Here’s an excerpt from the transcript of an interview with Former NRA Prez, current NRA Board Member and longtime cat fancier Marion Hammer [via sun-sentinel.com]. Ms. Hammer’s defending legislation in Florida that would prohibit doctors from discussing firearms—outside of a safety context—with their patients.

The NRA is not going after anybody. The NRA is trying to protect the privacy rights of gun owners. It’s a known fact that the American Academy of Pediatrics supports banning guns. They also encourage pediatricians to tell families who own guns to get rid of them and to tell families that don’t own guns not to buy them. So, it’s a political agenda that has invaded medical examination rooms . . .

Parents take their children to see pediatricians and doctors for medical care, not to be lectured on safety, not to be lectured by a physician on firearm safety and how to store firearms. They’re simply not qualified to do it.

The political agenda needs to stop. They are entering that information into medical records on laptop computers, which greatly concerns parents because anything you put in a medical record they fear can be accessed by insurance companies, or the government, and used against them.

Doctors should not ask you how much money you have in your checking account, whether or not you own diamond cuff links or your wife owns a diamond necklace. They shouldn’t be asking you if you own guns.

In terms of safety information, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association are perfectly capable of printing up safety brocheures and distributing them to doctors to give their patients, so that all patients can get this safety information, if that’s really what it’s about. And then the patient can decide whether or not to read it or discard it at a later time.

But we pay for the time that we’re in a doctor’s office. We want medical information. We don’t want doctors to arbitrarily start talking to us and making us pay for stuff that we have no interest in hearing from them.

On the other hand, again, no one should tell doctors what they can and can not discuss with their patients. Just as the Second Amendment comes with undesirable consequences (e.g., firearms accidents), the First Amendment is not without its less than wonderful side-effects. Note to NRA: deal with it. But not like this.

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28 COMMENTS

  1. if we believe in our cause we shouldnt have to muzzle a group just because they disagree with us. if docs believe guns are bad for our health we should simply be more convincing in our arguments to counter them. our fervor for the 2nd should be equally applied to the entire bill of rights

    • DO YOU ALSO HAVE A CONFEDERATE FLAG IN YOUR FRONT YARD? MARION HAMMER IS PATHETIC AND IGNORANT!!!!!! ANY INFORMATION IN A MEDICAL RECORD IS PROTECTED BY HIPPA. ANY INFORMATION IN A MINOR’S MEDICAL RECORD IS PROTECTED BY HIPPA. IF MINOR’S MEDICAL RECORDS ARE SUBPOENAED THE JUDGE IS THE ONLY ONE ALLOWED TO REVIEW THOSE RECORDS BEFORE RELEASING THEM TO THE LAWYERS. MAKES MORE SENCE TO GAG THE JUDGES RIGHT? OH WAIT I FORGOT…..YOU BUY THEM. HERE’S A QUOTE FROM MS HAMMER’S EDDIE EAGLE BULLSHIT…”BECAUSE ISOLATED LESSONS AND CONCEPTS CAN BE QUICKLY FORGOTTEN, REPITITION WILL HELP CHILDREN REMEMBER STANDARD SAFETY PROCEDURES.” ANOTHER QUOTE FROM MAID MARION…..” IN A HOME WHERE GUNS ARE KEPT THE DEGEE OF SAFETY A CHILD HAS RESTS SQUARELY ON THE CHILD’S PARENTS.” WAIT …..SHE GETS BETTER!!!!! “MD’S SHULD PROTECT THE PRIVACY RIGHTS OF PATIENTS AND SHOULDN’T RANDOMLY QUESTION ABOUT PERSONAL PROPERTY UNLESS THERE IS A MEDICAL OR SAFETY REASON FOR IT.” IF YOU ARE GOING TO ASK ABOUT FIREARMS THEN YOU SHOULD ALSO ASK ABOUT POOL SAFETY. WELL ISN’T A POOL PERSONAL PROPERTY? MARION NEEDS TO PULL HER HEAD OUT OF HER BARREL AND GO OBSERVE VICTUMS FOR A DAY IN AN INNER CITY HOSPITAL. IF WE ARE ALL WORKING TOWARD GUN SAFETY WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? YOU PEOPLE NEED TO GET OFF OF YOUR SELF APPOINTED HIGH HOURSE AND QUIT TWISTING THE ADMENDMENT TO SUIT “YOUR RIGHTS!” GROW UP.

      • Well said! Now can you please re-post it with the caps lock off? I know it’s a PITA. I mean pita. But more people will read your comment if you do.

      • You have no feakin idea what you are talking about. Kids are being shot in inner cities all day long and wind up in emergencies rooms not because their parents, hunt, keep a gun for personal protection it is becuase they are in gangs and are out of control today. When I was growing up in the early 60’s many of my friends parents had guns in gun cabinets in NYC and were hunters, kids would come and go all day and none of us would touch the guns. Kids today are disrespectful and this has nothing to do with their parents owning guns and being in their childrens medical records, that will solve SQUAT!

