold increase in the risk of homicide.
Of particular concern to pediatricians is the increased risk of suicide by teenagers and young adults with access to guns. A gun in the home increases the risk of suicide by 500 percent. Suicide attempts by gun are lethal 85 to 90 percent of the time, far higher than any other method. College campuses are filled with a combination of impulsive young adults, high emotions, alcohol and other drugs. Adding ready access to firearms will lead to increased injury and death due to homicide, accident and especially, suicide.
For the health and safety of our patients, the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics opposes HB 875. We urge members of the General Assembly to do the same.
ROBERT WISKIND, PRESIDENT, GEORGIA CHAPTER, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS
EDUCATION
Can Common Core
keep us competitive?
Those opposed to the Common Core math and language standards for K-12 should keep these statistics in mind: Of 65 countries measure by the Program for International Student Assessment, the U.S. ranks 30th in math, 23rd in science and 20th in reading.
With that in mind, let’s ask ourselves how the U.S. can maintain its leadership role in the world and generate opportunity for our children in the future when faced by global competition from better-educated countries. Staunch advocates of local school control probably haven’t given consideration to this notion.
While I have no objections to Common Core, there will be no appreciable improvement in scholastic performance by our young people until we as a society place greater value on intellect over entertainment. But we need to start somewhere, keeping the larger picture in mind in pursuit of the best education for all of our children.
MARC MARTON, ROSWELL
FEDERAL SPENDING
No discipline to stop
abuse of debt ceiling
If our children abuse credit cards, we take it away until he/she learns to be responsible.
If we abuse our credit card, the bank takes it away until we regain our credit rating and are responsible with our bills.
If Congress and the president of the United States abuse our credit card, we just pass a bill to increase the debt limit — no questions asked! Why bother with a debt ceiling? We always can borrow money from our good communist friend — China!
TAM NGUYEN, DULUTH
