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Does Obama's gun plan ignore doctor-patient confidentiality?

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    Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer responds

  • Duration 6:09
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We will make sure mental health professionals no other options for reporting threats of violence.

Even as we acknowledge that someone where -- mental illness is far more likely to be a victim of violent crime than the perpetrated.

I was President Obama earlier today in as part of his anti gun plan he's now asking doctors to sound the alarm on patients that they consider a threat to themselves or others.

But now questions are being raised about whether or not.

This blurs the line in doctor patient confidentiality.

So is deputized -- America's doctor is that the answer here now with analysis of this executive action and others.

Tower unveiled today Fox News contributor who by themselves is a -- so there's a medical doctor.

You are a medical doctor board -- and psychiatrist right Charles.

I am and my rates are quite a reasonable ocean you'll ever need -- -- -- best.

I don't know if I'd be the first person here that you might -- -- -- -- -- it might -- a few others.

Here I've got to -- another -- I might be horrified not only losing primetime hosts here that's okay.

Well this actually put you -- a very unique position.

To comment on this morning -- your thoughts on this because I'm afraid.

That.

Medical privacy is out the window thoughts.

Well let me assuage your fears I don't think.

This really isn't -- to be alarmed about in fact I think just about all of these executive.

Orders are executive.

Measures Obama.

Took a rather useless.

Finish to give the appearance emotion on this one in particular.

It doesn't change anything at all to -- overwhelming number of states.

If you are a psychiatrist or psychologist or just an MD.

And -- patient tells you have a desire to kill someone.

-- themselves.

Confidentiality.

No longer applies.

And you have every right in fact in some states.

In Massachusetts -- -- I practiced.

You have an affirmative obligation.

To let the authorities know so this doesn't change anything.

And then you know Francis if a patient says he wants to kill someone.

I would always make sure the person most contacted either.

Directly or indirectly.

Through the authorities.

And then I would have to consider actively.

Whether or not I wanted to commit that person.

Even without their consent.

To be examined and -- hospital and Massachusetts.

For two weeks that was a -- at the time now.

That was you know a hundred years ago when I was in my twenties.

I'm glad I'm not sure -- -- changing anyway so this is a standard understand a procedure.

There are exceptions a doctor the patient that confidentiality.

And this is clearly the most important month.

Already exist there's nothing really changing it.

Right I I have some other fears but I don't wanna go any more deeply into a what you get a great explanation as you always do what Robert Gibbs said that the president should be treating this like a political campaign.

So what's different than everything else that he's been doing I what do you think about how the Republicans -- they -- they they don't seem to understand yet.

What they are dealing list.

What advice would you have for.

Look I think on this issue.

The president's legislative proposals.

Will collapse.

At the hands of Democrats.

The reason that gun control has not been an issue.

For twenty years just because it's the Democrats.

Who championed it in person you know in a long ago days.

Decided after the shellacking they took in the mid term election Clinton's.

First term in the early ninety's.

That they would not touch the issue again because the public opinion was so strongly against them.

And I think that hasn't really changed people say there's been a dramatic.

Shift -- public -- I'm not sure how dramatic it is and I think it'll be rounded transient we have a a 200 year history.

Gun rights from government culture and -- in the Second Amendment unlike any other country in the west.

And I suspect that the legislation he proposed -- -- -- weapons ban is not gonna past I would also point out that the one that passed.

Again in the early ninety's it lasted for a decade.

At all according to a Justice Department study.

No would do to discernible effect.

On the rate of gun violence so I'm not sure -- would make any difference in the first place do you think in other words I think there's a lot less going on here.

There -- TI the executive orders are useless and legislative proposals I suspect who will not pass.

Do you think the president overall from the fiscal cliff.

This issue we have continuing resolutions.

The debt ceiling debate is in full campaign mode.

Do you think the president emboldened by reelection may be emboldened by a win on the fiscal cliff.

Do you think he's over -- on the political consequences and how should Republicans -- that.

Look I think he clearly felt after the election there he was out to crush.

The one institution that was stopping his agenda.

That had stopped it in the second in the third and the -- years of his administration first.

Administration.

Namely the Republican House he set up the fiscal cliff negotiations.

But deliberately.

To split the Republicans in the house knowing that if he did it would -- the opposition and he would have the kind of dominance -- Washington.

Which he had in the first two years before he lost -- in the mid term elections so I have no doubt that that's how we used -- -- fiscal cliff.

That's how he's -- use the issue of immigration.

And that's how he's -- approach approach to debt ceiling in the out of fiscal issues it's his objective so that he becomes the dominant influence in Washington.

-- be able to enact the rest of his what I would call social democratic agenda.

In his second term.

All right doctor Krauthammer.

But not needed -- services anytime soon but if I -- I -- to go to remembered.

For you I might even give you pass on insurance that.

They give us across Africa this is surf coming shingle -- always -- thanks.

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