I have no intent to tote some AMA partyline and debate it here with anyone. Those who offered up their solutions to gun safety, my hat is off to you. I truly wish everyone who was a gun owner was conscientous and responsible. Teaching safe handling and responsibility is by far the most prudent approach.
Please understand that I was offering up an explanation of how industrial medicine works. When the rubber meets the road in the confidentiality of the office, I hope every provider has the capacity to gauge which questions are appropriate and where counseling is needed.
I see many new parents still in their teens who come from generations of poverty and low socio-economic status. I suppose some of you have intimate knowlege of how tough that is, although the nature of this board is as far from their world as can be in our country. To not educate them on potential hazards is negligence, including crib safety and water temperature. To be sure, they need to be receptive and want the information. That is the art of medicine. I'm sorry some of you cannot grasp that prevention is worth a ton of cure. I am equally sorry that some providers cannot see that asking you about gun ownership is silly.
I have seen several children shot from negligent storage and handling. How many of you is it ok to offend to avoid that tragedy? What is the price tag we want to place on this? Who should make the effort to avoid it? Those who have held a dead child and heard the anguish of grieving Mother can get on the pedestal and preach to me about propriety, the rest of you can take your thin self righteous skin and bugger off.
Rob
