Trust Doctors Not Lawyers

Recent claims by well known, politically conservative author and lawyer, Ann Coulter, make my nerves jump. She has demonstrated yet another example why there is a crisis in health and healthcare in America: Americans listen to lawyers rather than doctors. Last week’s news sources reported her claims that nuclear radiation is actually “good for you.” Such a statement appears to be poorly founded on her limited knowledge of the human body and its medical nuances.

I encourage you to watch the replay of Ann’s appearance on Fox News to see for yourself. Huffington Post’s recap reported that “Coulter said that many scientists have been studying the effects of radiation and have found that, as she put it, ‘at some level–much higher than the minimums set by the U.S. government–radiation is good for you,’ and actually reduced the risk of cancer.”

What on earth makes Ann Coulter qualified to make such a claim? Since when are lawyers experts on health? Did they go to medical school? Then why do we believe their reports on the news channels or in court rooms over the double digit years of training of the average doctor?

Despite opposing views by reporter Bill O’Reilly, who insisted that many scientists agree that some radiation is – in fact – harmful, Ann was unwavering. She protested that, “the scientific consensus has changed, but that the media are not reporting it.”

Her boldness in broadcasting such a belief shocks me, and concerns me because of its implications for the lives of the many people in Japan who are affected by the radiation exposure. But even beyond that, I’m concerned about our country’s willingness to accept the statements of figureheads in areas that are not their expertise.

Even if I were not a doctor and if – instead – I were a lawyer, I would not exercise any compassion for Ann Coulter. I would suggest that she go to Japan today and then come back and prove to us in a court of law with her own body donated to medical science to prove that “Radiation is Good for You.”

Wake up America and decide who you want to deliver your baby, do your heart surgery or take out your cataract: Ann Coulter or Dr. Veronica.

Reference:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/18/ann-coulter-radiation-is-_n_837512.html#es_share_ended

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