a rant on the stupidity of politics
Note: Normally, this being my livejournal, I feel rather free to say whatever the hell I feel like. However, this rant will contain discussion of a rather touchy subject, for numerous reasons and numerous people on both ends of the spectrum. Therefore, I will try to keep my personal views of the subject out of the matter and focus on the problem that is really bothering me, and keep the debate open.
I was driving home from Mahopac today, and on the radio was the audio only broadcast of CBS's 60 minutes. The first article was a discussion about a specific medicine and the manufacturor's efforts to get the FDA to approve it's over the counter status. The drug in question is called "Plan B", often referred to as the "Morning After Pill." As of now, it is currently only available with a doctor's prescription. However, the FDA was pushing to have the drug's status changed to over-the-counter, so it would be more easily accessable. The main reason for this is because the pill needs to be taken within 72 hours of the sexual activity in order for it to work. So if, for example, you have a condom break on you Thursday night, and your doctor doesn't work on Fridays or weekends, you cant even reach your doctor until Monday morning, so it would be too late before you even speak to your doctor. On top of this, many doctors, and even many pharmacies refuse these prescriptions, by either not writing them, or not filling them. But anyway, onto the point of my rant.
CBS was interviewing this doctor, who, at President Bush's request, was a member of the FDA's committe to review the request to make the drug Over the Counter. He is an admitted devout Christian and also is public about his refusal to prescribe Plan B. He was a dissenter of the idea that the pill should be made over the counter. But his reason was that it was something that people should have to go through a doctor for. Does anyone else see a flaw here? A doctor that wont let people take the medicine is telling people that they should have to go see a doctor for it? Now, I have no problem with a man of science being a man of faith as well. One of my best hebrew school teachers when I was younger was also a Science teacher during the day. What I did NOT like was that this guy vehemently denied that his religious stand had anything to do with his decision. Ok. Next, CBS played an audio clip of the guy giving a speech to some pre-med students on his decision. And in this speech, he REPEATEDLY made references to "Jesus" "God" and "God's Divine Kingdom", and he spoke about how his research was used by God. The problem? CBS played him the same clip, and he once again denied his religious beliefs having anything to do with the decision.
Now, look. You're allowed to have an opinion. As a professional, you're entitled to have a PROFESSIONAL opinion(unless you're a lunatic like Jack Thompson; then you're just batshit crazy), but if you're caught red-handed using backwards logic and making false statements, at least own up to them. THAT is my problem with this guy: that his logic is illogical, his adament statements are completely false, and yet he bragged about how he was a Christian that never had to use a bible to influence decisions. I'm sorry, but thats pretty fucked up. The whole situation was just screwy, with the FDA ignoring majority decisions and coming up with minority ones last minute to simply have something to rally behind, and people as far up as the White House having some influence, not to mention all of the religious "coincidences". News flash: If your "logic" involves you making decisions and not actually having a real justification for them, it means you're not actually making a decision, you're just going by a prejudice.
/rant.
By the way, if you want to discuss with me whether or not this is a medicine that should be over the counter, or want my opinion on the matter, everyone can feel free to IM me at Tetsuotrunks on AIM. I just didn't want to offend anyone here with a discussion on that. There was a lot more to the situation, but I decided that this was enough of your time for me to be taking up.
I was driving home from Mahopac today, and on the radio was the audio only broadcast of CBS's 60 minutes. The first article was a discussion about a specific medicine and the manufacturor's efforts to get the FDA to approve it's over the counter status. The drug in question is called "Plan B", often referred to as the "Morning After Pill." As of now, it is currently only available with a doctor's prescription. However, the FDA was pushing to have the drug's status changed to over-the-counter, so it would be more easily accessable. The main reason for this is because the pill needs to be taken within 72 hours of the sexual activity in order for it to work. So if, for example, you have a condom break on you Thursday night, and your doctor doesn't work on Fridays or weekends, you cant even reach your doctor until Monday morning, so it would be too late before you even speak to your doctor. On top of this, many doctors, and even many pharmacies refuse these prescriptions, by either not writing them, or not filling them. But anyway, onto the point of my rant.
CBS was interviewing this doctor, who, at President Bush's request, was a member of the FDA's committe to review the request to make the drug Over the Counter. He is an admitted devout Christian and also is public about his refusal to prescribe Plan B. He was a dissenter of the idea that the pill should be made over the counter. But his reason was that it was something that people should have to go through a doctor for. Does anyone else see a flaw here? A doctor that wont let people take the medicine is telling people that they should have to go see a doctor for it? Now, I have no problem with a man of science being a man of faith as well. One of my best hebrew school teachers when I was younger was also a Science teacher during the day. What I did NOT like was that this guy vehemently denied that his religious stand had anything to do with his decision. Ok. Next, CBS played an audio clip of the guy giving a speech to some pre-med students on his decision. And in this speech, he REPEATEDLY made references to "Jesus" "God" and "God's Divine Kingdom", and he spoke about how his research was used by God. The problem? CBS played him the same clip, and he once again denied his religious beliefs having anything to do with the decision.
Now, look. You're allowed to have an opinion. As a professional, you're entitled to have a PROFESSIONAL opinion(unless you're a lunatic like Jack Thompson; then you're just batshit crazy), but if you're caught red-handed using backwards logic and making false statements, at least own up to them. THAT is my problem with this guy: that his logic is illogical, his adament statements are completely false, and yet he bragged about how he was a Christian that never had to use a bible to influence decisions. I'm sorry, but thats pretty fucked up. The whole situation was just screwy, with the FDA ignoring majority decisions and coming up with minority ones last minute to simply have something to rally behind, and people as far up as the White House having some influence, not to mention all of the religious "coincidences". News flash: If your "logic" involves you making decisions and not actually having a real justification for them, it means you're not actually making a decision, you're just going by a prejudice.
/rant.
By the way, if you want to discuss with me whether or not this is a medicine that should be over the counter, or want my opinion on the matter, everyone can feel free to IM me at Tetsuotrunks on AIM. I just didn't want to offend anyone here with a discussion on that. There was a lot more to the situation, but I decided that this was enough of your time for me to be taking up.