Letters to the Editor
zardozap
Published Letters: 12
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spelling is the least of their problems
[Read the article: Driving people crazy]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]while it makes for a catchy buzz phrase ("an act of civil obediance [sic]"), this was an act that borders on overzealous self-righteousness and illegality; while the premise may be altruistic; the result is a narcissistic and dangerous demonstration of some college kids with a good idea, but poor implementation and no common sense.
1. They know that drivers do not and will not drive at the speed limit
2. They know that they will anger drivers and incite road rage
3. They know that an accident will likely injure not only themselves but many innocent victims
While they will claim, 'we were just following the speed limit', their intent and the reason the movie clip will be viewed, is to incite the anger of other drivers.
Oh sure, bring attention to the fact that nobody follows the 55 mph speed limit, but 99% of drivers and viewers already know that. Is it really worth risking people's lives for a bit of viral video stardom - their smugness belies their artificial idealism - which in the end serves no purpose but to endanger people's lives unnecessarily.
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not quite the same thing
[Read the article: Driving people crazy]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]a police cruiser on the freeway is a little different than 4 or 5 college kids with an ideological mission
a police cruiser instills fear and makes drivers a little more conscientuous about their driving. if they drive erratically, a police cruiser can pull over offenders and make the freeway safer.
a bunch of college kids taking over the freeway instills rage and makes drivers more aggressive in their driving. if they drive erratically college kids can do little more than film the freeway pile-up that follows.
oh yeah one other thing, college kids are not trained to perform multi-car freeway maneuvers in a safe and responsible manner. the freeway is not an arena to play chicken with two tons of rolling metal.
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you seem upset
[Read the article: The Beautiful Hospital]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]that in this 'fantasy-reality-based' drama doctors get to do everything and make fascinating diagnoses. are you worried that makes you any less of a nurse or that nurses play any less of a role because people believe what they see on House. tough then. go to medical school and shoulder the bills and general lack of respect that comes from ever-increasing administrative and litiginous burderns, and from mid-levels such as yourself, that feel they do not get enough 'credit' but don't wish to assume ultimate responsibility. if the only doctor you seem to appreciate is the one that makes mistakes or fawns over the tough-minded nurse, then I guess it makes sense to make doctor-bashing a cause celebre for you and then write an essay about it because you personally cannot stomach a show like 'House' - a show that brings out all the good things about why doctors toil endlessly with no recognition (or renumeration) for the few times a fascintating potentially life-saving diagnosis is made. try not to bring everyone down with your pettiness.
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Sallie, now you're just confused
[Read the article: The Beautiful Hospital]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]first I thought you were upset,
from your last post, now, I realize you're just confused.
if you want to make a point about how underappreciated nurses are, then
kudos to you- you have a lot of experience to draw on and the more power to you for doing so noble a public service. The general public would not mind being reminded of this fact.
However,
you have decided that the reason you and some of your colleagues who have posted are underappreciated is that doctors are overappreciated.
so you take a 'straw man' argument - set up the fantasy medical show that we know over-inflates (if that isn't too redundant a word) the 'doctor' role to absurdity, and claim that this represents the real-life perception of a 'doctor' and conclude that
doctors are overappreciated which is of course the reason that nurses are underappreciated.
this is not a pissing match about who has it worse in the medical profession - who is more underappreciated or who is portrayed more erroneously in the media... you do the medical professionals like yours and doctors and respiratory therapists and physical therapists (and so on) no favors by being petulant.
Sallie, go ahead and make your point, ceratinly a valid one, but don't bash another profession to lift yours up.
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well gee whiz Sallie
[Read the article: The Beautiful Hospital]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I guess you really weren't criticizing doctors after all.
I guess when you were talking about the surgeon who 'breezily' passed by the acutely ill patient, or the doctors who wouldn't take the time of day to call when their patient dies or the 'Pretty Doctor' whose only intervention is to wish the patient good luck,
I guess when you were writing all this, you were thinking
how lucky you were to be working with a fantastic bunch of caring doctors
(oh but you say that you really do like the real doctors you work with, just not those other doctors)
I guess there's really nothing like being your own apologist.
well, why did you write the essay anyway? once you strip away everything you say your essay was not that really just leaves - an 'entertainment' piece about how hard nurses work. Doesn't sound like entertainment to me.
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some of my best friends are doctors (and nurses) too
[Read the article: The Beautiful Hospital]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Sallie-
in light of most negative stereotypical portrayal of Drs in your essay
the explanations you offer in your post are more than a bit disingenuous
("even though that's what I wrote, that's not what I really meant, what I really meant was this...") - as if the stale God with the Dr.-complex joke wasn't bad enough
Mergent -
by golly you've got it!
that is exactly what this should not be about.
it should not be about Drs vs Nurses -
that is my point precisely.
Nurses have a legitimate cause.
Make it known without turning it into a Drs vs Nurses debacle a la Tisdale