The Pitters' Place

I'm trying to understand why a doctor would ask a patient about guns in the house unless it's because they showed up with a bullet in their belly or something? What benefit do such questions offer? I'm pretty sure it's no one's biz if I have a gun in my house, I just want a damn pap smear!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/flo ... f6it9ms4i&

Well see, a gun in the home is 438 times more likely to kill every member of a family of twelve with one shot than to kill an intruder (because killing is obviously the point of keeping a gun in the home). Everyone who has ever even seen a gun up close has eventually died of a gun shot or having a gun fall on their head or getting an infection caused by gun-borne super viruses. Even hearing a gun shot from a mile away has killed more people than died in World War I which was okay because those were the good guns because they were government issued and the government only has your best interests at heart. Also, the .410 shotgun in the hands of a ten-year old has proven to be more deadly than the plague and, according to Handgun Control, Inc. and The Violence Policy Center, Homo sapiens will be extinct by April 9th of this year because of handguns and in the time it took me to type this message 438,129,664 people were killed by the dreaded AR-15 from distances of up to 47 miles. If you go deer hunting there is a 96.4% probability that any deer you see will take your rifle and kill you with it and then go on a rampage that completely wipes out the entire population of three states and one Canadian province.

Yeah, I got nothing.

If you can't imagine why a doctor would ask a patient if they have a gun in the house, then you're seriously lacking in some basic imagination.

Suppose a patient mentions having suicidal thoughts to their doctor. Don't you think it would be pertinent to ask if they have a firearm in their home?

I don't see why we need a law banning doctors from asking, so long as there's also no law requiring patients to answer. Free speech and all that.

Can you point out in the linked article where it specifies a reason rather than giving doctors the "authority" to ask about guns in the home for whatever reason pops into their heads? Also, when "educating children (the ones in my house) about the potential dangers of firearms in the home" becomes the business of a medical doctor I'll be sure to let them know. Meanwhile I've got one turning six this year so she's getting ready for her first shotgun. That's how they get the proper education about firearms.

I don't see why we need a law banning doctors from asking, so long as there's also no law requiring patients to answer. Free speech and all that.

If my doctor ever asks me about the guns in my house I'm going to ask her about the dildos and vibrators in hers.

Raxivace wrote:If you can't imagine why a doctor would ask a patient if they have a gun in the house, then you're seriously lacking in some basic imagination.

Suppose a patient mentions having suicidal thoughts to their doctor. Don't you think it would be pertinent to ask if they have a firearm in their home?

This.

Raxivace wrote:If you can't imagine why a doctor would ask a patient if they have a gun in the house, then you're seriously lacking in some basic imagination.

Suppose a patient mentions having suicidal thoughts to their doctor. Don't you think it would be pertinent to ask if they have a firearm in their home?

Well that's rather insulting, don't you think?

In reading the article it seems that the law prohibiting docs from asking about firearms was to prevent any bias during treatment of said patient. Seems some people were refused and/or given crappy service once they advised they had a gun in the house. It seems that doctors are being given free rein to ask about guns in any given situation, not just ones that warranty such a question with striking down the ban.

As for someone who is having suicidal thoughts I would think that kind of question is more pertinent coming from a psychiatrist who specializes in such things.

Gypsy-Vanner wrote:

Raxivace wrote:If you can't imagine why a doctor would ask a patient if they have a gun in the house, then you're seriously lacking in some basic imagination.

Suppose a patient mentions having suicidal thoughts to their doctor. Don't you think it would be pertinent to ask if they have a firearm in their home?

Well that's rather insulting, don't you think?

No, I don't.

In reading the article it seems that the law prohibiting docs from asking about firearms was to prevent any bias during treatment of said patient. Seems some people were refused and/or given crappy service once they advised they had a gun in the house. It seems that doctors are being given free rein to ask about guns in any given situation, not just ones that warranty such a question with striking down the ban.

I actually thought this was completely obvious by, get this, READING THE ARTICLE. But I guess I just have a strange habit of reading things before forming an opinion about them.

I'm going to go with your "No, I don't" as addressing the "don't you think" part of my question only. I mean, I'm assuming that was your intention of course.

Gypsy-Vanner wrote:I'm going to go with your "No, I don't" as addressing the "don't you think" part of my question only. I mean, I'm assuming that was your intention of course.

That was the intent, yes.

I actually thought this was completely obvious by, get this, READING THE ARTICLE. But I guess I just have a strange habit of reading things before forming an opinion about them.

I mean, we could be wrong and maybe they are just amending the law so doctors can ask such a question if there is compelling reason to do so i.e. relevant to the patients wellbeing.

But...pretty sure it's not that because if you read the transcript of the law and the transcript of the ruling it seems they struck the entire law down with no provisional measures and it seems doctors can ask about guns in any situation regardless of relevancy.

Honestly I don't understand this fear of doctors asking about guns during supposedly inappropriate times. Where and when is this even happening?

Like the one of the whopping six whole anecdotes from the NRA mentioned in the Huff Po piece doesn't strike me as even remotely wrong, to say nothing of being a question that should deprive a doctor of their license.

It's cool to fight against gun-owner discrimination, but this is a bit extreme. You might motivate a bunch of non-voting moderates to come out to vote against you.