  2. “On the other hand, again, no one should tell doctors what they can and can not discuss with their patients.”

    This is not a first amendment issue. Doctors would like to mischaracterize it as such to defend their overreaching on this issue, but it is not. Allowing them to successfully use this bogus defense is playing into the gun-grabber’s hands.

    Doctors are trained in medicine and occupy a position of influence in their patients’ lives. Since this topic (guns) is completely outside of their training, doctors should not be trying to use their position to pursue an unrelated agenda. If they want to spout off about guns at a restaurant or in line at the bank, fine. That’s the First Amendment. But in their office, to a patient, they need to STFU about guns. That’s malpractice.

    If this was a single incident, there would have been no need for a law prohibiting it. Clearly it was much more widespread than a single doctor or a single incident.

    • NO, CLEARLY IT WAS ANOTHER BAND WAGON FOR YOU DELUSIONAL MALCONTENTS TO ATTEMPT TO CONTROL SOMETHING YOU CAN NOT. IT’S A SAFETY ISSUE PERIOD. NOBODY WANTS TO TAKE YOUR TOYS AWAY. LET ME ASK YOU THIS, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN HELD AT GUN POINT BY A CHILD WITH UNDIAGNOSED PSYCH ISSUES? OR HELD AT GUN POINT BY A SCHIOPHRENIC? OR SHOT AT BY A VIETNAM VET THAT WAS HAVING FLASH BACKS? SURELY A DISCUSSION WITH THE MD MAY HAVE ALERTED A FAMILY MEMBER TO BE ON GUARD FOR THINGS TO EXPECT. 89 Y/O MAN SHOT HIMSELF IN THE HEAD AFTER HIS WIFE’S FUNERAL. GRAY MATTER REALLY IS GRAY!!!!!! HOW MANY HOSPICE PATIENTS DO YOU THINK I ASKED IF THERE WAS A GUN IN THE HOUSE? THE GUNS WERE REMOVED FOR SAFETY. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO, WHAT, WHEN OR WHERE SOMEONE IS GOING TO SNAP! SO NOW, I THINK IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO CONTROL SOMETHING WAYYYYYYYY OUT OF YOUR AREA OF PRACTICE. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS PERIOD! NOT DICTATE TO DISCIPLINES. SO BEAR YOUR ARMS AND QUIT TWISTING YOUR RIGHT TO INCLUDE ANYTHING BUT THAT!!!!!!

    • Doctors are not God and do not have every right to know what is in your home. It is known of their dam business. Ask them if they keep a gun for personal protection in their home and see if they answer. It has no bearing on your medical treatment.

  3. I don’t see this as a second amendment issue until I hear the stories of MD’s calling CPS just because people own guns.

    All I know is, if this passes and open carry doesn’t….ARRRGGGHHHHH!

  4. No citizen in this country should have his speech abridged in any way (short of the old fire in a crowded theater or inciting a riot contexts).

    Is it annoying and ridiculous to be questioned about guns by a doctor who – in all likelihood – has never touched a gun in his life? Of course it is. That’s when you either get up enough gumption to tell him to shut his trap or you find another doc.

    There is no functional difference between legislation that mandates that doctors discuss guns, abortion, whatever with their patients and legislation, such as this, that prohibits those conversations.

    The first amendment is no less important than the second in preserving a free society. Legislation like this is the camel’s nose under the tent.

  5. The doctor may have a right to espouse his political beliefs — and the patient has a perfect right to tell the doctor where to shove his stethoscope. But on a cautionary note, one should be nice to one’s proctologist. For obvious reasons.

  7. I am a doctor. When I was in school I did my pediatrics rotation time split between the hospital and a walk-in clinic. We saw 50-70 patients a day (that is a lot) and I was “instructed” to ask the parents if they had a gun in the house and if so, for them to consider getting rid of it or at least locking it away so it could not be accessed at all. I would not do that, asking only that parents make sure the kids couldn’t get to their guns. I was admonished for that and shortly after quit mentioning it at all. It seemed an obvious political ploy by pediatric physicians and I felt it was none of my business and went against my principals anyway. I was written up for it in my evaluation and received a lower grade than my peers.

    • This is the precise reason this piece of legislation is needed !

      The agenda of the AMA and the FMA is to remove gun owners rights, period, end of statement.
      And to PAY anyone to tell me what i can and cannot do ( bordering on the absurd ) is way over the top as to their responsibilities. The docs are off base when they do!
      I agree that we, as patients, have an obligation to inform the doc that his comments are unwelcome, and, bye bye amigo me and my family are going to the guy that exchanges reloading tips ! ( what is that guys name and address please ? JK )

  8. The sad part is that the “left” is growing in numbers every year because of ploys like this. Kids are growing up hearing dont touch, looks, think, or even talk about guns or you could die. I honestly cannot stand it when I hear people say “you shoot guns? Isn’t that incredibly dangerous?” I live in the country and was given my first gun at 5 years old, a .22lr magnum.

