I woke up last week with a burning in my chest and a searing pain down my left arm. My breathing was rapid and shallow, so of course I reached for my phone and quickly called my local representative, since now elected people feel qualified to pass laws regarding gender affirming care - medical practices.
Folks on the right take complex medical issues, convert them into culture wars, then not being doctors, draft them into legislation that tells parents and doctors how to practice medicine. More significantly, as a family values group, they now tell parents what’s best for their children because they care about children more than parents. That concern is reflected in Arkansas where child labor laws have just been relaxed, because it worked so well for children in the past.
Holy Moly, Batman, they rail against government overreach? Now, our ultraconservative friends believe they know what’s best for children – better than parents, because of course they have the medical training to make these decisions, because...why?
Ring, Ring!
“Hi this is Lou. Are you my city council member? OK great, listen, I woke up this morning and I’m feeling crampy, when can you fit me in for a check-up? What? OK. Is the mayor in?”
“Hi Mayor, I started wheezing this morning and I’m crampy. It’s bad. Could you prescribe something for me? Wait, what? You’re not a doctor? I thought politicians had medical experience because they pass laws that affect medical practice.”
“Did you just say, Sorry, you have the wrong number?”
“You better believe it!”
