Supreme Court, Surgeon General Decisions Underscore Safer TN Priorities
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Voices for a Safer Tennessee (Safer TN) welcomes two recent national firearm safety developments that represent positive steps toward reducing preventable firearm tragedies.
“We are encouraged by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that temporarily removing access to firearms for those who pose a credible threat is constitutional and consistent with the Second Amendment,” said Claudia Huskey, Safer TN executive director. “The decision in United States v. Rahimi reverses a dangerous ruling that would have allowed those with domestic violence restraining orders to be armed.”
“We also recognize the importance of this week’s advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General, which declares firearm violence in America to be a public health crisis that requires the nation’s immediate awareness and action,” said Huskey.
“These two landmark developments underscore the policy solutions Safer TN has been advocating since its inception – temporary transfer laws, background checks on every firearm transaction, and secure storage of firearms,” she explained.
Firearms are the #1 cause of death for Tennessee children (ages 1-17), and Tennessee ranks #3 in the nation for accidental shootings by children. More die from firearms than from traffic accidents for the first time in history, she added.
Both the high court ruling and the Surgeon General’s advisory cited large amounts of data to support their decisions. “This is consistent with Safer TN’s emphasis on policy making based on data and evidence,” Huskey said.
The 8-1 Supreme Court ruling in a case involving domestic violence held that if a person had been found to pose a credible threat by a court of law, they could be temporarily disarmed without violating the Second Amendment’s overall right to bear arms.
The Surgeon General’s declaration said gun violence requires a public health approach similar to those involving safety belts for automobiles, pesticide approvals, and antismoking campaigns. It highlights the importance of securely storing firearms and expanding background checks.
Safer TN advisory board member Senator Bill Frist, MD, a heart and lung transplant surgeon and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader, wrote of these significant firearm safety decisions:
“This moment calls for action. The Supreme Court has made clear we have the ability to protect our communities from those who pose a threat to themselves or others. The Surgeon General has laid out a clear case of why we must act. We have the tools to address this public health crisis – now we must do the hard work of putting them to use.”
