Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Primum Non Nocere


"First, do no harm."

A professor of mine once said this in our empirical studies class. Since my dissertation involved human subjects, I took this ancient advice strongly to heart.

Many medical students take a more modernized version of the Hippocratic Oath upon their graduation from medical school (and yes, to all the smarty-pants out there-- I know the title of this post is not part of any version of the oath).

Most medical doctors are doctors because:
A) They are smart enough to handle the rigorous curricula of medical school.
B) They are disciplined enough to sacrifice many things to attain a goal few can.
C) They want to help people.

Cynics may say I am wrong. That doctors are in it for the money. Sure. Why not get paid well to do something that you are well-equipped to do? After all, I think perhaps we might agree that people's lives and health are rather important in the grander scheme of things.

Give a wealthy person the choice between saving her/his own life and saving her/his fortune and I think we can guess which one she/he might choose.

The members of our Congress take an oath, too.

The history of that oath is a compelling one. I highly recommend researching it for yourself.

In my *opinion* the latest version it is too watered down... members of Congress avow to protect the Constitution but not the American people.

In 1862, fearful of traitors on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line, congressional members were asked to swear that they had not personally engaged in illegal or disloyal conduct. Perjury was punished and the member forever stripped of access to federal employment--- we'd lose practically our entire Congress if this were part of the oath today.

The lack of "spection" whether intro or outre, is crippling our country as much as our wars, our health care system, and our economy. I hope that soon we may all take a good look at what is inside us, why we look at the world the way we do, and how we can come together to make life better for everyone instead of focusing on hate, vitriol, spite and anger. It's all about perspective.

The "I'm right and you're wrong" mentality has gotten us nowhere. And for a nation that seems to have been wandering off course for a while now, it's time for us to get our bearings again.

"That which is to give light must endure burning" Victor Frankl

Light up the darkness...

Happy Tuesday, all.

PS: It's truly sad when Tea Partiers have to lie about the size of protests to bolster support. Seems as tho' the GOP is quickly becoming the Grand Old Prevaricators. Members are starting to look like Gullible Odd People.

4 comments:

Anonymous,  September 15, 2009 at 2:35 PM  

There will always be exceptions to the rule, but that being said, those are exceptions. Some are in it to make money, its not a sin. But if they are not as skilled as others, in their bid to make money, their business will suffer. And if they are incompetent, then those exceptions might just loose their liscense to practice.

Isn't that how it should be? So it just makes me want to scream, what is the big deal again?

Anonymous,  September 15, 2009 at 2:57 PM  

Great acronyms. I am tired of all of the back-biting as well. Just get on with it. There are a lot of things to fix that have been neglected because of Bushies' bullish stance on foreign policy. They have better roads, bridges and infrastructure in countries we have been actively bombing. All at the expense of the American tax-payer.

Riot Kitty September 15, 2009 at 7:43 PM  

Lying about the size of protests...like lying about the size of your penis. Both make you a dick ;)

themom September 15, 2009 at 9:36 PM  

Personally, when I heard the GOP throwing out such huge figures of attendance on Sunday - I looked at it as more SPIN. I know plenty of liberals, like myself, who concede we aren't 100% happy - but I don't remember EVER being at 100% peace with an administration. But there is an opposing mentality out there now, like I have never seen. It is like a pot getting ready to boil over. This....scares me!

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