The good ole boys over at Breitbart are mad because we don't have a Surgeon General speaking out during this "Ebola crisis". Which, one could argue, is exactly the type of thing that we need: a Surgeon General (not a Czar Mr. McCain) during this time in America.I was thinking to myself that they might be right, when my e-mail buddy, Greg, sent me a link to a story that I found very interesting.
"There has been no dearth of pundits using various media forums to discuss the arrival of the deadly Ebola virus in America, and they have had a fair measure of success frightening a surprisingly large segment of the population. Republicans and their conservative cabal have even combined their ISIL fear-mongering with their immigration fear-mongering to distract Americans going into an important midterm election. Except for the medical researchers and infectious disease scientists from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and National Institute of Health (NIH), there has been precious little information from real medical professionals of any repute that could relieve the rising fear and anxiety among the population that knows little about the virus, or what precautions they need, if any, to protect themselves and their families.
Although experts claim there is little reason for panic of a devastating outbreak of the deadly virus in America, a recent Harvard poll revealed that 39% of American adults are worried about a large-scale outbreak and over 25% are mortified that an immediate family member will be stricken with the infectious virus and die. What America needs at times like this is a trusted public health expert and medical professional to educate the public about the risk of contracting Ebola and reassure them that there is little to worry about and what steps to take to stay safe and Ebola-free.
On Sunday morning political shows, it was left to an official with the Obama administration, senior advisor Dan Pfeiffer, to talk about the deadly Ebola virus. Obviously, Pfeiffer’s political expertise does not qualify him to reassure the public about a potential infectious disease health crisis, and it may have led one to wonder exactly where “America’s doctor,” the Surgeon General of the United States, is hiding and why they are not stepping into the spotlight to put Americans’ minds at ease. The truth is this nation has not had a Surgeon General for a year, but not because President Obama failed to appoint an extremely qualified candidate; he did last November. However, the National Rifle Association, no Americans’ idea of an organization concerned with the health and safety or preventing even one American citizen’s death, issued an edict to Senate Republicans that a vote to confirm the President’s appointee meant an immediate end to their political career. Going into a hotly contested midterm election, Senate Republicans did precisely as their NRA masters dictated and made sure America will not have a Surgeon General unless they support spreading the epidemic of gun deaths in America.
Last November 14th, the President nominated Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, an extremely qualified candidate to replace ‘acting’ Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin. It took three months, but the Senate finally got around to holding a confirmation hearing for Dr. Murthy’s appointment. However, the National Rifle Association exerted its very substantial legislative prerogative and blocked Murthy’s confirmation because he does not recognize that the NRA is “fourth and all-powerful branch of the federal government” and called for sane gun restrictions to prevent more Americans from dying unnecessarily from the gun violence epidemic. It is exactly what a real medical professional, and highly-qualified potential Surgeon General of the United States, is supposed to do; help prevent a deadly epidemic from spreading to save American lives." [Source]
Yes, I almost forgot about the good doctor.
The NRA and the gutless cowards in Washington (dems and republicans) failed to get Dr. Murthy confirmed, and so we are left without a Surgeon General at a time when the country really needs one.
Thank you NRA.
Honestly, it's amazing how worked up Americans are getting over a disease that has killed exactly one person here at home and yet we continue to ignore the epidemic of gun violence in this country. But I digress.
"Mr. Obama's nominee for the post, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has fallen victim to congressional gridlock (he must be confirmed by the Senate) over a lighting-rod political issue: guns.
Among Murthy's sins, according to his detractors: promoting Obamacare in his role as co-founder of Doctors for America, including a tweet that tweaked the NRA while making his health care argument:"
You never want to "tweak" the NRA. I don't care how many lives are at stake.
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