Here is a fairly creepy story from the Boston Herald about what sort of questions your doctor might be asking your child without your knowledge. Doctors are now routinely interrogating children about their home life without any indicators of abuse or problems. Medical associations are going so far as to advocate their members ignore laws in regard to privacy in order to ask these questions.
As a practice, I wouldn’t be so upset by this if the questions were specific only to sexual or physical abuse. Age appropriate questioning after some level of adequate suspicion (possibly some sort of listed guidelines) might actually be a positive step in combating child abuse. Even questioning restricted to abuse might be permissible without provocation if doctors were required to post this policy. Doctors would still be walking a fine line between what is appropriate behavior when entrusted by a parent to treat their child and their duty as a medical practitioners to promote health.
These are hypotheticals that could be discussed at length before any action is taken. What is already being practiced is something far more expansive that definitely crosses the line.
Take this exchange from the article.
Debbie is a mom from Uxbridge who was in the examination room when the pediatrician asked her 5-year-old, “Does Daddy own a gun?”
When the little girl said yes, the doctor began grilling her and her mom about the number and type of guns, how they are stored, etc.
If the incident had ended there, it would have merely been annoying.
But when a friend in law enforcement let Debbie know that her doctor had filed a report with the police about her family’s (entirely legal) gun ownership, she got mad.
She also got a new doctor.
In fact, the problem of anti-gun advocacy in the examining room has become so widespread that some states are considering legislation to stop it.
The anti-gun lobby is an ever expanding source of misinformation in this country, and the stereotype of gun owners as being irresponsible country bumpkins is something that has become all too common in this country. With propaganda like Bowling for Columbine being proudly touted as legitimate documentary work, is this next step really that surprising?
In fact, in response to this, I can’t recommend Larry Elder’s Michael and Me strongly enough. (Even if it has an animated segment that falls flat)
Update 10/08:
Michelle Malkin has picked up on this.
You see? You see? I’ve said all along that Webster’s Revised Medical Almanac 1937 is the only way to go.. It’s like bringing the doctor home with you!
Webster’s Revised Medical Almanac 1937 would never tell me to get rid of my guns.