It’s a shame that the NRA/IRA chose to engage in intimidation and boorish behavior instead of listening to the other side. I am hoping that the rational, responsible, and respectful membership of the NRA stands up and sets an example for its national and regional leadership on how to engage in civilized discourse.
— Marjorie Fujara, Pediatrician
Marjorie Fujara, Pediatrician
I was one of the few non-NRA members to attend a panel on “Guns and Public Safety” in Glenview, Illinois earlier this month. By the time I arrived, the auditorium was already packed to capacity. The Illinois Rifle Association had alerted its members to what they labeled as a “gun-grabber” meeting and they turned out in full force. I was allowed in because I was there to distribute a flyer on behalf of the One Million Moms For Gun Control.
I was there because I am a mother. Like many Americans, the tragedy at Sandy Hook rocked me to my core. I am also a pediatrician who sees too many children enveloped by an inescapable culture of violence. It is in their neighborhoods and in their homes. These experiences rob them of a bright future and take away the one thing that sustains all of us through adversity: hope. So I went to hear the stories of victims’ family members, Bill and Linda Jenkins, and learn what has helped them cope.
Read the entire story at rhrealitycheck.org
Marjorie Fujara is a pediatrician with the Division of Child Protective Services at Stroger Hospital in Chicago. Her impassioned professional interests include violence prevention and mental health care for families. Her impassioned personal interests include her family and all issues that affect the health and well being of women and children.