Portland Tribune: Expanded Background Checks a Positive Step For Oregonians

[Stomper]

I just saw this on the Portland Tribune's website....

http://pamplinmedia.com/pt/10-opini...-a-positive-step-for-oregonians#disqus_thread

Dr. Gene Uphoff


As an Oregon medical professional, I am encouraged to see our leaders in Salem using this legislative session to take positive steps to improve the health of Oregonians and help build safer communities around our state.

As a doctor, I am all too familiar with the toll of gun violence on our communities. From my vantage point, there is an inescapable conclusion: Gun violence is a public health crisis.

The statistics, both nationally and here in Oregon, are unsettling as they are convincing. Nationally, 30,000 Americans die from gunshot wounds every single year. Here in Oregon, each year there are more fatalities from firearms than from motor vehicle traffic accidents, according to one study ("Gun Deaths Outpace Motor Vehicle Deaths in 14 States and the District of Columbia in 2011," Violence Policy Center, July 2014).

The good news is there is now legislation before them that would take some reasonable steps toward making Oregon a safer place to live. Last month, leaders in the Legislature introduced a bill that would close the loophole in Oregon law that allows some guns to be purchased without a background check.

I urge our leaders to pass this responsible legislation. By making this small, commonsense change to our laws, we can ensure that background checks are required for all gun purchases. Doing so will help keep guns out of the wrong hands and reduce gun violence in Oregon.

Here in Oregon, background checks are only done on some gun sales, but not all. Federal law requires background checks at licensed firearms dealers, and Oregon wisely closed the loophole that allowed people to buy guns without a background checks at gun shows. Sadly, dangerous people can still buy guns without a background check or questions asked where they are also readily available: the Internet.

This loophole is easily exploited by people who know that they would fail a background check when trying to buy a gun. Examples include convicted felons, domestic abusers, and the adjudicated mentally ill. It's a huge loophole that allows easy access to guns with no questions asked. Our legislature and governor should pass this bill and help keep guns out of the wrong hands.

When we look at the experience of other states that have closed these gun law loopholes, we can appreciate the potential improvement in public health. Eighteen places have closed loopholes and expanded background checks on handgun purchases, making them less dangerous places to live: 46 percent fewer women are shot to death in domestic abuse situations; 48 percent fewer police officers are shot to death in the line of duty; and there are 48 percent fewer gun suicides.

A public health approach that draws on reasonable laws that protect families has been successful in reducing death and disability from infectious diseases, automobile accidents, unsafe food, and dangerous consumer products. We need the same common sense applied to the epidemic of gun violence.

Responsible gun owners here in Oregon know how dangerous firearms can be in the wrong hands. That's why a recent poll of Oregon voters found that 83 percent of them said they'd support expanding background checks to cover all gun sales. Oregonians are reasonable people, so it's no surprise that these changes are not controversial — not even close.

As a medical professional, I understand the importance of statistics, and I know that even the most commonsense laws won't stop every act of gun violence. It's a complex problem. There is no single cure.

But our legislators in Salem should use this chance to close this dangerous loophole in our gun laws and support this legislation. Lives are at stake, and they have an incredible opportunity — and duty — to make Oregon's communities safer.

Dr. Gene Uphoff is a Portland resident who practiced family medicine until he retired recently. He is a Medical Professional for Responsible Solutions, and a member of the National Physicians Alliance.

Here's the comment that I left there :

30,000 Americans die from gunshot wounds every year... what isn't told is the breakdown of those fatalities. A HUGE portion of that is from justifiable homocide (you know killing a bad guy who's threatening others), then there's a small portion killed by accidental discharge, suicide another small portion, and murders are an even smaller portion.

If 30,000 deaths annually is a crisis and/or an epidemic then consider the following:

The Journal of Patient Safety recently published a study which concluded that as many as 440,000 people die each year from preventable medical errors in hospitals. Tens of thousands also die from preventable mistakes outside hospitals, such as deaths from missed diagnoses or because of injuries from medications.

