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The medical community -- including nurses, medics, technicians, pharmacists, social workers and doctors -- stand on the front lines of caring for victims of gun violence. We see the physical damage inflicted by gunshot wounds, and we also witness the pain of those victims they leave behind. So you might imagine our surprise on November 7 when the National Rifle Association told us to stay in our lane and not get involved in issues of gun violence that go beyond treating the bodily damage that results. That type of message indicates the NRA is not serious about addressing this public health crisis that we face. If it were, it would realize that a complex issue such as gun violence requires engagement of stakeholders from all walks of life and with diverse perspectives on the issue. (Joseph Sakran, 11/2)

Late last month the American College of Physicians published a paper titled “Reducing Firearm Injuries and Deaths in the United States,” a scholarly if impassioned opus you never would have known about because people like me never would have written about if the arrogant dopes at the National Rifle Association hadn’t gone out of their way to mock it. Why? Because for an organization that boasts of preaching gun safety, the NRA routinely shoots itself in the foot. How foolish is it to attack medical professionals, men and women who must deal with the bloody results of gun violence every day? (EJ Montini, 11/12)

It is an unsettling coincidence that mass shootings bookended the 2018 election, from a Pittsburgh synagogue on Oct. 27 to a bar in Thousand Oaks, Calif., on Nov. 7. The election that took place in between, though, demonstrated that Democrats and even some Republicans found gun-safety advocacy a boon to their campaigns in a way not seen in a long time. In comparison with previous elections, the gun-rights forces’ customary blaring megaphone seemed nowhere near as loud as usual — or as effective. This is borne out by an examination of public attitudes, candidate positions, money and exposure. (Robert J. Spitzer, 11/12)

Students at Northwestern University are being encouraged to watch a graphic training video that shows a gunman attacking the Evanston campus, shooting two people and stalking others who have barricaded themselves in a classroom. University officials produced the video to help prepare students, faculty and other staff for an active shooter situation, offering a three-step response plan: Run. If you can’t run, hide. If you can’t hide, fight. (Rex Huppke, 11/12)

Thousand Oaks, Pittsburgh, Parkland, Las Vegas, Orlando — they’re part of our annual parade of horror. How can we begin to stop this? Maybe it’s time to start looking at a far more frequent, blood-soaked American epidemic: suicide. (Petula Dvorak, 11/12)