Bucks Montgomery Physician Fall 2020 - 7

treatments that have not been proven to be effective
and have risk. This is not a hoax, it is not "fake news";
it is the best science and fact we have right now, and it
is not about our opinions regarding our own personal
freedoms. Those freedoms are most endangered by how
we are managing this scourge. They are endangered by
if and how we choose to exercise those freedoms.
Every President in our history has been flawed. Every
politician learns to say what is necessary to keep their
job, even if it means bending the truth and responding
to special interests and personal bias. The authors of
our Constitution, a brilliant document, were flawed.

No longer can I be complicit. My intent is not to offend,
but to speak out. Read the Constitution! Don't profess
to support it and be patriotic if you do not know
everything that is in it and understand what it mandates
for our country and our citizens. Take responsibility
for learning the truth the best you can. If you only
listen to MSNBC or Fox News, to use examples, it will
reinforce your bias, although freedom of the press is
important and neither network should be silenced. It
is extremely difficult to get unbiased news or facts.
If you do not believe the vast agreement of medical
professionals at this time, then what you believe is untrue,
dangerous, and paranoid. Ignorance really is no excuse.

In spite of this, we should have a right as Americans
to be governed by those who respect our Constitution,
respect all Americans, and try to lead with some
modicum of integrity, morality, honesty, and coherence.
I will not stoop to name-call, insult, to describe
someone's appearance, ability to speak well and/
or grammatically, their color, class, or their political
beliefs, but rather to what we need as a leader. We need
truth, representation by someone we can respect both
nationally and internationally, and someone who believes
public office is not just about them, about serving the
entire country, and respects the law. We need leaders
in the Medical Society who are willing to work for all
physicians and reflect disparate views. We need healers.

It is frightening to cede or share exclusive power in
order to be inclusive. I get that. To be a White, Christian
male of European descent is to have the power and the
privilege in this nation. While White men of European
descent wrote our Constitution, they did the best they
could at the time to compromise to get it done, with many
admirable parts and some not so admirable. This is fact,
not my personal prejudice against any of the mentioned
groups. It is human to want to maintain dominance by
exclusion and suppression. It is unamerican to exercise it.

There could have been many less deaths from COVID19, from mass shootings, from racism and police brutality.
There could be fewer overdoses from opioids and less
depression. There could be many less failed businesses
and job losses if we had controlled the spread of the virus
sooner, which required respecting public health advice and
officials and just wearing masks in public and maintaining
social distancing. Handwashing is vital, but we have washed
our hands of responsibility to control this disease nationwide. We look at our own communities, whether urban
or rural, and think our communities represent all of the
U.S. We think our political views are correct regardless of
the realities or history. We are exhibiting anger and blame,
promoted at the highest levels, to avoid responsibility for
doing and speaking out about what is right. If we are silent
about the truth, we are complicit. As outspoken as I am,
I am complicit. I have been afraid to antagonize some
people and have not spoken out as much as I should have.

First, follow the recommendations of our medical
experts and actively promote these recommendations
to all patients to get the pandemic under control.
The "Wear a Mask" Campaign is a good move.
Then the other issues can be dealt with properly.

Unfortunately, I am a cynic who very much wants to be
an optimist that, through our superior intellect as humans,
we can overcome some of our negative, instinctive,
and basic human behavior. So I need a little help.

Second, support other public health measures actively
such as vaccination, gun safety, environmental hazards,
and reproductive rights. This should not be political!
Third, practice what all religions preach: tolerance,
compassion, charity, kindness, and follow the "law."
Fourth, work to increase diversity in our PAMED by
fostering an attitude of openness and welcome to all, so
that we begin to look like the face of medicine in all of PA.
"PRIMUM NO NOCERE"
Thank you for reading this.

BUCKS AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETIES

Bucks Montgomery Physician Fall 2020

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