Doctors and guns

Re the July 28 article, Appeals court upholds doctor-patient gun law: As one of the plaintiffs, I strongly disagree with the panel majority's revised opinion issued in Wollschlaeger v. Gov. of Florida

The 2-1 decision by a panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was a victory for the National Rifle Association and a defeat for medical groups that argued, at least in part, that the Florida law infringed on doctors’ First Amendment rights.

It’s the first time a court has upheld a state’s attempt to silence doctors from engaging in patient counseling about risks and safe practices associated with the presence of guns in the home, uniformly recommended by national medical associations.

This law, and the decision upholding it, pose a serious threat to doctor-patient relationships, which should be free from political interference.

This story was originally published August 1, 2015 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Doctors and guns."