Despite overwhelming bipartisan passage of HB 1531 in the Virginia House of Delegates by an 88-11 vote on Feb. 13, the Senate Education and Health Committee unfortunately defeated this timely and important legislation by a 6-9 vote on Feb. 23.

HB 1531 is needed to stop pediatricians and other doctors from meddling in our personal lives, invading our privacy, and straying from issues relating to disease and medicine.

Recently, my children visited a pediatrician for a physical. During the exam, they were asked--among other invasive, irrelevant, and unnecessary questions--whether there are guns in our home and, if so, whether they are locked up.

Fortunately (or not), I was not with them to witness this outrageous experience (and provide them with the appropriate "none of your business" answer), but my wife told me about it afterward.

Pediatricians should practice medicine rather than behave like social workers. It's none of their business whether there are guns in my home or my children wear bicycle helmets or seat belts.

As their father, I am responsible for my children's well-being and safety. Pediatricians should practice medicine and not pry into our personal lives on issues that have nothing to do with disease.

Dr. Leslie Ellwood, president of the Virginia chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, has said, "We don't have an opinion or issue an opinion on guns."

Visiting the AAP Web site proves otherwise; it provides official advice to parents to "not purchase a gun, especially a handgun" and to "remove all guns present in the home," and states, "The safest thing for your family is not to keep a gun in the home."

Ellwood also said, "Our plan is always to find out how the guns are managed in the household."

We as parents will manage our own households, and pediatricians should mind their own business--disease and medicine.

Charles H. Cunningham

Fairfax