Page 5 CDU Newsletter
February 2023
President ’ s Breakfast Highlights Gun Violence as a Public Health Emergency
people from getting shot in the first place . So , think much more broadly about the role of medicine as a guardian of the public ’ s health and safety .”
Rejón , an expert on the concept of “ community violence ,” addressed the “ unseen gun violence ” facing communities and the ways in which it should be approached .
Dr . David M . Carlisle , President and CEO of CDU , hosted the 8th Annual President ’ s Breakfast on Thursday , February 23 . Attendees to the virtual event witnessed a timely discussion around this year ’ s theme , “ Gun Violence in America : A Public Health Emergency .”
The event began with opening remarks by President Carlisle followed by a welcoming statement from Rob Bonta , Attorney General , State of California . Attendees were then treated to a panel discussion featuring an engaging lineup of uniquely informed perspectives for direct discourse about gun violence . Dr . Deborah Prothrow- Stith , Dean of CDU ’ s College of Medicine , served as the panel ’ s moderator and the panelists included Fernando Rejón , Executive Director , Urban Peace Institute , Dr . Garen Wintemute , Distinguished Professor of Emergency Medicine and Baker – Teret Chair in Violence Prevention , UC Davis , and Chuck D , Co-Founder of the Hip Hop Group Public Enemy .
“ Our previous conversations about health inequities , of course , have had life or death implications ,” stated Dr . Carlisle in his opening remarks . “ However , no prior topic has been as engulfed in tragedy as the one we are seeking to address today .”
Dr . Wintemute , a renowned expert , testified to the reality of gun violence as a public health emergency and what role health professionals can play .
“ Doesn ’ t matter who you are or where you live , this is everybody ’ s problem right now ,” said Wintemute . “ For you to make maximum inroads into preventing deaths and injuries from gun violence you need to prevent
“ I think we ’ re all pseudo-public health experts after the pandemic , we know more about public health than we ever have in our lifetimes ,” shared Rejon . “ Now we have to look at violence in the same way and approach it as an all-hands-on-deck approach , as an emergency , because our children have been dying for generations . For us , enough is enough , and now is the time to transform how we see our communities and how we address violence .”
Chuck D , whose music brought the plight of gun violence and repression in Black and Brown communities to the attention of broader populations , spoke to the role that celebrity culture plays in helping understand as well as prevent gun violence .
This is a health issue , a government issue and a societal issue so deep that what culture does is it reflects it ,” noted Chuck D .