The American Academy of Pediatrics has been on a quiet march to Congress to lobby members to pass gun control legislation and tighten carry laws.
More than 100 hit Capitol Hill this month alone, NBC reported.
Among their goals: Bans on assault-style weapons; mandatory background checks for all; required waiting periods for all gun buys; prohibitions on ammunition purchases and high-capacity magazines; and new laws for firearm storage, NBC said.
“We have to have a collectively louder voice,” said Danielle Laraque, the chairwoman of the pediatrics department at Maimonides Infants and Children’s Hospital in Brooklyn, NBC reported. “What we need is a call to action, to really look at how we can change public policy that is not affected by data.”
The AAP represents more than 60,000 doctors. And the group’s gun lobby work is not welcomed by all.
The NRA has sponsored legislation that would force pediatricians to stop asking parents about guns in the home.
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• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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