U.S. Surgeon General

The nation's top doctor issued an advisory on Tuesday declaring gun violence a public health crisis and prescribing policy changes to treat it as such. It's both unprecedented and unenforceable.

The U.S. needs to ensure everyone has an equitable chance to protect themselves, and if people don't have that opportunity, they need to be able to rely on others to be compassionate, he says.

The nation's top doctor says he and his wife have mild symptoms, while his son has a runny nose and low-grade fever. His daughter also recently tested positive for the virus.

"The American people have the power to change the trajectory of this epidemic if we come together like we have after past tragedies in this county," the U.S. Surgeon General told ABC on Tuesday.