A Tale of Two Studies

Doctors are often seen as some of the most respected members of our society. Since the dawn of civilization and perhaps before, those with the skills and patience to treat the ill, injured and dying are seen as saints, angels and great Samaritans. I am not aware of the details of the Hippocratic Oath, but I doubt that it provides doctors with a convenience of allowing their personal biases to cloud their judgment and diagnoses. Two recent articles, and the scientific studies described within them, may refute common beliefs about the high moral standing of our doctors and the absence of racial biases.

This Washington Post article ("Whites more likely to get ER Narcotics") outlines an apparent racial gap in the prescribing of painkillers. Immediately, I suspected that doctors were not prescribing narcotic based painkillers to African American and other minority patients based on a broad assumption that they believed in a greater likelihood of minority patients to abuse and become addicted to opiate derived medications. The study suggests that not only are doctors less likely to prescribe narcotic painkillers to minority patients, but also that they are less likely to see painkiller abuse in white patients. I am not accusing doctors of being racist or uncompassionate in their prescription practices. Rather I point out this article as a warning for all of us to carefully examine our own racial biases that muddy our actions.

The second article ("Racial disparities persist in US cancer treatment") again highlights the possibility of racial bias and social inequalities of our greater society that have a detrimental effect on the healthcare given to African American patients. Reported by the Reuters News Agency, the American Cancer Society conducted a study focusing on the treatments given to older patients from 1992 to 2002. The study found that African American patients were less likely to receive both possibly beneficial chemotherapy and tumor removing operations. The study does differentiate between doctor’s recommendations and Medicare allowances. Doctors may have recommended such treatment options to be pursued by healthcare providers either denied treatment or patients did not follow up on recommendations. Dr. Otis Brawley, the chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, stated, “I think individual racism likely accounts for a small amount of it, but not a large amount. What I would refer to as institutional or societal racism accounts for a much larger component of it.” The ACS’s study leader echoed these statements about social inequalities that exist for African Americans in America. Dr. Cary Gross believes that the study “documents the inequities in our society more so than documenting racism among individual providers.” For these two doctors, it is not the individual doctors that need to be examined but rather a more general emphasis on erasing social inequities and providing safeguards to social justice.

Both articles touch on the existence of racism, bias and social injustice in our country. I am not endorsing a wholesale examination of the healthcare industry and doctors for the existence of racial bias. Rather, I believe that these articles should be used to promote awareness that one of our most respected professions – medicine -- is not immune to the prejudice and bias that effect each of us in our daily lives. Even as Dr. Thomas Fischer, an African American doctor in Chicago, speaks about the possibility of bias in the medical field, his words can be understood and used to describe anyone. He states, “If anybody argues they have no social biases that sway clinical practice, they have not been thoughtful about the issue or they're not being honest with themselves.”

J.

Happy Holidays and Coming Soon...

After an extended lull in posts, important issues and interesting topics will take center stage in this new year.

Coming soon...
1) Washington Post reports "Whites more likely to get ER narcotics"
2) Presidential Profiles
3) Election Coverage
4) Baseball Culture & Steroids
5) A look at Friedman's The World is Flat

6) HOPE

I hope your holidays were happy and healthy.  Here is to a Happy New Year and many more after it.

A Mormon for President

Mitt Romney, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the 70th governor of Massachusetts, is running for the Republican nomination for President for the 2008 election. In a country formed in-part by a Constitution which professes to hold no candidate's religion as the deciding factor in determining if that candidate is allowed to run, Governor Romney's religion is being put up for debate as much as his policies. For example, Jacob Weisberg, the editor of Slate Magazine, is being quoted as saying, "[Mormon founder Joseph Smith] was an obvious con man. Romney has every right to believe in con men, but I want to know if he does, and if so, I don't want him running the country." Students should not accept Governor Romney's religion as the "automatic disqualifier" that, to some, it has made him.

For information on the subject, consider Time Magazine's articles on Governor Romney and the opinions surrounding his running for President:
Romney's Mormon Question
A Mormon for President?

Also, for reference on Governor Romney's policies and background, consider visiting his Election 2008 homepage.

Flying while Muslim

The racial profiling of airline passengers has become evident to many people. As Baba Ali's describes, this is not unlike racial profiling called "Driving while Black." Not only does this type of stereotyping not only demonstrates fear and ignorance of the stereotyper, but also generates resentment and alienation in the individual being stereotyped. Of course it is important for security guards and police officers to protect us, but a blanket targeting of "brown" people is not the answer.

This poignant video blog describes a situation aptly called "Flying while Muslim." Baba Ali presents his feelings with emotion, humor and understanding. Check out this video post, and his video blog about being Muslim in today's world.



Below is short but powerful video describing an example of racial profiling and "Flying while Muslim."

The NIE on Iran and the Media's Response

The recent developments concerning the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran and President Bush’s response have caused quite a stir in the media and in Washington. The NIE is a composed by the many intelligence agencies of the United States government. Its purpose is to inform the president and the executive branch about a nation, situation, or event. Our government has been very critical of the Iranian government and the possibility of Iran possessing Nuclear weapons is undesirable. Although it is no explicitly evident that our government’s view of Iran is due to ethnocentric tendencies and religious fear, it is evident that President Bush and his cabinet are fearful of Iran possessing a weapon of mass destruction. If the NIE now states that Iran is not attempting and/or capable of enriching nuclear material in order to make a weapon, then should not the threat from Iran be diminished? These are tough questions, and questions we leave for our elected officials to decide. It is however the duty and work of our media to inform and present these ideas to the American public. It seems that two cultures exist in the media today; one can be described as the Liberal Left and the other can be described as the Conservative Right. As an educator I believe it is important to present both sides of the media, and to also examine the recent developments in a critical light. Is the tension between the United States and Iran due to purely strategic concerns or is there fear and hate driving both nations towards confrontation?

Keith Olbermann was once a sports anchor on ESPN’s Sports Center. Now he hosts MSNBC’s Countdown. Olbermann’s response to the NIE and President Bush is emotionally charged but representative of a view held by many Americans.


Bill O’Reilly hosts the O’Reilly Factor on Fox News. He has often been a staunch defender of President Bush and his polices. The following is an interview with O’Reilly and UN Ambassador Bolton discussing the NIE and the political ramifications.

Perceptions of Muslims in Australia

In the pursuit of full disclosure and understanding, it should be recognized that Americans are not the only citizens of this supposedly-global society that harbor resentment and fear.

Jena 6

The following sites supply a lot of useful information about the case of the Jena 6 in Louisiana.

Democracy Now!, a self-proclaimed "independent" member of the media, has a useful and poignant article on the case. The article has a summary of the situation, interviews with local townspeople, and, most importantly, interviews with a number of the accused.

Again, consider visiting Tolerance.org's page on teaching about the Jena 6. In particular, consider using the first link on Revealing Racist Roots. The authors attempt to anchor a discussion of the Jena 6 into the historical context of racism in America. Supplying the historical context is crucial if students are to understand the reasons why racism exists and still permeates this society.

For visual learners, consider the following short but poignant summary from NBC News.



Lastly, CNN has excellent and in-depth coverage of the decisions and deals being made regarding the charges that were filed.