Recent Medicine Commentaries

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Let’s Talk About Football
Let me say at the outset that I’m not going to win friends or influence many people with this commentary. Football . . . is a beautiful game. With the unexpected death of Pittsburgh Steelers Franco Harris last month, the media refreshed all our memories of “The Immaculate Reception,” the play that not only defined Harris but remains one of...
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January 6, 2023
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Let The Sun Shine In!
Thank GOD, this monumental piece of legislation has passed an all-important hurdle. I don’t know about you, but getting unanimous consent for a bill like this restores my faith in the two-party system where both sides can set aside their grudges, come together and pass the most meaningful legislation in  . . .  I don’t know how long. Officially known...
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March 18, 2022
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Waiting for a Miracle
The “vaccine might be a killer,” a broadcaster warned. It’s “unchristian,” a local clergyman said. When Jonas Salk, physician-scientist, first developed a vaccine for polio, influential radio broadcaster Walter Winchell told his listeners not to take the vaccine because it “might be a killer.” Salk tested the vaccine in secret. The March of Dimes approved the results and a virus...
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February 11, 2022
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Are Vaccination Mandates Ethical?
To mandate, or not to mandate, that is the question. For 18 months, Americans have tolerated masks, travel, and event restrictions, and virtual home hibernation. “Overall in the United States, 74.1 percent of Americans over five years old have at least one coronavirus shot, and 62.8 percent are fully vaccinated.” However, just when you thought it was safe to step...
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November 30, 2021
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Aaron Rodgers
“If the vaccine is so great, how come people are still getting Covid and spreading Covid and unfortunately, dying from Covid?”— Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers Sports reporter Kurt Streeter writes, “Apparently, Rodgers missed the memo that while they are not foolproof, the vaccines are close to 90 percent effective and by far the best tools we...
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November 16, 2021
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Is it Ethical to Require People to Get Vaccinated?
Normally, I’m against passing any legislation that forces a health decision on anyone. But we are not living in normal times. We continue to live with a contagious virus that affects the entire world – a pandemic. According to Johns Hopkins University and Medicine, more than 3 million have died worldwide. As of Wednesday, deaths in the United States have...
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April 23, 2021
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The Common Good
The good news is the level of vaccinations around the country is up. As of March 10, “At least 62,451,150 people or 19.0 percent of the population have received at least one dose,” reports USA Facts Covid vaccine tracker. “Overall, 32,904,161 people or 10.0 percent have been fully vaccinated.” NPR reports (Mar. 10), “President Biden has declared a goal of...
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March 10, 2021
The Compassionate and the Moralizer
Two stories about the coronavirus vaccine caught my attention. Embed from Getty Images In a recent letter to New York Times ethicist, Kwame Anthony Appiah, one reader writes: “I work for a hospital, but in an administrative job. I do not interact with patients. I have worked from home since March. I am not at high risk for contracting Covid-19...
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March 5, 2021
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Two Accomplishments We Should Be Celebrating
It is sad to watch so much attention focused on events in Washington brought about by one individual at the cost of learning about the thousands of talented individuals responsible for the many accomplishments that should be receiving more attention. The latest generation of mars rovers, Perseverance, successfully landed on the surface of Mars. NASA reports, “The largest, most advanced...
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February 22, 2021
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Who Can You Trust?
Cartoonist Dan Piraro has a skillful way of approaching the day’s issues through the backdoor. A recent panel uses Samuel Beckett’s classic play, Waiting for Godot, to underscore CDC coronavirus guidelines. While Godot offers no reason for canceling his meeting with the story’s two central characters who spend the length of the play waiting, Piraro provides a witty spin even...
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November 4, 2020