Dr. Ada M. Fisher
- Contrary to Rev. Al Sharpton’s proclamations at the public memorial for the fabulous singer, dancer and all around entertainer Michael Jackson, there was a lot strange about that man. My father the preacher said you should only say good things about the dead. So can we let the man rest in peace and get something else on our radar screens?
The preponderance of negative images from Hollywood and the media are melting down our children’s minds. Too many spend way too much money buying tickets to see this star or the other athletes and entertainers, like a Michael Jordan, Britney Spears or a Paris Hilton who I have yet to figure out her talent other than being born rich. Would an investment of an equal amount in a college fund or savings account better prepare children for viable futures? The number of kids I meet who want to be a rap singer like 50 cents obliterates the millions who forget about JayZ who is not only Beyonce’s husband but Mr. GQ without his pants hanging down; JayZ is also very concerned about water in Africa.
The media coverage of Michael Jackson’s death has been over the top. Surely there are other important issues that the world needs to ponder like Korea’s nuclear buildup and Iran’s instability. Could we do a major feature on Noble scientists in medicine whose work will be possibly adversely affected with Obamacare, business successes that will fold and go elsewhere with proposed soak the rich taxation overload, or insight on how jobs are created to show kids alternative job markets versus the media obsession with entertainer madness?
The thing I took away from the Jackson tragedy is the unnatural intrusion into the privacy of the man’s family life and that of his children. As a mother of two adopted sons, the exposure of their biologic parent’s lives was something I feared. As a small time public figure, I wasn’t that crazy about some of the curiosity about some aspects of my life as well. The custody concerns of the Jackson family should not be played out on television for it violates those children’s rights to privacy.
The release of medical information by housekeepers, nursing staff, lawyers, family and hangers on is another intrusion that courts should ban. Medical and legal personnel involved in Jackson’s care who spoke publicly about his status without consent should lose their licenses and ability to continue in their lines of work. If they knew something was wrong they should have reported what was going on to authorities while Michael Jackson was alive. Hind sight means little now that the man is dead.
One of my concerns about the Obama stimulus bills’ support for medical information sharing is that this type of violation of patient’s privacy could happen to anyone. Pharmacist and my medical colleagues are indeed asleep at the switch if they don’t act to take licenses and put more checks into their record keeping so abuses of prescription medicine aren’t as flagrant as reportedly existed in this case.
A fool and his money may soon be parted. When you have enough money to hire doctors to be at your beck and call or are allowed to go around established checks and balances, operate outside of existing medical systems or pay whatever it takes to get whatever you want, you could end up dead. A lesson too often not learned by those with too much money and too little sense.
Dr. Ada M. Fisher is a licensed physician, previous school board member, licensed secondary education teacher for mathematics and science, and the NC Republican national Committee Woman. Contact her at P. O. Box 777; Salisbury, NC 28145; telephone (704) 223-2321. DrFisher@Fishernchousedistrict77.com.
