Policy

Refusing to Wear a Mask is Like Refusing to Wear a Condom

Wearing a face mask to reduce spread of Covid-19 and touting condom use to diminish transmission of HIV and other STDs are essentially the same thing.  Masking up should not be a question of politics, gender, or education.  It is no more “negative” emotionally to cover our face and protect our neighbor than it is to wrap our naughty bits with latex and protect our sexual partner. 

2020-07-29T01:35:17+00:00July 29, 2020|Categories: Patient, Policy|Tags: , , , , , |

Policing Without A Crush Point

Together, our community needs to support racial justice organizations, like the NAACP and the Kitsap Equity, Race and Community Engagement (ERACE) Coalition, who are fighting for meaningful change. Recently, the NAACP issued a call to action asking that “police departments ban the use of knee holds in use of force continuums.” In my opinion, the NAACP should ask for more:

2020-06-21T23:14:55+00:00June 21, 2020|Categories: Equality, Policy|Tags: , , , , , |

Bravery is Being an Ally to People of Color

Racism is the most divisive issue facing this country. The mere fact that 74 days elapsed between the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery and the arrest of the men who murdered him demonstrates how tightly racial discrimination is woven into the fabric of America. Whites becoming allies to communities and people of color is the way we can change the heart of our nation. It is time for all of us to become color brave.

2020-06-21T23:10:57+00:00June 21, 2020|Categories: Equality, Policy|Tags: , , , , |

The Color of Running: the crisis our nation should be talking about

In America, Blacks cannot walk (RIP Trayvon Martin,) run (RIP Arbery,) or sleep (RIP Breonna Taylor) without being shot and killed.Blackness is not the root of inequity—racism in the system is the primary problem. White Americans must acknowledge complicity in maintaining systemic racism and the epigenetic trauma it inflicts upon Black Americans. To be sure, Clifford Glover and Ahmaud Arbery have taught me the meaning of white privilege in a way I never understood before. Isn’t it past time to change the conversation about the responsibilities of holding privilege in America? My message boils down to this: we can be good, kind, loving people who have benefited from a system steeped in white supremacy and still have the humility to say—this must stop.

A Ray of Hope for Small Business: The Paycheck Protection Program

While most Americans believe that the little guys with the big hearts should win, our economy has veered off in a completely different direction: since the 1980s, the Potters have been crushing the Baileys of the world. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacted a heavy toll on the nation’s small businesses. What happens when “little guys,” like the Baileys, see no end in sight to an unrelenting viral assault?

2020-05-26T01:13:59+00:00May 1, 2020|Categories: Policy, Practice|Tags: , , , |

What Will Be Covid-19’s Legacy For Schools

As a pediatrician, I am even more concerned about those students who are homeless, food insecure, or being exposed to violence more regularly at home as a result of school closure. School is the one place where children can feel safe, fed, and supported. Children with disabilities—who receive speech, language, and other therapies—have been unable to continue their specialized services at school, which are essential to foster learning and development.

2020-05-23T22:54:51+00:00April 19, 2020|Categories: Equality, Patient, Policy|Tags: , , , , |

Why We Must Close Our Schools

We already know it is the responsibility of every one of us in Kitsap County to slow the spread of Covid-19. In this second column on the subject, I want to focus on the next steps for our community. The most effective nonpharmacological intervention within our reach is to close schools proactively for a lengthy time period. And in the next 800 words, I hope to convince our educators and the public.

2020-05-23T22:53:50+00:00March 14, 2020|Categories: Patient, Policy|Tags: , , , , , |

Striking Nurses Should Be Supported

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Let us keep the issues where they are. The issue is injustice. The issue is the refusal of Memphis to be fair and honest in its dealings with its public servants, who happen to be sanitation workers. Now, we’ve got to keep attention on that.” Yes. Let’s keep our attention on the members of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and especially the nurses who are fighting for our very lives.

2020-05-23T22:52:02+00:00January 24, 2020|Categories: Patient, Policy|Tags: , , , , , , |
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