Kids and Guns: Why Doctors Have a Right to Know

[jplove71]

A federal court has blocked a new Florida law that limited the ability of doctors to ask patients if they had guns in the home. Judge Monica Cooke, a Republican appointee, rightly said that the law interfered with both doctors' right to free speech and patients' right to receive information.


The ruling, which came down last week, struck an important blow for freedom of expression. But it did something more: it dealt a rare setback to a gun-rights lobby that is increasingly using its considerable political power to support policies that have little to do with the right to bear arms and needlessly put innocent people at risk.

Read the rest of the article here (http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2093725,00.html?hpt=hp_c2).


The author is so anti-gun and liberal, it makes me sick. He didn't even bother to do basic research and calls magazine "clips".[Bang]

[Byte Stryke]

-- There are 700,000 physicians in the United States.
-- There are 120,000 accidental deaths in the United States caused by physicians every year, and the accidental death percentage per physician is 0.171.
-- There are 80 million gun owners in the United States.
-- There are 1,500 accidental deaths from guns every year, regardless of age group, and the accidental death percentage per gun owner is 0.0000188.

This means, the letter points out, that doctors are 9,000 times more deadly than gun owners.



Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/021206.html#ixzz1YRJ0JwTR

[akumadiavolo]

I like how the last 60% of the article is just anti-gun fear mongering that has nothing to do with the issue at hand.

That said I do agree with the ruling. A doctor has the right to ask and the parent has the right to not answer or lie. I find the fact that people want a law to stop someone from asking them a question to be quite pathetic.

[Ronin13]

-- There are 700,000 physicians in the United States.
-- There are 120,000 accidental deaths in the United States caused by physicians every year, and the accidental death percentage per physician is 0.171.
-- There are 80 million gun owners in the United States.
-- There are 1,500 accidental deaths from guns every year, regardless of age group, and the accidental death percentage per gun owner is 0.0000188.

This means, the letter points out, that doctors are 9,000 times more deadly than gun owners.



Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/021206.html#ixzz1YRJ0JwTR

Touche! So what you're telling me is that instead of paying my doctor to tell me what I already know (that I'm someday going to die) I should buy more guns? Works for me!

[Scanker19]

Why would they ask if you don't have:

1. GSW
2. Powder Burns
3. Glock imprinted backwards on your face.

I don't get why they would care or it be medically necessary.

[BPTactical]

Why would they ask if you don't have:

1. GSW
2. Powder Burns
3. Glock imprinted backwards on your face.

I don't get why they would care or it be medically necessary.



^This- unless directly pertinent to the case at hand it is no bodies business.

[68Charger]

It IS within their 1st amendment right to ask ("their" being the AMA that is having the doctors gather statistics, but it sounds like this pediatrician supports it)

It's also within your 1st, 4th at 5th amendment rights to decline to answer.

If they say you'll have to find another pediatrician if you won't answer, I agree with that, too... I'd walk out, have my bank reverse any co-pay they won't refund, and be done with them.

The real question here is are they allowed to refuse service based on not answering that question? Probably... but at least for now, I have the right to change pediatricians... and I can let others know what kind of crackpot they are, too...

[jhood001]

-- There are 700,000 physicians in the United States.
-- There are 120,000 accidental deaths in the United States caused by physicians every year, and the accidental death percentage per physician is 0.171.
-- There are 80 million gun owners in the United States.
-- There are 1,500 accidental deaths from guns every year, regardless of age group, and the accidental death percentage per gun owner is 0.0000188.

This means, the letter points out, that doctors are 9,000 times more deadly than gun owners.


Thanks for that. I've got a little more argumentative ammo now.

[TEAMRICO]

Why would they ask if you don't have:

1. GSW
2. Powder Burns
3. Glock imprinted backwards on your face.

I don't get why they would care or it be medically necessary.

That sounds like one awesome trip to the range!!!!

[68Charger]

-- There are 700,000 physicians in the United States.
-- There are 120,000 accidental deaths in the United States caused by physicians every year, and the accidental death percentage per physician is 0.171.
-- There are 80 million gun owners in the United States.
-- There are 1,500 accidental deaths from guns every year, regardless of age group, and the accidental death percentage per gun owner is 0.0000188.


Some of those statistics are suspect- and I don't see sources...
This article puts it at .5%, with "medical mistakes" at 1%
http://www.nraila.org/issues/factsheets/read.aspx?id=120

This one puts it at 776:
http://www.the-eggman.com/writings/death_stats.html

since we're talking about accidental deaths by children, the numbers are WAY lower than either of these (this puts it at 72 in 2001 for children 14 and under)
http://www.preventinjury.org/PDFs/UNINTENTIONAL_FIREARM_INJURY.pdf

many organizations will include "children" up to 24 years old to skew statistics, as well as including gang victims and even war casualties in "accidental deaths" to make the numbers more in their favor

While I'm obviously in favor of making that number lower (even zero), I don't think the AMA is really going to accomplish that by trampling constitutional rights.
I'd venture that vaccines kill more children than firearms accidents- and the AMA is pushing those more than ever.

