President Obama’s Tuesday announcement that he would be tightening rules for gun purchases was expected to incite controversy, but the biggest problem with them may not be his targeting of the much hyped “gun show loophole” but yet another foray by the administration into America’s healthcare system, reports Politico:

While the 1993 Brady law prohibits gun ownership by individuals who have been involuntarily committed, found incompetent to stand trial or otherwise deemed by a court to be a danger to themselves or others, federal health care privacy rules prohibited doctors and other providers from sharing information without the consent of their patients.

Under the rule, which takes effect next month, for the first time health providers can disclose the information to the background check system without legal repercussions.

Needless to say, the idea that our doctor should be able to single handedly decide whether or not we are entitled to our 2nd Amendment rights should give anyone pause.  Further, as a result of yesterday’s new rules it seems likely that a lot of people who need mental help will opt not to seek it, driven by a fear that their doctor will report them.  Ultimately, this well-meaning attempt to curve gun violence could just have the opposite effect.