US doctors are sharing haunting pictures of the aftermath of gun violence on social media after the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) told medical experts to "stay in their lane" when it comes to firearms restrictions.
Doctors responded to the NRA by showing the result of gun violence in hospitals. Photo: Twitter / @ScrubbedCTSurg
Photos of blood-stained scrubs, graphic X-rays and selfies have flooded Twitter in response to a post from the NRA promoting a news release which took aim at medical professionals calling for gun restrictions.
The NRA promoted the post in a tweet, which had attracted 3000 likes but more than 20,000 replies.
"Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane," the tweet read.
"Half of the articles in Annals of Internal Medicine are pushing for gun control.
"Most upsetting, however, the medical community seems to have consulted no-one but themselves."
Forensic pathologist Judy Melinek saw the tweet as she was preparing to perform an autopsy on a victim who died from a gunshot wound.
Angered by the message, she fired off a reply before heading to the morgue.
Photo: Twitter
By the time she finished her shift, the tweet had gone viral, attracting more than 500,000 likes since Friday.
Doctors around the country also took to Twitter to vent about the NRA's stance:
Hey @NRA ! Wanna see my lane? Here’s the chair I sit in when I tell parents their kids are dead. How dare you tell me I can’t research evidence based solutions. #ThisISMyLane #ThisIsOurLane #thequietroom pic.twitter.com/y7tBAuje8O
— Stephanie Bonne (@scrubbedin) November 9, 2018
Bullet I took out of a 6 month old’s brain. @NRA you created my lane! #stayinmylane #ThisISMyLane #GunControlNow #Docs4GunSense pic.twitter.com/e54kYX1dBD
— Mahua Dey (@Goru78) November 12, 2018
Dear @NRA,
— Dr. Shadowgazer (@DShadowgazer) November 10, 2018
Even radiologists, who most people don’t really think of as clinical doctors, are heavily involved in planning and treatment of gunshot wounds. Not only is it our lane, but it’s everyone’s lane to try and solve this pic.twitter.com/TYlUiuyge1
I am a trauma surgeon. This is what it looks like. #StayInMyLane #ThisisMyLane pic.twitter.com/aHb8SCHiuv
— Kathrine Holte, MD, DMSc (@kathrineholte) November 10, 2018
In an opinion piece for Vox, Dr Melinek said medical professionals had a responsibility to speak up about gun regulations, pointing out the push for tobacco regulations in response to the lung cancer epidemic caused by cigarettes.
"As scientists and caregivers, we doctors are in a unique position to understand the scale of human suffering caused by guns," she wrote.
"We have to do something.
"We didn't choose this fight, but we if we have to, we can take on the NRA."
- ABC
