For this week’s “Weekend Watercooler,” I conducted an interview with two wonderful, retired physicians – Howard Eisenson and Jonathan Kotch. We talked about Medicare for All and how (whenever it finally happens) it will change and improve the delivery of healthcare in our country. We were able to do this thanks to the Durham and Orange Medical Society, whose support and coordination made our introduction possible.
During our talk, Dr. Eisenson made a point about the practice of medicine in a very broad sense that really rang a bell for me. He wants to encourage doctors (and organizations) to approach the question of Medicare for All from the perspective of what is in the best interest of the public good. Not what’s profitable (for hospitals or medical practices), what’s in the best interest of our society.
I’m reminded of a conversation or two that I’ve had recently with former county commissioner Penny Rich. After electoral defeat (and not being appointed to replace Mark Dorosin), she was naturally disappointed, but she said the same thing each time. “I’ll find another way to serve Orange County- a place I love.”
We have very good people in our community who want to do just that – they want to serve. This is no different from being drawn to military service or working as a first responder. It’s about helping people, making your community better, stronger and more vibrant. Service for its own sake is a rewarding thing to do for a living or (if you can) as a volunteer.
We WANT dedicated, smart people to seek election to our municipal boards to govern this community. There are many cases all around the country of school boards and local elected bodies retrenching in fear of public controversy. There’s something happening here. What it is… is becoming clear.
As we’ve just seen in our own local elections, if you run for mayor, you might now expect anonymously sourced signs to be posted around town accusing you of “betraying” your constituents. If you’re on a school board, you’ll have to prepare yourself for the possibility of receiving death threats and malicious communications from all sorts of sources. You’ll have to make a risk assessment of what your kids might be subjected to in school.
This is happening because our politics are no longer leaving available space for nonpartisan, civil disagreement on policy matters. Can parents have different ideas about how to teach American History? To some extent, sure, but this is not what we’re seeing. We’re seeing absurd arguments about banning Critical Race Theory from being taught in schools. The people making these declarations seem to have exactly no understanding that
1) This is a legal framework to examining race and the law; and
2) It is not a K-12 curriculum. No one is trying to teach it.
This approach dates back to the 1970s, but watching today’s headlines, you’d think that it just began as a Twitter hashtag and went viral.
If we want to find a thing to push back against and I mean really, really hard, it is being cornered into looking at false choices of “this candidate or the enemy.” We should REJECT any argument that stems from an anonymous road sign. If you want to put out a message as an individual or from your group – (even if it’s negative) put your name to it or be quiet.
My late mother would be gratified by Tom Jensen’s recent poll numbers showing that voters like the policies advocated by the Chapel Hill Alliance for a Livable Town (CHALT), but have a strongly negative view of the organization. She was right – it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.
We want a well-run, accountable community. We need to demand civility in how we elect leaders, lest we will be led by people who are drawn to power to satisfy their ambition instead of a desire to serve.
Jean Bolduc is a freelance writer and the host of the Weekend Watercooler on 97.9 The Hill. She is the author of “African Americans of Durham & Orange Counties: An Oral History” (History Press, 2016) and has served on Orange County’s Human Relations Commission, The Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina, the Orange County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, and the Orange County Schools’ Equity Task Force. She was a featured columnist and reporter for the Chapel Hill Herald and the News & Observer.
Readers can reach Jean via email – jean@penandinc.com and via Twitter @JeanBolduc
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