Kids and Guns: Why Doctors Have a Right to Know

[moevillini]

So should a doctor not be allowed to ask patients if they are sexually active because of fears that the question and possible subsequent discussion might violate or be contrary to the family's religious beliefs?



and like it or not, agree with it or disagree, there are many who feel that gun violence is a public health issue, even the AMA considers it to be related to matters of public health


Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health

https://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/pubs/prevrpt/01spring/spring2001pr.htm

...According to the Surgeon General’s report, "The designation of youth violence as a public health concern is a recent development...public health offers an approach to youth violence that focuses on prevention rather than consequences. It provides a framework for research and intervention that draws on the insights and strategies of diverse disciplines. Tapping into a rich but often fragmented knowledge base about risk factors, preventive interventions, and public education, the public health perspective calls for examining and reconciling what are frequently contradictory conclusions about youth violence."

As the Commission for the Prevention of Youth Violence stated (www.ama-assn.org/ama/upload/mm/386/exesum.pdf), "More school suspensions and more prisons are not the answer. The answer, rooted in public health, is prevention."

 

[LogGrad98]

Gameface we need to go shooting sometime. I got a Kimber .45 for my b-day this year. It is sweet.

And GF is also right about the steep learning curve in shooting guns. 2 of my kids, and I, shoot competetively. It took a lot of rounds going through those guns before we became anywhere near proficient enough to compete. But as competition shooters, safety is paramount.

I am also wondering, if a doctor asks if I have a gun. And I tell him yes I have a loaded gun in my night-stand for protecting my home, does that then give him the right to simply send in CPS? I can see possibly in the event that he needs to prescribe medication that may make a child more suicidal or something, but in that case I would see it more as warning parents that the kids may make use of the gun. I still do not see a case when asking if they have a gun in the house, without some underlying medical reason to do so, is ok.

But potentially simply looking at me and deciding I am a bad parent (or something similar) so if I have a gun they have to protect my children from me or something? Wow is that a slippery slope.

 

[//r00t 4 Jazz]

I do not own a gun but am not apposed to having them and so here's my worthless opinion, I did find the question strange as to why they'd even need to ask but I would have no problem if they asked me or my kids privately as I would have nothing to hide and could careless if they knew I had one.
So all in all why it would catch me off guard I don't see how them knowing this info would do any harm what so ever.

 

[YB85]

The paranoia in this thread is remarkable. Reminds me of the cartoon in "Bowling for Columbine".

Really? From whom? I'm not a gun person, but I haven't seen any "remarkable" paranoia in this thread.

 

[One Brow]

Really? From whom? I'm not a gun person, but I haven't seen any "remarkable" paranoia in this thread.

You mean, it was purely ordinary paranoia? I suppose that I found it remarkable in coming from posters who were otherwise relatively level-headed in my perception, even when I disagreed with them.

Please point out some paranoia.

As you wish.

(which I can only assume means the fact could be used to show the child is in an unfit home).

I can just imagine the messes this may cause when a doctor uses guns in the home as justification to send is CPS to investigate. This smells a little like a witch hunt in the making.

well thats my point of view some of you might not agree and might have a urge to call child support service or some thing like that.

And I tell him yes I have a loaded gun in my night-stand for protecting my home, does that then give him the right to simply send in CPS?

OK, one of those quoted was not someone I would normally identify as level-headed.

 

[YB85]

You mean, it was purely ordinary paranoia? I suppose that I found it remarkable in coming from posters who were otherwise relatively level-headed in my perception, even when I disagreed with them.

Oh, the old "redirect the question" tactic. Dutch's post was among those you considered paranoia? Interesting since he posted it after you had to comment about the paranoia being remarkable. I'd have to say that if anyone was being paranoid when you posted your comment, it was you.

 

[babe]

You mean, it was purely ordinary paranoia? I suppose that I found it remarkable in coming from posters who were otherwise relatively level-headed in my perception, even when I disagreed with them.



