Alphecca

Physicians, heal yourselves.

I would have gone with a different verb there, but to each his own.

So ... are these doctors qualified to give firearms safety advice of training?

Where did they get their firearms safety certification?

Does their malpractice insurance cover accidents caused by doctors giving bad advice on subjects that they are not ceretified to advise about?

Will the doctor be held responsible for harm accruing to patients that took his advice and didn't have a firearm when they needed it to save themselves?

No? No? Then STFU.

I had a great pediatrician for my kids but dumped him after seeing anti-gun posters in his office warning of the danger of guns in the home to children. I found another great Dr. who doesn't preach. This is how responsible gun owners need to act to get our point across.

What troubles me is the implication, in the cited article, that people who own firearms need counselling.

Now, if the little voice in your head tells you to go out and shoot people and bake them up in pies, I suppose THEN you might require professional help. But the busy-bodyness of anti-gun public health professionals is indeed cause for concern.

Visiting back East in '02 and had to use a local walk-in clinic I'd used when I lived nearby (they were better than any other local doctor). Back of info form had questions about guns in the house. I wrote "dozens and dozens" for first question, then crossed out the rest. When I mentioned it to the doc, she said the AMA was pushing this - then said some words I hadn't ever heard her say before. Seems the folks in her family hunt!

Talk about government over reach.

Do gun owners really need a law to tell the nosey doctor to STFU?

How would such a law be enforced?

Why would a Medical Professional be asking about firearms in the first place?
(Save for some mental health practicioners--if you catch my drift)

I had the same thing with a doc my kids were seeing a few years back. I was halfway home when my son, then about 12, told me what the doctor had asked about guns in our home. I turned around and went back. I burst into his exam room and told him in very loud, very foul language what I thought of his "medical care" I demanded to see my son and daughter's medical records. As I was a foot taller 20 lb heavier and mad enough to wring his scrawny neck, he handed 'em over. Next morning I went to see the head of the HMO to find out exactly what was going on.
He hadn't heard about it yet, and was appalled. I demanded they fire the twit. It took 'em about two weeks, but they got rid of him. They wanted the records back, but I told 'em to pound sand on that one. My wife and I went through both folders and removed about half of the stuff in there. We made copies of all the rest and let the hospital have that, we kept the originals. They about had an apoplectic fit, but let it go. I suppose they didn't want any flak over the crap they had in my kids' alleged "medical" records. All kinds of notes about My wife's and my attitudes and political proclivities, whether we went to church, what clubs and organizations we belonged to, what hobbies, you name it, along with guesses by the doctor as to what it all meant in our dealings with our children. In retrospect I really should have sued the socks off the bastiges, I suppose, but I thought getting him canned was enough at the time. If it were to happen now, I'd very likely do him severe physical harm.

Yikes. I'm glad I have a good doc. He's a dem, but a decent enough fellow. Fortunately for him, he's got a stalwart conservative as one of his senior technicians in his office.

Thanks for the heads-up--I'll keep an eye out for garbage like that.

Do gun owners really need a law to tell the nosey doctor to STFU?

How would such a law be enforced?

Well, doctors do have a state-aided monopoly, so it's only fair for the state to have a say in their dealings, isn't it?

Wish British quacks could be kept out of gun matters. A farming neighbour of my parents in England visited his Quack for a sick note, during the consultation, the quack asked him if he had any hobbies, "yes" he replied "shooting" and went on to say a little about his shooting and his old gun dog, which he was afraid was getting too old and infirm, and he added that he was afraid that the dog would be to shoot soon. When he arrived home, the police armed response team were waiting to take his guns away.

I still shoot in England but fortunately I'm now resident in a less oppresive state. Following a long (several months) viral illness last year, I ended up being prescribed anti depressants. In britain, my quack would be required by law to report me to the police!

I discussed the matter with my doctor, who's reply was "we're not in England so I don't need to".

To follow on from the question of who gave the quacks their gun training, I wonder who gave the british cops their psychiatric training?

Take a look at the comments on john lott's site about what the Canadian Cops do to gun owners for a simillar question about the British cops' relationship counselling services and early morning calls....

Something I missed from the post above. If I had been living in the bannana republic (Britain) I probably would not have sought, or received treatment for depression. I'm not a suicidal or aggressive personality, but quacks, just think a moment that your "saving of the world" may be preventing your patients from seeking the attention and treatment that they need.

Where does that fit with your ethics? alongside Hippocrates, or along side Dr Harold Shipman?

Anyone here ever fill out the "Health Risk Appraisal" while they were in the Army? I can feel my blood pressure rising even now at the thought of the "...firearms activities..." questions. I mean, I"M IN THE ARMY, hello!! And getting my risk level reported as being "Unhealthy"

Hunter
Retired 12B