news | Dr. Suze Espouses

Though not a college history major, I bill myself as a “continuing student” of the subject. Unfortunately, schools tend to teach English, Art, Music, and History as separate subjects; it just makes so much more sense when all of them are taught together. For example, one can’t really grasp A Tale of Two Cities, nor Oliver Twist, without a knowledge of history at the time. However, this is an aside to my blog today, which concerns Executive Orders–those ordered by POTUS with a stroke of a pen.

Now I don’t know about you, but there’s a number of things about which I’m concerned–and it ain’t the price of eggs! It’s about the climate, the abject disregard for science and medicine, the abolishment of special education and school food service, the wipe-out of university research grants, the random firing of qualified professionals, the flip-flop tariffs, and the supposed declaration of martial law on 4/20. (An absurd “smoking idea.”)

Executive order: NO more paper straws! Frankly, I could care less about straws since they would be odd in beer bottles. However, paper straws are ecologically preferred over the plastic ones that kill off our wildlife.

Executive order: Gulf of America! Really? Who cares? I’m too old to change that tune.

Executive order: No more low pressure shower heads. A ludicrous, infantile mandate from a very obese Lothario who is unable to wash away his dalliances without copious amounts of water.

Executive orders: Dismantle departments, terminate any one who disagrees, tax penguins, etc.

To this “student of history,” it seems that The President of the United States has much more pressing issues than these inane executive orders. Issues like, “beautiful bag of groceries,” winning a golf tournament, or the superlative results of his health exam where he’s been declared the smartest, best, greatest, healthiest 78-year-old in the world. (Curious, when one of his professors at Wharton labeled him the “most stupid person he ever taught.” Think about it. Why else would he have threatened to sue UPenn if they released his college transcripts?)

Since none of us are infallible, we will stand in judgment in front of St. Peter and/or historians. Sadly, as future generations engage in their study of US Presidents, the monikers of Honest Abe, Father of our Country, and The Great Society, will pale when children read about the 47th President, dubbed PT Barnum and The Greatest, Golden American Liar.

I’m a septuagenarian, and I had it all. Chicken Pox, Mumps, and both strains of Measles. Thanks to a sugar cube I didn’t end up with polo. And while I managed to survive these childhood diseases, I’ve vivid recollection of being sequestered to my dark bedroom when I contracted the nine-day measles. The deadly one, which can also result in rheumatic fever and other serious complications, such as blindness. But thanks to modern medicine and a plethora of vaccines, these have all been eradicated until recently.

According to a recent CBS News report, at least 8,500 American schools have measles vaccination rates below the 95% threshold. The Center for Disease Control indicates that threshold is “crucial for protecting a community from measles.” Communities must have high vaccination rates to “maintain herd immunity and prevent outbreaks. Further, herd immunity protects those who can’t get vaccinated due to health issues like cancer.”

Among the reasons for the decline in vaccinations are: mistrust and misinformation via social media, political influences, and fear of vaccines. Further, some states allow exemptions for philosophical reasons! A fact I find absurd to put an entire kindergarten class at risk for a preventable, debilitating illness.

Several years ago, half of the schools in Maine were below the 95% immunity threshold from parents claiming religious exemptions. Thankfully, the churches joined a coalition of medical, pediatric, and teacher organizations to promote vaccinations. Rev. Jane Field, executive director of the Maine Council of Churches stated, “When it comes to public health, for us, it didn’t seem radical at all to say, in this instance, the way we love our neighbor is to get vaccinated, to protect the vulnerable, to protect the marginalized, the young, the very old, the sick.”

Perhaps, my pediatrician friend said it best. “Our practice does not treat unvaccinated, school-age children. We have neither the time, nor the patience to deal with ignorance.” In other words, Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That.