[Fentonite]

The firearms question was originally (supposedly) intended as a general home-safety question i.e., Do you keep you household chemicals locked up so Junior can't drink them?; Do you keep your electrical outlets plugged so Junior can't stick a fork in them?; Do you keep a safety gate at the top of the stairs so Junior can't fall?, etc. There really are morons who need these questions asked, and to be educated. I think the intent of the question has been bastardized into a political tool.

Healthcare providers can ask anything they want. Sexual orientation? Anal sex? How much you drink/smoke? Recreational drugs? All have medical relevance. Patients can choose to answer, or not. It would be a really stupid doc who would fire a patient for not answering these questions. Most will just give some safety info to the patient if they were concerned about a behavior.

Regarding the stats above - if accurate, would be a good example of how to abuse statistics to make an unfair and illogical comparison. But these stats are erroneous, fictitious, or simply meant as humor, and have been debunked http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/d/doctor-deaths.htm

[jhood001]

I take it back, Byte! [Bang]

[rockhound]

you seem to have a second sphincter, are there fireamrs at your disposal in your home?

[KevDen2005]

If my doctor asks me I will probably tell him no unless he is someone really close to me.

It's only my business who knows I have guns...And everyone else on this forum

[cstone]

Mine has never asked, although I don't think he would need to as it is normally in a holster, on my belt, in my pants, hanging up next to the exam table while he palpates things I'd rather not speak about. [ROFL1]

[theGinsue]

I've been asked - several times (by the tech taking my vitals and medical history, not the doctor/PA him/her self.

I'd have to answer NO.

Not because I'd want to lie, but because of that tragic boating accident I had in 2009 where I lost all of my firearms. It still pains me...

Sorry, I have to go now.

[Irving]

Thanks for that. I've got a little more argumentative ammo now.

No you don't. Those are fun statistics, but please don't ever use them in an actual conversation.

[Byte Stryke]

I take it back, Byte! [Bang]


Its ok

72.8% of all statistics are fabricated and 5/4ths of all Americans don't understand Fractions.


you will always be able to twist and spin number to one side or the other.


Like "There was a Shooting today in XXX City... no one was hurt."
WTF? Then who was shot?!?!

but its still listed by the Libs as a shooting.

[sniper7]

-- There are 700,000 physicians in the United States.
-- There are 120,000 accidental deaths in the United States caused by physicians every year, and the accidental death percentage per physician is 0.171.
-- There are 80 million gun owners in the United States.
-- There are 1,500 accidental deaths from guns every year, regardless of age group, and the accidental death percentage per gun owner is 0.0000188.

This means, the letter points out, that doctors are 9,000 times more deadly than gun owners.



Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/021206.html#ixzz1YRJ0JwTR


do we have mag restrictions on them? what about taking away the "evil" features. I think we need an assault doctors ban. probably need to do a lot of background checks as well. I think we also need to work up a list of different doctors to ban.

[Byte Stryke]

Ohh, and when Little Bytes Doctor asks, I tell him, "Of course, how else and I going to teach him firearm safety?!"

[sniper7]

Just teach your kids if someone asks them if they have any guns to tell them it is none of their business.

[onedeadpirate]

I like how the last 60% of the article is just anti-gun fear mongering that has nothing to do with the issue at hand.

That said I do agree with the ruling. A doctor has the right to ask and the parent has the right to not answer or lie. I find the fact that people want a law to stop someone from asking them a question to be quite pathetic.

Agree 100 %. We already have enough laws.

[Chad4000]

-- There are 700,000 physicians in the United States.
-- There are 120,000 accidental deaths in the United States caused by physicians every year, and the accidental death percentage per physician is 0.171.
-- There are 80 million gun owners in the United States.
-- There are 1,500 accidental deaths from guns every year, regardless of age group, and the accidental death percentage per gun owner is 0.0000188.

This means, the letter points out, that doctors are 9,000 times more deadly than gun owners.



Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/021206.html#ixzz1YRJ0JwTR

Post of the year

[Ronin13]

If a doctor ever asks me if I have guns I'll tell him honestly "Yes I do. Do you have malpractice insurance?" They go hand in hand, protection, although guns are more protection from others while malpractice ins. is protection from your mistakes.

[akumadiavolo]

Post of the year

Did you read further down? Those stats were debunked as biased BS.

[sniper7]

Did you read further down? Those stats were debunked as biased BS.

who cares. liberals think guns walk around killing everyone by themselves, so those stats look legit to me![Tooth]

[n8tive97]

If I go see my Dr for hemorrhoids for example, and he asks me if I had any guns, I would ask him what does one have to do with the other?
Oh wait, now I understand..... I LOVE my guns!

[Mtn.man]

My docs are gun nuts. So i ain't had no problem.