Newspaper Poll about FL Physician Gag Law

It's more feel good legislation. A doctor can ask any question he likes. He may not like the response, though.

Another "no" vote from me.

Its clearly a yes.

If I were asked that by a doctor, I would say yes and if they try to lecture me I will **** on them and talk down to them for attempting to do talk down to me.

My shed with paint in it is more dangerous to a child then my guns, I literally have to air that thing out before I go in it.

Yes the doctor has the right to ask, but you have no obligation to answer.

It would be nice if we'd quit trying to legislate away things that aren't really problems. When presented with a question that I don't care to answer (such as my telephone number or e-mail address while at a retail store checkout counter,) I don't answer it.

Do people who have guns and are presumably willing to use lethal force to protect their families from criminals really need laws to protect them from questions?

I don't see how this is a first amendment issue. They are not hampered from using free speech. If they do not like guns they can say so. This is a professional issue not an individual one.

If I don't like their question I can tell them to get stuffed. I will do so politely and without malice. Then I plan to ask them if they have unprotected sex with anyone.

JColdIron, I think it's a 1st Amendment Issue because the legislature is attempting to restrict speech. The 1st Amendment doesn't say "...make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, except if doctors start asking personal questions about guns of their patients that we don't feel comfortable about, and the answers to which might be used to compile statistics that the Brady Bunch is going to cite in one of their idiot propaganda screeds."

I'm quite inclined to take any restrictions on government power in the Constitution very seriously, and think that those restrictions should only be loosened for a darned good reason. And I don't see it here.

I voted "NO" but in reality the MD has the "right" to ask. I am not obliged to answer or can give him the info he seeks OR can tell him that my firearm ownership is my business and I am well aware of any risks associated with that ownership.

This (content and subject of the poll) has come about because of the AMA's takeover by liberal progressive agendas. I didn't like the wording of the poll hence my answer to it.

If there are all sorts of questions a person can not legally ask in a job interview, then there is no reason not to equally regulate what a doctor may ask in terms of a patient interview.

I've never been asked by anyone if I own guns, but most people who pay attention probably can figure out that I do. If an MD asks me if I own a gun, I'd likely tell him it was none of his business since it isn't. Anyone can ask any stupid question they want to, but there's no obligation to answer it with a few legal exceptions that is.

Heretic gave the most concise, correct answer. +1

That "melody" in the comments is one scary person - she is all about the gov't taking care of you; keeps mentioning "gun shills", etc.

Don't just hit the poll, refute her idiocy

Issac1 said:

If there are all sorts of questions a person can not legally ask in a job interview, then there is no reason not to equally regulate what a doctor may ask in terms of a patient interview.

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I disagree with your reasoning here. I read what you've said as follows: because we already have restricted liberty in one sphere, that means that it's right and good that we restrict it in another sphere.

That is not necessarily the case.

The above argument is analogous to saying: well, if it's okay to restrict the possession of firearms in a federal courthouse by citizens, so there is no reason to not equally restrict the possession of firearms in a national park.

Liberty gets lost if we only defend it when it suits our political sensibilities.

Back in the nineties I attended a seminar at Shands Teaching Hospital at U. of Florida. Two doctors presented on preventative care. One of the doctors ranted in vitriolic terms about how guns should be banned because so many people were killed. I think that may be an opinion of many doctors.

This new policy, if implemented by physicians, particularly by psychiatrists, constitutes a breach in medical ethics, a boundary violation in reference to abuse of the patient-doctor relationship, and an egregious invasion of privacy.

A boundary violation takes place when a physician breaches the patient's trust and uses his authority to advance a political agenda.

just another pointless debate that may end up wasting the taxpayers money on more useless legislation.

if you don't like what your doctor asks you, simply visit another.

This is a muddied area, really...

As far as I'm concerned, a doctor has a right to ask you if you own guns, venomous snakes or a puppy, and what your sexual preferences are. Just as I can ask him in return if he enjoys his time with his wife, his blonde mistress, or perhaps that polite Philippino orderly with the neatly trimmed moustache.

You have the right to answer or not, or even be expected not to.

No answer or lack thereof, as per a doctor's responsibilty, gives them the right to deny treatment.

