EAST’s Shared Lens Division. It describes our times. The world is made up of 7 billion people, each unique in their own beliefs. We’ve always been a world of unique individuals but it seems today we are quicker to note our differences than to celebrate our similarities. In EAST, we all share a common interest: the care of the injured patient. Whether you are urban or rural, large group or small, academic or non-academic, adult or pediatric, and no matter what your credentials, all of us are motivated to make a difference for our patients. That’s a similarity worth celebrating. We all share a lens through which we see our workday and our world. That shared lens allows us to focus on our common goals as providers of trauma care. Having this common goal should reassure us, even in divisive times. Firearm injury is one prominent area of divisiveness. But using EAST’s shared lens, we’ve worked to find similarity and agreement on common goals. In this issue, Dr. Joe Sakran, Chair of the EAST Injury Control and Violence Prevention Committee and Dr. Marie Crandall, Chair of the EAST Firearm Injury Prevention Task Force share their thoughts on EAST’s history of firearm injury activism, EAST’s 1995 Firearm Injury Statement and the process of developing our new 2018 which will be released to you soon and simultaneously published in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. Joe and Marie also place EAST’s firearm injury reduction efforts in the context of what’s happening nationally and offer suggestions about how you can get more involved and make an impact. An extremely important way in which division can affect us is in the way we respond to personal characteristics and beliefs like gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and physical appearance among others. When upheld as positive, diversity actually makes us better because it challenges us to open our minds and consider other perspectives. But for diversity to have positive effects, we must be equitable in how we treat each other. EAST’s Equity, Quality and Inclusion in Trauma Surgery Practice Ad Hoc Task Force members have prepared a plenary session on Thursday at the 32nd Message from the President 2018 ISSUE FOUR Andrew C. Bernard, MD, FACS In This Issue Strategic Goals E A S T E R N A S S O C I A T I O N F O R T H E S U R G E R Y O F T R A U M A news LEADERSHIP  Prepare young surgeons to become leaders DEVELOPMENT Promote unique programs for the career development of young surgical leaders SCHOLARSHIP  Provide education and training across the con- tinuum of acute surgical care FELLOWSHIP  Encourage a sense of community for personal professional growth COLLABORATION  Work with our stakehold- ers to advance patient care and trauma systems •  Preview of 32nd Annual Scientific Assembly • Firearm Prevention • Donor Stories • Giving Tuesday Recap • Holiday Greetings A D V A N C I N G S C I E N C E • FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS • B U I L D I N G C A R E E R S