Friday, July 13, 2007
The leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the U.S.
Government, the Surgeon General is nominated by the President, and gets to
wear a really neat white uniform. It is the SG's duty to educate the
public about health issues. To make sure the SG gets it right, everything
the SG says or writes is vetted by a White House political appointee whose
job is to ensure that the President is mentioned three times on every
page, and issues the President has already decided are not mentioned at
all, such as stem cells, Plan B and global warming. It all came out this
week as the Senate began hearings on the nomination of James W. Holsinger
to the post. Richard Carmona, who served as SG from 2002 to 2006 under
Bush, testified Tuesday that if science doesn't support the White House
agenda, it's suppressed. Holsinger testified yesterday that he would not
give in to politics.
A year ago, the Food and Drug Administration made the emergency
contraceptive available without prescription to anyone 18 or over
(WN 25 Aug 06) . The Washington Post,
in a front-page story today, says the easier access doubled sales, which
demonstrates the need for access to emergency contaceptives. But for
girls under 18, unwanted pregnancy must not be an emergency.
Hindu priest Rajan Zed, the first Hindu asked to lead a Senate prayer, was
just getting started yesterday when protestors from a fundamentalist
Christian anti-abortion group began shouting “this is an abomination” from
the Senate visitor's gallery. Abomination? The prayer was as
inconsequential as any other opening prayer. But why, in light of the
First Amendment, is any prayer offered? Maybe the Senate should consider
Transcendental Meditation instead.
Maharishi Central University, constructed at the geographical center of
America in Kansas, promises Total Knowledge to every student for only
$45,000 per year, which includes lessons in Yogic Flying. At $9 million
each, MCU wants branches in all 50 states. Just inform MCU how many you
want to finance. John Hagelin, described as the pinnacle of physicists in
the world, has been named Founding President of Maharishi University. He
finally got to be a president.
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