As you wish.









OK, one of those quoted was not someone I would normally identify as level-headed.

It is the "level-headed" position to recognize over-reaching government and restore our former rights requiring the government to seek search warrants on probable cause from a hopefully- public-liberty defending Juge could find "reasonable". Our current governance crowd is indeed asking folks to keep their eyes peeled for "suspicious" folks of all kinds on all sorts of laws.

On KFI, a few nights ago, the news was that a new ordinance with stronger language was now in effect which holds that selling puppies privately is animal abuse, and only stores and animal rescue organizations/agencies have the right to sell dogs now, and that only to people who fill out the lengthy applications, and if you see anyone doing that you should call the cops.

The doctors in their manadatory re-licensing or license-maintenance training courses are being told that they must now cooperate aggressively in reporting all kinds of problems. Maybe it's meant for good, but this kind of intrusive government is unconstituitional.

There is no end of problems "authorities" will claim to be their responsibility. I call them middle school Hall Monitors who never moved on in life, who now can do nothing but work for the government. Well, some may be High-School teachers who never understood either what education is nor what human beings are.

 

[One Brow]

Oh, the old "redirect the question" tactic.

It was a joke. You left yourself open for it when you put the word in quotes, emphasizing it.

Dutch's post was among those you considered paranoia? Interesting since he posted it after you had to comment about the paranoia being remarkable.

I accept your correction that I swhould only hae used quotes to which I had specifically reacted pr3eviously with all the serious and respect you would accord such a correction coming from me.

I'd have to say that if anyone was being paranoid when you posted your comment, it was you.

Yes, I can see how my visions of doctor's discussing gun safety with patients/parents who might not be educated in gun safety would strike you as being paranoid.

Wait, not really. What did you mean?

 

[One Brow]

It is the "level-headed" position to recognize over-reaching government and restore our former rights requiring the government to seek search warrants on probable cause from a hopefully- public-liberty defending Juge could find "reasonable".

I agree. Repeal the Patriot Act. Enforce the gaining of warrants.

What does that have to do with thinking your doctor is going to call CPS because you are engaging in a constitutially protected, safe activity?

The doctors in their manadatory re-licensing or license-maintenance training courses are being told that they must now cooperate aggressively in reporting all kinds of problems. Maybe it's meant for good, but this kind of intrusive government is unconstituitional.

So, you're worried that if doctors report on criminals, then criminals might not go to doctors?

 

[bigb]

The responsible way of gun ownership and children is not to hide it from them. to show them the DANGER. to teach them the rules.
the never point it at someone., threat always as loaded etc etc.

if you are too secretive of guns kids will get curious and find a way to get it in their hands while you are a sleep or at work. and go play with it and show friends that is where it goes wrong.

so as soon as a child is old enough maybe 5-6 years just bring him to a gun range.
first hand experience with guns will set him straight and he will then see that it is NO JOKE.

I can't believe that I am going to actually say this, but I agree with Dutch here. My first memory of going shooting is with my dad taking me out and showing me the damage guns do to things. He showed me exactly how to use each gun we owned, taught me the rules and etiquette of firing, etc. It's the same tactic I will take with my kids when they are old enough to take shooting (I think the age Dutch used is a little young, but to each his own).

 

[babe]

I agree. Repeal the Patriot Act. Enforce the gaining of warrants.

What does that have to do with thinking your doctor is going to call CPS because you are engaging in a constitutially protected, safe activity?



So, you're worried that if doctors report on criminals, then criminals might not go to doctors?

This demonstrates some sense and humor from someone who rarely rolls over to agree with me without good reason. Nah, doctors reporting on anything other than their clinical specialties is a waste of expensive talent and skills which are in short supply. My wife who is a nurse has a pretty long list of peeves about new regulations imposed by the Health Care act which she considers similarly wasteful and believes will result in some people just not being given the time they should be able to get when they need actual care.

