Florida Medical Association forces NRA to cry uncle on draconian GOP doctor punishment bill

[jpak]

NRA (2nd Amendment) and FMA (1st Amendment) call a truce.

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/nra-2nd-amendment-and-fma-1st-amendment-call-truce

The National Rifle Association has met its match in its pursuit of the Second Amendment: The First Amendment rights of doctors and the Florida Medical Association.

So the NRA and FMA have agreed on a compromise to remove what many say was objectionable language in a gun bill that sought to punish medical professionals from inquiring about firearms in the home.

To many on the Senate Health Regulation Committee, the bill was a violation of free-speech rights. So this week, it opted not to take the measure up. The FMA approached the NRA's Marion Hammer right after the meeting to work out a deal. The doctor lobby wanted to focus on lawsuit reform, and the last thing it wanted was a fight with the strongest single woman in the Tallahassee lobby corps. Hammer was unyielding at first. But the FMA brought her along. It helped that Hammer didn't have the votes.

Under the accord, doctors agree not to keep lists of firearm owners (which they say they don’t anyway) and they would agree not to discharge patients solely because they owned firearms. Incidentally, doctors, namely pediatricians, say they often ask about guns to make sure parents safely store them. Physicians also ask suicidal and depressed patients about firearms.

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[DrDan]

1. those guns are much more important than the safety of a child . . . .

[DissedByBush]

2. No free speech involved

The speech of many is voluntarily curtailed when related to their profession, and this is accepted.

For example, an attorney may not speak about his case with others.

A psychiatrist can't go blabbing about his patients' troubles to others.

Now attempted to add, a doctor can't ask a patient a question completely unrelated to his health.

[rfranklin]

3. But guns can cause serious health problems...

like a penetrating brain trauma.

[DissedByBush]

12. The doctor can ask about that if you come in with one

Otherwise he isn't asking anything that has to do with your health.

I don't know, maybe if he's House and he thinks the solvents in gun cleaner could be affecting your health, that's understandable.

[jpak]

4. The GOP/NRA want to fine them tens of thousands of dollars for even *asking* about gums

So yeah - the jackbooted thugs of the GOP/NRA wanted to shoot down the First Amendment.

yup

[rl6214]

15. shtick

Fail

[whoneedstickets]

5. Its amazing the degree to which gunnies will agree to curtail any rights

but gun rights, those are sacrosanct and inviolable regardless of the human cost.

[catenary]

6. Except the only people who ever say anything like that are the anticonstitutionalist

ignoramuses.

[ThatPoetGuy]

7. You got that right. nt

[lawodevolution]

8. Doctors have no first amendment rights when it comes to patients and can be fined

Over a million dollars for talking about a patient. I'll keep emailing the NRA to make sure they keep trying to push this each session until it's law

[whoneedstickets]

9. its amazing you can transition from restricted talk 'about' his patients ..

..to a 3rd party to restricted talk 'to' his patient, his client. No state agency should be able to tell someone I've contracted services with what they can and can't tell me. Your love of guns has clearly warped your sense of rights.

[rl6214]

16. And what right is that you are talking about

?

[GreenStormCloud]

10. The NRA won what they really wanted.

Under the accord, doctors agree not to keep lists of firearm owners (which they say they don’t anyway) and they would agree not to discharge patients solely because they owned firearms.

That is the part that the NRA wanted. They asked for much more so they could back down to what they really wanted. It is a very old negotiating technique. If the doctors violate the accord then the NRA will be in a much stronger position to bring the original bill back up. The FMA had to give something up and gained nothing with regard to firearms. The FMA got Hammer out of the way so they could pursue lawsuit reform, which the NRA has no position on. This was a clear win for the NRA.

[X_Digger]

11. Agreed.. under these terms, this likely wouldn't have happenned..

http://www.ocala.com/article/20100723/NEWS/100729867/1402/NEWS

It was a question Amber Ullman least expected Wednesday from her children's pediatrician.

Do you keep a gun in the house?

When the 26-year-old Summerfield woman refused the answer, the Ocala doctor finished her child's examination and told her she had 30 days to find a new pediatrician and that she wasn't welcome at Children's Health of Ocala anymore.

[friendly_iconoclast]

13. Say what you will about them, the NRA knows how to play politics.

They got what they really wanted, while their opponents think they won a victory....

[rl6214]

14. Deliberate lie or accidental omission in the title

I say deliberate lie.

"So the NRA and FMA have agreed on a compromise"

"the last thing it wanted was a fight with the strongest single woman in the Tallahassee lobby corps."

"Under the accord, doctors agree not to keep lists of firearm owners (which they say they don’t anyway) and they would agree not to discharge patients solely because they owned firearms."

[oneshooter]

17. HELLS BELLS!!! My Doctor, his Wife and the gal at the front desk ALL have CHL's. n/t