Different Takes: Is Racism Really A Public Health Epidemic?; Lessons On The Toxicity Behind Many Monuments
Opinion writers weigh in on these public health topics and others.
The Wall Street Journal:
No, Police Racism Isn’t An Epidemic
So far, we haven’t seen a shred of evidence that George Floyd’s death in police custody last month was racially motivated. But for those looking to exploit the incident, that doesn’t seem to matter.T he violence in the streets, and the liberal commentary that toggles between justification and cheerleading, is fueled by assumptions that racial discrimination in policing is widespread, that low-income minority communities are overpatrolled, and that black men are targeted for their skin color rather than for their behavior. There’s no denying that there was a time—in the living memory of many Americans—when this was true. The question is how true it remains. (Jason L. Riley, 6/23)
The Washington Post:
The Toxic Masculinity Behind Civil War Monuments
With statues being reassessed across the country and around the world, it’s time for the National Park Service to address the Emancipation Memorial in the District’s Lincoln Park. Neighbors are raising money to repurpose the statue, while a petition is circulating to remove a replica from Boston’s Park Square. The statue’s racism is glaring. Less obvious to viewers is the memorial’s place in a culture of toxic masculinity. The Emancipation Memorial was raised in 1876 with funds donated by former slaves, which helps explain its longevity, but those donors weren’t consulted in the statue’s design. In it, Lincoln stands with a shirtless black man kneeling at his feet. Lincoln’s right hand rests on the Emancipation Proclamation, while his left hovers above the black supplicant’s head, as he’s freed from his shackles. In an era in which Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was placed on ever higher pedestals, the black man’s subordination reminded all viewers that although Lincoln freed the slaves, neither he, nor the society over which he presided, supported racial equality. (Laura Brodie, 6/19)
Detroit Free Press:
The Challenges Of Black Parenthood
I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually. — James Baldwin. To be Black in America is to be in proximity to the greatest opportunities: wealth, real estate, education, and employment. Unfortunately, America is also the proximate cause for the disenfranchisement of Blacks within those same institutions. To be clear, I have, at this point in my life, achieved what is considered success. I am a college graduate, homeowner and serial entrepreneur. I’m living the American Dream. But being the wife of a strong Black man and the mother of three beautiful Black boys are my greatest accomplishments. (Danielle North, 6/21)
The Hill:
Help Reverse Devastating Health Disparities By Supporting The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act
Black women in the United States are three to four times as likely to die due to pregnancy-related causes as compared with white women. Black infants in the United States are over three times more likely to die due to complications related to low birth weight as compared to white infants. These disparities are not due to race; they are due to racism, as eloquently stated by Dr. Monica McLemore, Professor of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing. (Ellen Olshansky, 6/24)
Dallas Morning News:
Texas Should Make Police Bodycam Video And Citizen Complaints Public
Many Americans protesting the death of George Floyd have demanded greater official accountability in the deaths of black citizens during encounters with police. Police face enormous challenges in fulfilling their sworn duty to protect and to serve. We send them out in our name to prevent crime and keep us safe in our homes, schools and communities. To meet that responsibility, we vest police with extraordinary power, including in some cases the use of deadly force. In the vast majority of cases, officers use their special powers in an effective, reasonable and color-blind manner. (Paul C. Watler, 6/24)
Stat:
In Telemedicine's Time To Shine, Why Are Doctors Abandoning It?
Telemedicine — the delivery of care by a clinician in one location to a patient in another — is seen as a vital component of the nation’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have urged physicians and other health care providers to use telemedicine, and both the federal government and private health plans have implemented numerous temporary regulatory and payment changes to facilitate its use. (Ateev Mehrotra, David Linetsky and Hilary Hatch, 6/25)
WBUR:
On Being Gay In Medicine: After The Supreme Court Victory, Still Work To Be Done
Although doctors enjoy a privileged position in our society, we have never been immune to anti-LGBTQ discrimination. Ten years ago, I gave a speech at Boston Children’s Hospital titled “On Being Gay in Medicine.” I talked about how, growing up, I never imagined I would say that I was gay out loud to anyone — much less in front of a large audience at the institution where I worked. (Mark Schuster, 6/24)