    Its sad when even out in the country the families that are not “into” guns are being turned into gun haters. As of right now its only a few families and most moved out here from the city, worse thing possible for small town. It seems to be happening everywhere though as more blacks and city whites try to get out of the city.

    • Well, playing devils advocate, shouldn’t parents be taking care of the teaching about guns, safety, politics, etc…? I made it a point to talk to my son when I bought my first gun, took him to the range to shoot it with me. Long before we went there, we talked about safety, showed him how to hold, muzzle direction, clearing, etc…

      I also talk about the Constitution, Government, Politics, Economy, Oil, and everything else that is going on. We even watch Glenn Beck together at times. He is familiar with the evils of communism and fascism.

      So it is easy to say we are outnumbered, that the battle is too hard, but parents DO have the strongest say in how their children view the world, if they would only take the time. I would surmise that 30 mins a day of talking to your children easily overcomes any poppycock theories given by the school, media, and TV/Movies. The voice of Mom and Dad are VERY much louder than the noise on Disney Channel. You also can be a filter to the trash – do what they do, try to get them young.

    • Adam,

      i get that ALL the time…………my response ?

      YOU dont shoot ? now that IS really dangerous !!

      and then the next question is most likely,, ” do you carry a firearm? “, my response, yep, cops are too heavy ! and that is usually the end of the one way, stupid and inane gun questions from the other side ( idiots )

  9. The last thing we should do is adopt the left’s tactic of attacking through legislation everything we happen not to like. The solution to this “problem” is for bothered patients to find a new doctor or to address the issue with the doctor they have. Too many laws banning too many things already exist in this country.

  10. How many children have been injured or killed in Florida by a gun that was not locked up since this bill was introduced in January? At least 5 according to news reports I’ve been able to find. Why would Florida legislators, knowing this, try to muzzle doctors whose only intention is to protect these children? If these accidents weren’t happening, then pediatricians would not need to have these conversations. But they ARE happening. It seems to me that NRA-minded folks don’t want to be reminded that guns are dangerous just like smokers don’t want to be reminded that smoking is bad for one’s health – it’s a guilt complex. Well too bad. A doctor’s job is to talk to you about things that may have a negative effect on your health and until guns stop killing kids, they will continue to talk to parents about gun safety. The NRA obviously has Florida legislators in their pockets. Florida residents should be up in arms over this bill that is only going to cause more accidental shootings in their state.

    • The problem I have is, the doctor puts the info that you have guns in your medical file. It has no place there and way too many people have access to it. Want your homeowners/renters insurance cancelled because you own a gun?
      Want your bank to deny that loan?
      Want a medical tech to mention that you are a gun owner to a gun hating neighbor?
      Under Obamacare those records will become government records.
      I wouldn’t have a problem with a doc talking about guns. I believe he/she/it should be forbidden to make any record of whether or not a patient owned/possessed/once saw a gun.

      • Actually it is illegal to share medical record information under HIPAA. In fact, actually “ObamaCare” actually included a provision that specifically requires that gun ownership information not be included in medical record information given to the government for research reasons.

        The NRA is riling gun owners up for no reason. Their inflammatory rhetoric based on fear and misinformation is insulting to all gun owners.

        Let’s get back to the facts.

  11. Ah, the old “it’s for the safety of the children” ploy. This is not about Dr’s 1st Amendment rights. It is about an intrusion into our privacy. If they want political motivated speech, that is why the AMA exists. If the individual wants to make political statements, he has his after hours time. Given the frequent occurances of computer systems being hacked or misplaced they don’t need to be entering and saving anything about our homelife. This is doubly true since the President’s healthcare law wants to put all medical records under government control.

    Yes, going to another Dr may be a choice but many times that choice doesn’t exist due to location or the number of Drs approved by the insurance company. If Jr has a fever the Dr needs to figure out why and how to treat it not be delving into politically motivated questioning.

  12. If finding another doctor is impractical or you’re concerned about such information ending up in your chart, then there’s another solution: Don’t tell the doctor you own a gun.

    Honestly, I’m sympathetic to these concerns, but laws are enacted left and right in our country with far too little forethought about their necessity or their implications. We all have to be more judicious about the legislative efforts we support.

  13. It is of no concern to the pediatrics doctors suddendly to start worrying who has guns in their homes. How many people had guns in their homes 50 years ago and we did not care? The crime is out of control because of the broken criminal justice system and nothing to do with law abiding citizens/parents owning guns for lawful purposes. It is a privacy issue and should not be noted in my childrens medical records for all to view.

  14. Hammer has toxoplasmosis on the brain, which might explain her untoward aggressiveness and hatred of every animal except her cats…from whom she no doubt contracted her mental illness. Would explain very much about her behavior.

    Kill bears because they rummage through trash? Sure. Let people go waaaaay out in the woods and kill the ones who DO NOT go in to improperly contained refuse. That makes sense. But only if you’re ignorant or can’t think straight because your brain is being eaten by a parasite you get from cat crap.

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