Dan, yes, ONE. If you are private pay or medicaid you HAVE NO CHOICE in this community. In fact, when our youngest was born, two and a half weeks ago, we weren't sure he would be able to see a doctor before he was six weeks of age because the ONLY doctor who takes private pay patients wouldn't see them until they were six weeks of age. And this doctor only came to the area two months ago. Fortunately, the new pediatrician came to town and started YESTERDAY...our son was one of the first patients he saw.



We didn't have a CHOICE, Dan. This wasn't our doctor; we took our child to the hospital because of a high fever and the ON CALL pediatrician started all of this shit.

It wasn't until MUCH later that I realized how normal this actually is.

As to the issue of homeschooling, you'd be surprised, Dan. If we didn't have the legal help of the HSLDA, we'd be in pretty dire straits right now. I'm currently building a defamation of character case against several school board members who, when they realized they couldn't force our children into the schools, resorted to pretty severe slander (including TWICE filing false reports, that were quickly disproven).

You have NO IDEA how much prejudice homeschooling parents still face in this country, Dan, because you aren't there. If you want to have an idea how many false reports are filed with CPS every year, all you have to do is a little research. You can start with the sidebar on my blog; I've already done the homework for you, basically.

"Several things, Dan. For one, I do not automatically buy the government's lie that everything they say is "good for you"."

That makes two of us and in fact that goes double for the media. I didn't make the statement or allude to an everything is good for you attitude by the governent either.

I do understand there to be very serious including lethal risks in not vaccinating children. I would expect that a child in school would be very likely to acquire something in their years of exposure to all sorts of diseases that if they didn't have an immune response already developed and that in conjunction with something so little as a cold or influenza that you could already have that "compromised immune system" you speak of, and that would lead to a major medical condition. I do note also however, a reduction in risk might occur in having fewer instances of contact with other children because of home schooling.

"the ONLY doctor who takes private pay patients wouldn't see them until they were six weeks of age. And this doctor only came to the area two months ago."

Then you need to transit to an area with more choice in medical professionals. Why exactly is it that the doctor only takes patients six weeks of age or more? That distinction sounds silly to me. I'm not exactly a parent but its the first I've heard of it.

"I'm currently building a defamation of character case against several school board members who, when they realized they couldn't force our children into the schools, resorted to pretty severe slander (including TWICE filing false reports, that were quickly disproven)."

Excellent. I hope you and your lawyer teach them a lesson for their bad behavior. If slander is all they can come up with, law enforcement will issue anyone a citation for filing false reports. You should have them involved if they don't have it on record already. Especially if these are repeat offenders. That is if those reports were disproven as you say.

"You have NO IDEA how much prejudice homeschooling parents still face in this country, Dan, because you aren't there."

Absolutely right. I have none, I'm not a parent, and though I fully support home schooling, I have no idea what is involved or how to go about it or the B.S. parents endure making that sacrifice for their kids. I respect you for that. I would also expect you to encounter the average situation experienced by anyone different or not "going with the flow", right or wrong, it happens.

I'm seeing your perspective about how medical professionals can cause people problems but nothing directly involving the question about guns. Do you think that in any of your instances that if your children, if teenagers, had been asked about guns in the house, that you would have had an issue to deal with above and beyond your other issues?

Your on call pediatrician, may be an ass hat at the hospital. Unfortunately you cannot always expect to receive the most understanding service from each and every member of society. People choose to be a grab bag of good or bad. They also makes mistakes. If that doctors intent was malicious or improper you have your recourses. Your other option is to not provide medical treatment for your kids. Obviously few are going to choose that, but the real choice is having kids or not having kids.

When you have children, right or wrong, good or bad, the responsibility to deal with whatever load of b.s. out there in the world becomes yours. Are we agreed in that notion?

"Whether a parent has a gun is NOT a medical question."

Not the Question asked. The question asked is are there guns in the house. If every gun in every house was known to parents that would be great. Unfortunately parents house often house adult offspring who struggle to make it on their own.

A larger and larger percentage single 20 somethings live at home or have moved back in in order to survive with a meager income and try to set their lives up for success.

What is to say these 20 somethings aren't also dangerous or careless, leaving a unlocked gun in the home that the parent doesn't know about but a sibling does?

Plenty of circumstances where danger isn't from parents.

I don't believe I have defended a doctors right to ask any questions, I just merely stated that anything asked and learned must remain in medical confidence until it does become a law enforcement issue. I also offered alternative perspectives on how to look at the situation. Rather then a invasion of privacy more of a precautionary inquiry for risk factors.

I'm not saying I'm wholly right, as Gid had pointed out there are plenty of opportunities for exploitation by unscruplous people at any level of any authority.

"Then that comes down to is, it isn't the "doctors" decision to ask "any" more questions about it. Once a child has stated they're being abused, it's out of the doctors hands. He is "required" by law to turn the question/answer period over to law enforcement. As a matter of fact, him asking questions the wrong way could/would jeopardize the entire investigation. So like I said the "doctor" should not be asking that question at all." Are you a doctor Dr.Miller or do you just play on on the forums?

And while I'm thinking about it, just "how" is this question germaine to the discussion at hand?

Yup.

It's nice to have all the answers when you aren't in someone else's shoes, I guess!

I loved to play with lawn darts when I was a kid. You can't get them anymore, though. Sharp things are dangerous, we aren't allowed to have them. Isn't it nice to live in a big day care center?

I think I still have some of those around...although they're not exactly sharp...at all. Oh well, I'll just find some other pointy metal things to play with.

I hate how everything is child safe these days...it limits natural selection. I kid, I kid...or do I?

~Zoo

Not coming from KFC, it doesn't... LOL