Emily Lieberman, a Highland Park mom and pediatrician with Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, became a doctor to help diagnose and prevent illness and sickness in children. Until recently, her only work in the gun safety and advocacy arena consisted of talking to parents about safe storage if guns were present in the home.
That all changed on July 4, when Lieberman and her family ran for their lives at the Highland Park Parade that claimed the lives of 7 people and wounded more than 30 others. Having experienced a mass shooting firsthand, Lieberman is using her voice and position to speak out, declaring assault weapon violence a public health crisis.
According to Everytown, firearms are the leading cause of death for American children and teens.
“In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, I vowed that I would work as hard as I can to prevent this from recurring,” said Lieberman. “Because I’m a pediatrician and a child advocate, I am able to see how this particularly plays a role and is defined as a public health crisis – not a political issue – that needs a public health solution.”
While still processing the traumatic events that occurred just days earlier in her hometown, Lieberman traveled to D.C. in July with the nonprofit group March Fourth. Together, they met with senators, shared their stories and helped to pass H.R. 1808, a federal ban on assault weapons. But that’s only half the battle. The bill, currently in the Senate called S.736, requires the support of at all 50 Democrats and at least 10 Republicans to defeat a guaranteed filibuster.
Following her trip to D.C., Lieberman created a medical outreach division of March Fourth and helped draft a petition to recruit and empower physicians across the country in engaging with their senators to demand the federal assault weapons ban. As of press time, the petition had received more than 1,300 signatures.
“As physicians and members of the medical community, it is our duty to combat preventable illness and develop a treatment plan for meaningful change,” the petition states. “The time is now to reinstate the federal ban.”
In September, Lieberman mobilized a group of physicians from across the country and spoke at a Pass the Ban rally organized by March Fourth to put pressure on the Senate to pass the bill. This landmark event brought together people directly impacted by shootings from America’s long list of mass shootings.
In December, Lieberman will fly into D.C. for a third time with what she calls “the strongest physician team possible,” consisting of gun safety advocates, researchers in gun safety, physicians who have been involved in mass shootings and doctors work on gunshot related injuries day-to-day.
“Our perspective as physicians is incredibly unique, powerful and important,” said Lieberman. “We are going to unite and show Senate that the number one way to protect our nation’s children is by preventing the manufacturing and purchase of these assault weapons.”
Lieberman hopes the bill will pass by the end of the year with a vote of 60. Assuming it does, she acknowledges that her work is far from over.
“I intend to find ways to make the world safer for children,” she says. “It is my sole duty as a mother and as a physician.”
Tips to help children cope with mass shooting-related trauma
Lieberman says that as mass shootings continue and communities, children are at an increased risk for anxiety, depression and suicide. She offers some tips in helping children cope with trauma related to mass shootings.
- Be honest with your children. That means providing age-appropriate explanations of these events. It is much better to hear from a trusted source than get this information on the playground from a friend.
- Parents should not hide this gruesome truth, but rather, provide a short summary of what occurred. Then, allow the child to ask questions. Address each question honestly and patiently whenever they arise.
- Never tell children it won’t happen to them because it is not true, and as they get older and understand more, that can cause distrust. Instead, say something like “we do everything we can to keep you safe at home, your school has made these changes to keep you safe,” etc.
- Reiterate that if a trusted adult tells you that it is an emergency, it is important to stay quiet and listen to the grown-up for instructions to stay safe. Children also feed off of their parents’ mood and energy, so it is very important for the parent to show strength in order for the child to feel safe.
- Get involved in gun safety advocacy, so when a child asks you what if it happens to them, you can honestly say you are doing everything in your power to prevent that.
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