Vivek Murthy on Declaring Gun Violence a Public Health Crisis: We Need More Gun Control

BRZEZINSKI So you brought ░░░░░░░░ the smoking parallel which ░░░░░░░░ so interesting because as ░░░░░░░░ write you are corrected ░░░░░░░░ initiatives and and a ░░░░░░░░ of outreach in schools ░░░░░░░░ understanding about the dangers ░░░░░░░░ also mobilized massive lawsuits ░░░░░░░░ the legal realm was ░░░░░░░░ ignited by sort of ░░░░░░░░ sense of just how ░░░░░░░░ cigarettes were Will that ░░░░░░░░ in this case Is ░░░░░░░░ your hope Or what ░░░░░░░░ us to banning automatic ░░░░░░░░ What gets us to ░░░░░░░░ goals here in this ░░░░░░░░ universal background checks MURTHY ░░░░░░░░ there are series of ░░░░░░░░ we lay out in ░░░░░░░░ report Mika you identified ░░░░░░░░ of them which are ░░░░░░░░ around firearm risk reduction ░░░░░░░░ those include strengthening universal ░░░░░░░░ checks and they also ░░░░░░░░ measures that would seek ░░░░░░░░ put time and space ░░░░░░░░ firearms and individuals who ░░░░░░░░ seek to harm themselves ░░░░░░░░ others But what they ░░░░░░░░ include are community based ░░░░░░░░ know violence intervention strategies ░░░░░░░░ storage education programs and ░░░░░░░░ advances and expansions in ░░░░░░░░ research funding as well ░░░░░░░░ expanded access to mental ░░░░░░░░ services These are all ░░░░░░░░ strategies that we ve ░░░░░░░░ for Congress to consider ░░░░░░░░ the country to consider ░░░░░░░░ they re actionable You ░░░░░░░░ one of the things ░░░░░░░░ gives me some hope ░░░░░░░░ is that if you ░░░░░░░░ at the last few ░░░░░░░░ we ve seen some ░░░░░░░░ five six years ago ░░░░░░░░ actually for the first ░░░░░░░░ in decades put forward ░░░░░░░░ for gun violence It ░░░░░░░░ a modest amount of ░░░░░░░░ a lot more has ░░░░░░░░ happen there but they ░░░░░░░░ for two years ago ░░░░░░░░ the bipartisan Safer Communities ░░░░░░░░ which is a first ░░░░░░░░ legislation to address gun ░░░░░░░░ in 30 years There ░░░░░░░░ more that we can ░░░░░░░░ here and these should ░░░░░░░░ be the last steps ░░░░░░░░ take There is there ░░░░░░░░ more actions we ll ░░░░░░░░ as a country But ░░░░░░░░ we build on the ░░░░░░░░ that I ve laid ░░░░░░░░ if we come to ░░░░░░░░ this issue understanding that ░░░░░░░░ I m understanding talking ░░░░░░░░ people across America which ░░░░░░░░ that everyone regardless of ░░░░░░░░ background their age what ░░░░░░░░ of the country they ░░░░░░░░ in want to live ░░░░░░░░ a world where their ░░░░░░░░ can go to school ░░░░░░░░ worrying about gun violence ░░░░░░░░ they can go to ░░░░░░░░ or go for a ░░░░░░░░ in the street without ░░░░░░░░ about being shot And ░░░░░░░░ now this fear of ░░░░░░░░ violence has pervaded the ░░░░░░░░ of America It s ░░░░░░░░ day to day decisions ░░░░░░░░ I have to just ░░░░░░░░ you about a grandmother ░░░░░░░░ spoke to not long ░░░░░░░░ who told me that ░░░░░░░░ grandchild is scared to ░░░░░░░░ light up shoes you ░░░░░░░░ that shoes that BRZEZINSKI ░░░░░░░░ hmm MURTHY flash when ░░░░░░░░ take a step because ░░░░░░░░ doesn t want to ░░░░░░░░ a target for a ░░░░░░░░ If there s an ░░░░░░░░ shooter you know shooting ░░░░░░░░ in his school Another ░░░░░░░░ I spoke to the ░░░░░░░░ day who was tragically ░░░░░░░░ a mass shooting incident ░░░░░░░░ to run from a ░░░░░░░░ she now doesn t ░░░░░░░░ flip flops when she ░░░░░░░░ outside because on that ░░░░░░░░ she happened to be ░░░░░░░░ flip flops and found ░░░░░░░░ was hard to run ░░░░░░░░ she doesn t want ░░░░░░░░ be in that situation ░░░░░░░░ You start to see ░░░░░░░░ this is affecting day ░░░░░░░░ day decisions And it ░░░░░░░░ t have to be ░░░░░░░░ way If we understand ░░░░░░░░ as a country come ░░░░░░░░ this as an issue ░░░░░░░░ affects all of us ░░░░░░░░ a public health concern ░░░░░░░░ really do believe that ░░░░░░░░ can make progress in ░░░░░░░░ lives and reducing the ░░░░░░░░ health toll of gun ░░░░░░░░