And since the only reasons for them to ask if you own guns--versus your taste in pets and in bed--instead of simply having a rack of pamphlets about the safety of such are either to further a political view or record your answers, it should not be on the paperwork or recorded in any way.

I would have no problem with a doctor asking me about it if he wanted to talk shop, or a verbal "Do you own guns? Because if so, here's a pamphlet on safe handling and storage."

Unless you show signs of lead poisoning or quick hearing loss, it's not related to your health and thus should never be recorded.

Edit: After some brief thought, I do see the logic that many doctors have in this. They are just people; people in general aren't as savvy about guns as we are; doctors are the first people to see the full extent of an injury caused by a firearm, and no more likely to go out to the range to put holes in paper. Thus, firearms are, to many of them, a cause of injury.

Logical, but unfortunately a logic formed without actual statistics or research.

I think the question is presented in a manner as to use the data to the polsters advange either way. Why would a second amendment rights person try to stiffle the first amendment rights of a doctor ? - they might ask ?

Truth is that the right to ask, clashes a bit with the right to privacy. The answer is simple ,and I gave it the first time a nurse asked that question of me as she was filling out a form. None of your business, was my response ! It worked just fine.

Hmm, would it be OK for a doctor to ask (and record on your medical record) if you enjoyed sex with prostitutes, farm animals or inanimate objects? Or would it be OK to ask your child said questions about you? And then refuse to treat you or your children based on what the answers were (including "it is none of your business")? You do know that your medical records are not your property, right? Sure, you can go to another doctor, but what if it is a Sunday night at an ER? What if you live in the middle of nowhere and the next doc is two hours away?

Nuclear said:

Hmm, would it be OK for a doctor to ask (and record on your medical record) if you enjoyed sex with prostitutes, farm animals or inanimate objects? Or would it be OK to ask your child said questions about you? And then refuse to treat you or your children based on what the answers were (including "it is none of your business")? You do know that your medical records are not your property, right? Sure, you can go to another doctor, but what if it is a Sunday night at an ER? What if you live in the middle of nowhere and the next doc is two hours away?

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No, it shouldn't be illegal to ask those questions. Questions regarding the nature of your sexual partners are relevant to your health.

You do know that there's a difference between asking and refusing service based on the answer, right?

You also know that even though your patient records are not your property, there are stringent regulations that limit who can have access to them, right?

There has been a recent movement in the anti gun crowd regarding a new avenue in which to restrict gun ownership. The avenue is that of mental health, and if they can successfully re-define the standards regarding mental health and a persons rights, they have then made progress.

The AMA as an organization is anti firearm. What you are seeing is the start of an idea to establish some sort of data base and ground rules that can be used in the future to retrict gun ownership based on your mental health. If they can expand the present definition of mental incompetance to include PTSS or simple depression, they can make a giant leap into more control.

Yes the doctor has the right to ask, but you have no obligation to answer.

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Best answer right there. Anyone can ask a question, no one has to answer.

And what happens if a sick person is denied treatment because a Dr does not like the answer or the silence?

Does the patient then have a civil rights violation case because a medical professional will not serve them based on their Bill of Rights beliefs?

I had my childrens doctor ask about guns before, I answered in the affirmitave and elaborated with how I had electronic safe, ect...
I could tell she was bias.
On a subsequent vist, I get same question again. I'm thinking dang, write down what I said the first time or look it over again cause it ain't gonna change.
That was a couple years ago.
I'll have to think up a smart arse answer in advance for if that happens in the future, make me look forward to it.

They do the same thing with alcohol.
Go in for a sinus infection and they ask if I drink. I've seen the pattern now I'm ready.
Q: Do you consume alcohol?
A: Define alcohol consumption. (I got no reply on that one)

If they did define it my next question would have been whether they differentiate based on a persons weight; what's okay for a 130# person can't be the same as for a 200# person.

Is that level (whatever they say) based strictly on health or does it include data from arrest reports where alcohol was cited as a factor?

I've had two college drug abuse courses.

Embrace the opportunity. Read up, be prepared. Throw it back at em.

I don't care for the lifestyle questions that are unrelated to my specific reason for visiting.