Other reports have examined the impact of medical mistakes on segments of America's patient population. A Department of Health and Human Services report in 2010 said 180,000 Medicare patients die each year from preventable adverse events in the hospital. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2011 said 1-in-25 hospital patients get an infection from being in the hospital; 700,000 of them get sick as a result and 75,000 die.

It seems to me that the good Doctor and his peers are a far greater and destructive threat to public safety. Perhaps the good Doctor should just shut his yap and focus on paying his malpractice insurance.

Read More

 

[308]

Education does not always = intelligence or intellectual honesty.

 

[tkdguy]

He's a family doctor and are at the bottom of the rung in terms of medical competency and this speaks highly of his ignorance of the subject mater. It is good that he retired: research skills and objectivity have been lost.

 

[308]

I read thru the comment section and it seems people are not buying the propaganda. No comments from UBC supporters either. Usually there are a few seminar posters stirring the pot.

 

[Stomper]

Frikken jerks passed it out of committee today along party lines. DEMOCRATS SUCK!!!

 

[Gator Monroe]

Every piece of Firearms Restricting Legislation in California of last 19 years has been brought forth, rammed through committee, and passed by "Straight Party Line Vote" by Democrats, with only the 50 cal ban signed by Ahnold BUCKING THAT TREND .

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

Making claims like that, they should be held accountable every time a gang shooting takes place.. I mean.. BGC were the ultimate solution right? How could it possibly not work?

Sheeeesh.
Whats worse is that slime ball "FFL" from cali that "testified" saying all FFLs should be excited and "cash in" with a BGC program..
That is bubbleguming disgusting, and forced transfers? Christ.. When does it end? How will they regulate those costs? Its extortion with no cap in sight.

 

[deshoots]

That dude from Cali needs to be put out of business. Maybe calguns can help with that.

 

[Stomper]

WTF are out of staters EVEN doing putting their 2 cents in?

 

[3MTA3]

My comment:

"The poll Dr. Uphoff refers to was predominately taken in the Portland Metro area. Democrats were represented against Republicans at a rate of almost 2 to 1, and a majority were not gun owners. Gun control advocates like to tout that 83% (81 if they actually took time to read instead of merely repeating what crazy Aunt Ginny said at some rally). I sure hope Dr. Uphoff does more research than this when treating patients.

According to the FBI about 50% more people are murdered each year by hammers and clubs than by rifles. If saving only one more life makes it all worthwhile, then why aren't we doing background checks at Home Depot?"

 

[Stomper]

Can I get a, HELL YEAH?!!!

 

[OLDNEWBIE]

Notice the words in the title of the article? "Positive Step".

Hear all the pro- SB-941 people yesterday testifying how "SB-941 is a good first step"...?

Step definition:
5.
a. One of a series of actions, processes, or measures taken to achieve a goal.

They won't be satisfied with this. They have a goal, this was a Step towards it.

 

[CoastRange57]

If all of this does not make you all understand how corrupt our political system currently is, and how futile it certainly appears that reasonable dissent is, then nothing ever will.

 

[tkdguy]

Let's continue to hound the house democrats. Rep. Nearman sent me an email to continue the fight; thinks there is a chance this could be stopped in the House. Let's hound them! tkdguy

 

[OLDNEWBIE]

Penny Okamoto (ceasefire Oregon) let's us know exactly what "The Next Step" is that they want in common sense gun laws. She Testified at the SB 941 committee BTW, my feed was freezing up at the time but she was quoting 87% or so multiple statistics from what I could hear.

 

[tkdguy]

So, under SB 941 when do the civil rights of law abiding citizens get restored? If this is a good paradoxical issue to send off to the representatives, please do so. tkdguy

 

[Stomper]

Penny Okamoto is a fraud right from the get-go. She ain't even Japanese.

 

[U201491]

Damn I hate the title to this thread.

 

[Stomper]

Damn I hate the title to this thread.

Then click on that link and give 'em both barrels in the comment section!

 

[308]

NancyWT at th OP link needs some more love from us