The Errington Thompson Show 5-30-09
As usual, there’s so much to talk about. I start off discussing the California Supreme Court and its upholding the ban on same-sex marriage. I readily admit that I did not read Proposition Eight. I also must say that I’m not criticizing the court, but it is clear that this is an untenable situation. In the United States we are supposed to be equal. What ever the state recognizes as a union between two adults (whether that is marriage, civil unions or Vulcan mind melding) should be the same for heterosexuals as it is for homosexuals. The state should not discriminate. The benefits two partners get should be available to gays and lesbians. To me it is a simple case of civil rights. General David Patreaus was on FOX News. I play a rather long clip of him as he explains why Guantánamo needs to be closed. He also states that we need to trust our justice system. I was very surprised and pleased by his statements. Finally, I give an update on the swine flu (Influenza A: H1N1). There are now almost 9000 cases in the United States. They’re have been over 15 deaths reported. The swine flu is not going away. We need to continue to be diligent.
I interviewed Dr. Jonathan Kotch from UNC Chapel Hill. He is part of a group called Physicians for National Health Program. We discuss the important aspects of health care refor, how we need to improve patient access and patient care. Whatever system we come up with needs to be portable and cost-effective. One of the big questions is whether the single-payer plan would be a viable alternative. If the reason for health care reform is primarily cost, then what value does insurance add? This is an excellent discussion.
Linda Monk is a constitutional scholar and author of the fabulous book, Words We Live By. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School. I invited her on the show to discuss what we should look for in a Supreme Court Justice. A candidate for the Supreme Court should interpret the law narrowly. There shouldn’t be an attempt for broad, over-arching interpretations. We also discuss Barack Obama’s nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. This is a great discussion and well worth a listen.
I wrap up the show with more discussion on healthcare. In my opinion, healthcare needs to be more integrated. Physicians have to find a way to work together better. As patients become more and more complex, there’s a need for better communication.
Enjoy the show.
