This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Phillip Kohanski, MD
Bethesda, Md

JAMA. 1992;268(21):3071.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.

—After reading the June 10, 1992, edition of JAMA, I am concerned with the manner chosen to address an important public concern, violence. Several articles dealt with the role that firearms play in violence and made inferences not necessarily based on fact.

Mr Marwick¹ states, "The modern repeating pistol can hold 10, 15, or even more cartridges. In effect, it is a hand-held machine gun." It is inaccurate to consider any pistol that holds more than 10 bullets a machine gun. The inaccurate term was used to stir emotions, not to state facts.

Mr Skolnick² quotes Representative Currie of the Illinois House of Representatives as saying, "A gun tax is the first step in reimbursing trauma centers that continue to treat gun-shot victims."² This makes as little sense as taxing hemophiliacs, drug addicts, prostitutes, homosexuals, and blood banks for the cost of AIDS care. . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?