March 2008

People vs. patriotism

by Dr. Jeffrey Shay

Five years later, I remember it well.

The scene was a large meeting room in a hotel, with dozens of men and women present. At the podium, a speaker announced the beginning of the war, amid cheers and applause. The celebrants recited the Pledge of Allegiance, while the speaker then rambled on for some time about our military and the need to destroy the enemy, finishing up with more flag‑waving and acclaim.

Those present were chiropractors at a seminar, and everyone in the room was given CE credits for their presence, and by extension, their support of the Iraq War. Only one doctor spoke out, noting that the war was not legitimate, was a detriment to our economy, involved needless death and suffering, and would destabilize the entire Middle East. I immediately came under heavy criticism for what was called lack of patriotism.

The war, of course, has since shown itself to be a fiasco. It has cost billions of dollars, caused the death and maiming of thousands of American soldiers, and created a situation that is best described as a "tiger by the tail." Hegemony in the region is now up for grabs.

While George Bush has been rightfully excoriated for instigating this catastrophe, another culprit is suffering more intensely ‑‑ the average American. If nothing else, Congress along with their constituents should have asked a few questions. The war should have been a harder sell.

Yet, the hard truth is that it's always easy to make a case for going to war. In almost every nation, the population unquestioningly jumps on the bandwagon to defeat "them," whether the issues are understood or not. Blind patriotism is the order of the day, unless the war goes on too long. History shows that most nations expect the bad guys to give up in a month. A good example is World War I, when the world (America included) wound up in a mammoth conflict created by the assassination of an Austrian nobleman few had ever even heard of.

So what does this have to do with chiropractic? Another story will illustrate my point.

The locale this time is a church meeting room, over a luncheon of cookies and tea. Here I engaged in a verbal duel with a woman over health care.

"National health is socialism," she opined, although subsequent conversation indicated that she knew nothing about socialism other than it involved the government and probably involved communist demons.

The argument switched to the Iraq War, where she stated her unabashed patriotism and connected it with the 9‑11 tragedy.

"The Arabs killed over 3,000 people in New York," she pointed out. "We have to defend ourselves."

"Iraq had nothing to do with 9‑11," I retorted, "and is more a target of opportunity." I further noted that, since the war began, more than 60,000 Americans had died for nothing more than lack of health insurance.

"That doesn't justify socialism," she snarled. "If they worked harder they could find a way to pay for it."

Good taste precluded my mentioning that we were in a church. I had to wonder what Jesus would do here. Would he have denied health care for the suffering while taking up a collection for more helicopters? The record seems to indicate the opposite.

The point is this: Health care in America is in a crisis. By the government's own statistics, not only are thousands dying, but millions more are suffering from inadequate medical attention, and, by extension, chiropractic care. This at a time when insurance companies are making near record profits, and giving perks to their office staff the equivalent of a Roman toga party. Even those with insurance have seen drastic cuts in coverage, and many are limiting visits to our offices because they simply can't afford it.

I recently read a column by an ACA officer that was dedicated to the support and glorification of anyone who was capable of carrying a weapon, and he had special praise for anyone who could don a uniform of any kind. There wasn't much in the article about chiropractic.

I keep promising myself that I'm not going to read trash or comic books, but I still receive a copy of Dynamic Chiropractic every month.

In America, Memorial Day is dedicated to those who gave their lives in military service. In recent years, the press has turned it into a celebration of the military, with interviews with veterans of our recent wars. Little is printed about those who were lost, the original purpose for the holiday. This year, the mayor of our city gave a Memorial Day address dedicated to the police and firemen. At the same time, graves of veterans of many wars remained unadorned; flags were reserved for those who served in more recent, popular wars.

The proper word for such speeches is "jingoism."

Even present veterans become slighted, as seen in the scandal at Walter Reed Hospital, where battle casualties were being given inadequate attention and often sent to dilapidated facilities, while VIPs had spacious suites in the same building. There was initially some outrage, but it was soon forgotten as the government celebrated the surge.

In a society that values war over people, is it any wonder that materialism usually triumphs over the needs of individuals?

The answer lies in a statement made by John Edwards while he was campaigning here in Iowa. "It's time for Americans to be patriotic about something other than war."

Perhaps the real patriotism is fighting for health care coverage for everyone. Maybe the real patriots are those who treat people, regardless of their ability to pay, or caregivers who often work without credit or pay, nursing those who are too weak to take care of themselves. The real religion may lie not so much in tall buildings, but in places like New Orleans, where many are still adrift after Katrina tore their lives apart.

Recently, the former CEO of United Healthcare came under investigation for receiving over $600 million illegally from back‑dated stock options. He will still get to keep more than $800 million in other stock benefits, as well as $500 million in salary over the past few years. These perks, plus his social security benefits, should help him scrape through his golden years. Did I mention that he still gets to keep his health insurance?

This is the same company that has eliminated chiropractic benefits for children and those suffering from headaches, and is considering canceling chiropractic care for pregnant women. Yet, chiropractic leaders have been silent on the benefits received by such robber barons.

There are now only two paths for health care coverage: government or corporate. While government involvement sounds unappealing, United Healthcare has shown what corporate bigwigs would do to our profession. The response from chiropractic leaders is a resounding silence.

Chiropractors are healers, who care about people when other professions often forget. Prudence demands that we move toward a future where our society puts more value in individuals than in the production of nuclear weapons. It will happen on the same day that chiropractors will mass together to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and follow it with a demand for health care benefits for everyone.

They might even get CE credits, too.

(Dr. Jeffrey Shay, a graduate of Palmer College of chiropractic and the WCA's 1996 "Chiropractor of the Year," is the World chiropractic Alliance Director of Insurance Relations. He welcomes comments or questions regarding any insurance‑related subject appearing in this column. Dr. Shay is available to speak to your state or local organization. Contact him at 1501 Mulberry Ave., Muscatine, IA 52761, or the WCA offices, FAX 480‑732‑9313.)