BELLEVUE, WA – The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) today affirmed its support for concealed carry reform in Colorado, while suggesting that gun rights opponents in the medical community need to keep their own house in order before working to deny Colorodoans their right of self-defense.
As Republican State Senators Ken Chlouber, Doug Lamborn and Jim Dyer unveiled their measures, leading the charge against sensible gun law reform were members of the anti-gun Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR). Dr. Eric Sigel, a PSR member and medical director of the Adolescent Medical Clinic at Children’s Hospital argued that “guns and firearms need to be looked at from a public-policy perspective. We need to take the gun debate out of the political realm.” PSR Executive Director Ted Pascoe – who is also a spokesman for Colorado Ceasefire – claims that CCW reform is “a recipe for disaster.”
“It is no small wonder why Sen. Dyer refers to these organizations as ‘extremist’,” said CCRKBA Executive Director Joe Waldron. “PSR and Ceasefire have well-established track records against the right of self-defense. They have always opposed common sense gun law reform measures that would treat all citizens equally, whether they live in large cities or rural communities. If this is such a recipe for disaster, why have over 30 states passed preemption statutes and shall-issue laws, with no dire consequences?”
Waldron said it is ironic that Dr. Sigel suddenly wants to remove the gun debate from the political arena, now that Republicans control Colorado’s Legislature.
“When anti-gun lawmakers are in charge,” Waldron said, “anti-gun doctors are quite content with letting them decide the political future of gun rights. However, when confronted with the possibility of sensible gun law reform, suddenly Dr. Sigel wants the issue removed from political debate. That’s hypocrisy at its worst.”
Waldron suggested that if the medical community were really interested in “social responsibility,” it would focus its energies closer to home. He was alluding to the number of annual deaths attributed to “medical misadventures,” a number estimated to be anywhere from 90,000 to 100,000 annually.
“Heal thyself, Dr. Sigel,” Waldron stated. “So-called medical misadventures kill three times the number of people who die each year from gunshot wounds. Before doctors like Eric Sigel try to influence firearms law policy, they should get their own houses in order.”