Response to CVS Pharmacy's anti-gun page

[dburkhead]

CVS Pharmacy has a strongly anti-gun piece on their website: "Kids and Guns" under their "health resources."

Their "contact us" email is limited to 1000 characters so I couldn't say as
much as I might like, but I wrote the following response:

I have just read your so-called "health resource" "Kids and guns"
( http://www.cvshealthresources.com/topic/kidsguns ) and was quite appalled.
The writer was a classic example of selective reporting, chosing from biased
sources, and promoting a political, rather than a health-based agenda.

First off, the number of deaths listed gives the impression that these are
accidental deaths which would not happen if the guns were not there. This
is simply not the case. While any death of a child is tragic, most of them
are deliberate homicides. Children are, in general, rather defenseless
against adult intent to harm so the presence or absence of a firearm is
unlikely to affect that number much.

I recommend that you look at works such as long time police officer Massad
Ayoob's "Gun-Proof your children" and come up with a more balanced approach.

Until then, I will be taking my business elsewhere.

[cambeul41]

Excellent!

[Juna]

Great letter! Keep up the good work. I'll be sending them a similar one ASAP.

[chemist308]

How about this?
"I do a lot of business with CVS. I get presciptions there--I'm on 3-4 regular medications at any given time, and get a lot of personal care items there. However, I just read the online CVS article "Children's Health Kids and Guns" by Chris Woolston, and am so mortified at that you organization would proport garbage like this, that I'm through with doing any further business with you. The article proports to be regarding safety, but is clearly of a political nature. I've been teaching my kids about gun safety at the range, just as my father taught me.
Given the number of avid hunters and firearm owners in Pennsylvania, I forsee huge decline in CVS business in my area, read "boycot: once this article gets exposure--and I assure you that unless you pull it off the web, we will ensure that it does."

[KD5NRH]

After experiencing their lousy customer service the first time I went in, I've never been back in the store. Put me down as participating in the boycott for two reasons now.

[Quaamik]

I sent them an e-mail.

[IA_farmboy]

I also sent an e-mail.

[velobard]

I recommend you copy and paste the CVS website address so they don't see so many of the pro-gun responses are coming from here.

http://www.cvshealthresources.com/topic/kidsguns

[BTR]

I sent them a polite e-mail, and suggest everyone else do the same.

[contenderman]

I just finished posting the message copied below. The direction I elected to take is a little divergent from others, but maybe if we can say things in enough different (yet same) ways ... someone just might wake up and pay attention ...

Copy of CVS email:

"I just finished Chris Woolston's piece "Kids and Guns" in the sites Health Resources area. It is an interesting, well crafted piece utilizing an array of factual sources to support and present what I believe is more of a bias than useful health or care information. And in reading through your Editorial Standards section I think the piece is a little over the line.

Guns, like so many other things, are dangerous. Kids are curious by nature and lack the risk judgment ability that generally comes with maturity. Thus, children have little respect for dangerous items. TV, movies, and books/magazines often present these things in a light that further diminishes the danger component(s).

Education in the safe handling, use and storage of dangerous items, for adults and children, is a critical element in diminishing risk and thus improving health, and I believe "resource" articles of this nature should focus on that aspect. Regardless of the item."

.

[elChupacabra!]

My email:

I just read your article "Kids and guns" and was disappointed to find it both misleading and prejudicial against gun ownership. In reality, a child (age 0-14) is 29 times more likey to die in a car crash, 10 times more likely to drown, and 6 times more likely to burn to death than to be killed by an accidental discharge from a firearm (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr56/nvsr56_10.pdf). We simply live in a dangerous world.

Without regard to statistics or matters of fact, however, an indivual's decision to own firearms for defense of life, liberty and property is not a matter of health and has no business being condemned by your website.

If CVS feels the need to criticize my decision to take responsibility for my own defense and protection as dangerous and irresponsible, I feel the need to shop at Walgreens, where I will receive no such criticism. Until I receive an apology and see this article removed from your site, I will never step foot in another CVS.

Thank you.

[dburkhead]

Incidentally, my wife, who is Japanese (and, therefore, comes from about as anti-gun a culture as there is), is behind me on boycotting CVS. I asked her not to go there any more. She asked why. I explained. She said "Okay."

[ggb3]

I tried going there and recieved the below message.


CVS Health Resources

We're sorry!

The page you're looking for kidsguns doesn't exist. It may have expired from our site, or you may have tried an incorrect URL. We're sorry for any inconvenience.

We're constantly updating our site with new information, so you should be able to find other pages of interest. Just use the search box (top left of this page) or click on any of the links on the left to explore our site.

Thanks for your patience!

[BTR]

Nice! It looks like the e-mails may have worked!

I'm going to send them a thanks e-mail.

[ZeSpectre]

Smells like VICTORY to me!

[elChupacabra!]

I just emailed a question as to whether the article has been permenantly removed. I'll post the reply when I get it.

Yesterday after sending my email demanding an apology and that the article be removed I received a prompt reply from CVS apologizing that I found the article offensive. Not an apology for posting it - apologizing that I found it offensive - but still, it was something. If they did indeed take it down permenantly, I'll thank them for their responsiveness.

[3fgburner]

GONE

[tyler500e]

Nice.

[highfive]

I went to their website as soon as I began reading this thread..I should have finish reading the thread before going there..lol

Yep is gone...only sad thing I want it to participate....lol

+1 for the good guys.. lol

[mountaingun]

The link posted for the CVS page now says the "page doesn't exist"

Maybe the nonsense article has been removed?

Myron

[neviander]

Excellent, now that's activism

[Big Daddy Grim]

Cool way to make stuff happen

[C&R]

Here a couple of other pages at their site:

http://www.cvshealthresources.com/topic/adam1002003

"Adolescents who are allowed to use or have access to firearms need to learn proper use, safety, and legal issues associated with guns."

http://www.cvshealthresources.com/topic/adam1001931

"Keep guns locked up and unloaded. Firearms and ammunition should be stored separately. "

http://www.cvshealthresources.com/topic/adam1002010

"If a family member owns a firearm, make sure it is unloaded and locked up in a secure place."

http://www.cvshealthresources.com/topic/adam1000012
"Teach your child firearm safety."

[Gunsmom]

I emailed them when this was first posted and have yet to get a response.

That locked firearm stored separately from the ammunition sure will be useful in case of a home invasion!

[TexasFats]

With respect to firearms and ammo locked up and stored seperately, the pistol that is on my hip while I am at home is not stored--it is in use, even if it is in a holster. At least, that is the way I look at it. And, I keep one handy all the time while I am at home, usually on my person. I never liked the idea of stashing loaded guns all over the house since a burgler could find one and use it on me. And, it is a PITA to pick it up and hand-carry it to the kitchen when I want a glass of tea or water. So, I just wear my P239 or keep my SP 101 DAO in my pocket while I am at home.

Now, to perform my due diligence and disclose all pertinent facts, I live alone and don't have children in my apartment, so I can keep my pistol loaded and my 12 gauge with five in the mag and an empty spout since it doesn't take long to rack it.