I'll see if I can find a pack of sharp cheddar and we'll get this party started.

Can't read the article on my phone so apologies for commenting blindly on the title alone...ha, rhymed...

I don't think anyone should own guns anywhere, but not going to get into a gun ownership debate about it. What i will say is i'm not sure why doctors should need to know this info? Yes, it might be useful if the person is suicidal, but there are plenty of ways to kill yourself without needing a gun. Kitchen knives, belts, ties, paracetamol, sleeping pills, generally just jumping off high things. If you're worried the person might hurt others, the same applies. They could run someone down, stab them, or hell, even just go out and actually buy a gun. It's not difficult in the US. Just because you don't have one in your home doesn't mean you can't get one after answering the doctor's questions???

Edit: although at the same time i also don't see why it's a problem the doctor gets to ask these questions. Lyk, suck it up, gun owners

It should be surprising that nobody has noticed the irony of someone prescribing drugs with which a person could easily commit suicide and then trying to lecture that same patient on the dangers of firearms. It should also be surprising that few seem to understand the concept of "mind your own business". I've spent most of my life suffering from severe anxiety and depression and I have well over a hundred firearms and it is the business of absolutely nobody with whom i do not choose to share that information. They can ask all they want so i guess I can't really object to the law being struck down, but then I can say "Is that .41 Magnum I removed from under my vest and put on the table before my X-Ray not enough of a clue for you?"

I don't really see the problem with a doctor asking if there's no legal obligation to tell them. My doctor asks me all sorts of shit about my life with the hope of getting a better general picture of my lifestyle and any potential hazards to my health (statisically speaking, a gun in one's home *is* a potential hazard to one's health, either through the risk of self-injury or the risk of being killed by a partner). Also, call me a skeptic but I am not overly concerned that America is now going to face systematic discrimination against firearm-Americans. Maybe it's one of those things where I, a European liberal vagina, am yet again unable to grasp the nuances of American culture but I just don't get what the big deal is.

Also, I don't want to fall into the trap of assuming that doctors are infallible knowledge-gods because I have seen some cunty doctors in my time* but I am comfortable with assuming that most of the things my doctor says and does are done in their capacity as a medical professional with my best interests at heart. I assume they're not being paid off by big... anti-gun companies to steal America's guns or whatever.


*That's not a euphemism for gynaecologists

Also also also, there seems to be a ongoing argument that mass murdering in US society is not a gun thing but is a mental health thing so presumably we want *more* healthcare officials asking gentle questions about both your likelihood and material capacity to climb a belltower and go what is medically referred to as utterly bananas.

Yeah Doc, I got one of these mounted in the back of my pick-up in case a rabbit hops out in front of me:

On a serious note, if it's someone in the mental health field asking the question then there might be a justifiable reason. However, since the OP specifically mentioned pap smears I kind of doubt she was thinking of a doctor that needs to know where she keeps her guns unless she is really taking concealed carry to the extreme.

You probably assume I'm not sympathetic to gun-owner rights. I'll have you know that I have a distant relative who owns a gun, and my adopted niece is a gun(a white gun).

Also, glad Trump is President because that psycho bitch Hillary woulda come for my niece.

I feel your pain.

So we both agree that doctors asking patients about gun-ownership is basically an intolerable human rights violation? Good. We shouldn't compromise on this either. We should expect people fighting for their human dignity to compromise and not fight too extremely...otherwise they will be the ones to blame if Trump is re-elected. But, gun rights can't be compromised. #gunsarepeopletoo

I'm also glad we didn't compromise and support Hillary during a crucial time with a deadline, but afterwards expect people to compromise by demanding they cater to the pov of their enemies...even though it's probably time to organize around their values. I'm very comfortable with our inconsistent and backwards expectations of purity.

POPCORN!!! I'M TRYING TO HAVE A SERIOUS DISCUSSION HERE AND YOU POST POPCORN!!!

CashRules wrote:If my doctor ever asks me about the guns in my house I'm going to ask her about the dildos and vibrators in hers.

I say do it. Has the makings of some sexy fetish porn.

aels wrote:I don't really see the problem with a doctor asking if there's no legal obligation to tell them. My doctor asks me all sorts of shit about my life with the hope of getting a better general picture of my lifestyle and any potential hazards to my health (statisically speaking, a gun in one's home *is* a potential hazard to one's health, either through the risk of self-injury or the risk of being killed by a partner). Also, call me a skeptic but I am not overly concerned that America is now going to face systematic discrimination against firearm-Americans. Maybe it's one of those things where I, a European liberal vagina, am yet again unable to grasp the nuances of American culture but I just don't get what the big deal is.

I think this is the best answer so far. Frankly, if a doctor is going to treat you differently/poorly because you own a gun, that's not a doctor I'd want to be going to anyway. Hell, if they're that flaky they might decide to treat you poorly because you're not a dog person, or because you root against their favorite team.

Gun enthusiasts sure sound like a bunch of precious snowflakes

#triggered (lol)

Lol, that "serious discussion" apparently just fizzled out. Oh well.

What a waste of popcorn.

Derived Absurdity wrote:Lol, that "serious discussion" apparently just fizzled out. Oh well.

We've had similar discussions so many times that it's become predictable and boring, tbh