But stories of overzealous doctors on a crusade to enforce gun confiscation under a NWO regime change would definitely just make liars out of a lot of patients, probably even the kids.

A lot of laws should be looked at with an eye towards seeing the abuses which can be perpetrated under color of law when some folks might want to do so. In general, the idea of a government solution to every problem should not be our first choice.

 

[NUMBERICA]

Children are so much smarter than adults give them credit for. Some people would be astounded at the response from children if you treat them as a person and not a dog.

 

[Gameface]

One Brow, I was speculating as to what the information might possibly be used for and asking others to help me make sense of this. What difference would make in the doctor's treatment of the child? I can't think of any substantial reason why knowing there was a gun in the home, vs not knowing, vs knowing there was not a gun in the home would change the way the doctor treated a child. If gun accidents are a major health concern (it really isn't, not anymore than swing-sets, back-yard pools, driving in cars, eating peanut butter sandwiches) then they should teach all children about gun safety.

If it actually has something to do with antidepressants, then any child on antidepressants and his/her parents should be informed of the increased risks.

The AMA is not hiding the fact that they are anti-gun. There is reason to wonder why they want to collect this information.

 

[DutchJazzer]

I can't believe that I am going to actually say this, but I agree with Dutch here. My first memory of going shooting is with my dad taking me out and showing me the damage guns do to things. He showed me exactly how to use each gun we owned, taught me the rules and etiquette of firing, etc. It's the same tactic I will take with my kids when they are old enough to take shooting (I think the age Dutch used is a little young, but to each his own).

its the way i remember it at about age of six i was brought to the woods. we shot shot all the guns. well i did not exactly shoot them all. just some of the lighter guns(mostly light rifles).
after that he never needed to lock away the guns.
same with my little brother. we where never curious about guns again. we knew how to handle them Properly no accidents ever occured. we did have to draw them when we got some intruder on our property.

its just a proven way. off course some psychopathic kid might still grab it and do some damage. but hey those psychos will be psychos if its locked away or not if they can handle it or not. they will get their hands on it and do damage. if not your gun, the neighbours gun. nothing you can do about that

 

[DutchJazzer]

also same tactic seems to work with cars and preventing joy riding.

 

[freakazoid]

Then they should also ask about knives, rope, aspirin, razor blades, cars & bacon.
There is no reason on God's green earth that they would need to know if there is a gun in the house.

You forgot chewing gum, toothpicks, and nuclear bombs. Seriously though, I do understand your point of view. Having said that, in the world of litigation nation, I could definatley understand doctors trying to protect themselves from all the sue-happy, blame-everyone-but-themselves finger pointers.

And just for the record, I happen to be a gun owner myself. Not only do I believe in my right to keep and bear arms, I believe in my right to leave them lying all around the house in places where I can get to them at a moments notice, if need be. This doesn't present a problem for me, as I keep my kids locked up at all times, and only I have the key. As an added precaution, I had their trigger fingers amputated at birth. Kind of like the tail on a bird dog. You can never be too careful.

 

[Gameface]

Children are so much smarter than adults give them credit for. Some people would be astounded at the response from children if you treat them as a person and not a dog.

I'm really starting to appreciate non-sequiturs.

 

[One Brow]

One Brow, I was speculating as to what the information might possibly be used for and asking others to help me make sense of this.

I gave a perfectly reasonable, direct answer that you have not responded to.

According to the CDC, in 2007 (the last year for which data is available), 17 children aged 0-4 were killed in accidental shootings. I did not look up the numbers for pools. I can say that I have had more than one pediatrician ask me if we had a pool, and I never suspected it was for the purp0ose of reporting me to CPS or the local equivalent.

 

[DutchJazzer]

do doctors also ask about perverted predatory uncles. those are also a health risk.
they can damage a child mentally and phswycially. they are a bigger threat than guns and pools

 

[LogGrad98]

What if you have a pool gun?