Some British doctors and legislators reacted angrily Saturday to President Donald Trump’s pro-gun comments at an NRA convention comparing a London hospital to a war zone because of knife crime.
Trump’s provocative comments are expected to increase concerns about his planned first presidential visit to Britain on July 13.
Dr. Martin Griffiths, a surgeon at the Royal London Hospital, tweeted that he would be “happy to invite Mr. Trump” to visit his hospital and meet with London’s mayor and police chief to learn how the city has reduced violent crime.
Dr. Karim Brohi, another Royal London surgeon, said Trump’s position makes no sense.
“There is more we can all do to combat this violence, but to suggest guns are part of the solution is ridiculous,” Brohi tweeted. “Gunshot wounds are at least twice as lethal as knife injuries and more difficult to repair.”
At the NRA convention Friday in Dallas, Trump said Britain has tough gun laws but that one London hospital is awash with blood because of knife wounds.
“They don’t have guns. They have knives and instead there’s blood all over the floors of this hospital,” Trump said. “They say it’s as bad as a military war zone hospital … knives, knives, knives.”
Labour Party lawmaker Sarah Jones tweeted that Trump’s speech was a disgrace.
“U.K. knife crime nowhere near your off-the-scale gun deaths,” she said.
Trump spoke as London is experiencing an increase in knife-related violence.
At the NRA convention, Trump also suggested that a coordinated extremist attack on Paris in 2015 that claimed 130 lives would have been far less deadly if Parisians had been carrying guns to protect themselves.
The U.S. president plans a one-day stop in Britain as part of a working visit. He has been invited for a state visit to be hosted by Queen Elizabeth II, but no date has been set for that ceremonial event.
Trump has riled many Britons in the past by suggesting that Muslim extremists have made some British cities unsafe. He also drew criticism from Prime Minister Theresa May, a conservative, and other political leaders for retweeting anti-Muslim videos originally posted by one of the leaders of the far-right Britain First group.
Trump has criticized London’s Metropolitan Police and Mayor Sadiq Khan, a Muslim, on several occasions.
(AP)
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5 Responses
It is utterly irrational to suggest and justify gun ownership as being safer than other “tools of violence”!!!! Guns , not only leads to MORE tragedies , but also takes a MUCH HEAVIER AND MORE COSTLY toll than other tools!!!
Witness all these school shootings and especially the las vegas massacre that slaughtered overe 50 people in a very short frame of time!!!! Time for the NRA to admit how warped their idea of safety such as that everyone should carry guns for their “self-defence”. Are we to return to the era of the 19th century “WILD WEST”???????
It is utterly irrational to suggest and justify car ownership as being safer than other “tools of violence”!!!! Cars , not only leads to MORE tragedies , but also takes a MUCH HEAVIER AND MORE COSTLY toll (50K+ per year) than other tools!!!
The survival rate for knife attacks is much higher than the survival rate for gun attacks, as the article mentions. You can defend yourself from a knife attack because the attacker has to get close to you (ask our local krav maga instructor), and the damage a knife does is limited. A shooter can target you from far away, the bullet does much more damage, and the shooter can shoot you multiple times. It’s also a lot easier for other people to intervene and stop the attack.
Would I rather live in an area where guns are regulated? You bet.
2/3 of gun death in America are suicide
Midwest2, you “Would I rather live in an area where guns are regulated?”. How about living in the are where citizens can protect themselves with firearms, the same areas which are statistically the safest areas of the country.