MARCH 22 - 28, 2018
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COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
March for Our Lives
SOUTHERN
IRISH
CHARM
Beaufort Pediatrics participates in nationwide event, advocates for reasonable gun control, education
PHOTOS BY BOB SOFALY
By Pamela Brownstein After the February shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, when a gunman killed 17 people and injured 14 others, the doctors and staff at Beaufort Pediatrics realized they needed to join the nationwide movement calling for action against gun violence and pursuing sensible legislation toward gun safety. “Being a pediatrician, a lot of what we do is preventative care,” said Dr. “Buddy” Coleman. “And we look at this as no different than other preventative measures such as vaccinations, car seat safety, warnings about household dangers. Gun safety should be right there along those lines.” Last week, during the national school walkout on March 14 to honor the 17 victims of the Florida school shooting, Beaufort Pediatrics erected a memorial outside their office on Ribaut Road with 17 white crosses and a sign that read “Protect our kids. End the violence.” “We all believe it’s an important role for us to provide leadership against gun violence and gun death,” said Kristin Dalton, a Nurse Practitioner who has worked at Beaufort Pediatrics for 24 years. On Saturday, March 24, gun-safety advocates have organized March for Our Lives, with the main event taking place in Washington, D.C., and in communities across the country. According to the event website, www.marchforourlives.com, more than 800 walks are planned, including in Bluffton, Charleston, Savannah, and even Beaufort. Sydney Lubkin with Beaufort Pediatrics said their office will be participating in the local walk. Having accurate facts and information is crucial, and funding research on gun violence and how to prevent gun deaths should be a priority, Dalton said. “Everything else we perceive to be a threat to our children — automobiles, sleep methods — we put funding and research into, but not toward gun violence,” she said. “We have to look at ‘what’s going to kill our kids’ and make parents aware about what’s going to harm their children. Our counseling can only be better if more research is done and we can give our best advice,” Dalton said. Some facts provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics are eye-opening — every 30 minutes a child is killed or injured by a gun, the United States has the highest rate of firearm-related deaths (that’s 35 times higher than other high income countries), and easy access to firearms increases the risk of suicide death among teens. The American Academy of Pediatrics also provides guidelines that encourage members to get involved to combat what they see as an epidemic and health risk, according to Dr. Coleman. As a practice, they sent a letter to Rep. Shannon Erickson, R-Beaufort, outlining measures that can be enacted on a state level, including universal background checks for all gun owners, banning bump stocks, and limiting magazine sizes. Dr. Coleman emphasized, “We’re not trying to take
Mark Lest wears a traditional kilt while playing bagpipes during the St. Patrick’s Day Festival last Saturday, March 17, at Beaufort Town Center. At right: Carter Mason, 6, left, pans for gold, and whatever else he can find during the festival. At top: Josie Rideau, 2, needed a little encouragement from her mother while having her face painted by Deanna Roberts, left.
Above left: Carson Frady, 9, holds onto the dangerous part of the shark during the festival. Above right: Proving that girls can climb the rock wall too, Payton Hazel, 9, looks for a foothold while Collin Holsomback, 11, tries to pull himself up. At right: Children seem to defy gravity as they bounce around as if walking on the moon during the St. Patrick’s Day Festival hosted by Rosie O'Grady's.
See PEDIATRICS, page A4
2018 WOMAN OF THE YEAR Connie Wegmann was named 2018 Woman of the Year by United Way of the Lowcountry at the Power of the Purse. PAGE A3
PARTY IN PORT ROYAL Effervescence Yoga Spa hosts a lively Island Girls Night Out event. PAGE B2
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