Ok, this is one of the Obama appointments that actually made me yell "Woooooo! YES!" when I saw the announcement. Dr. Benjamin exemplifies what, I think, all doctors should strive to be. She runs a non-profit medical clinic in Bayou Le Batre, Alabama. She is, by all accounts, an excellent doctor and a marvelously compassionate human being. Articles about her talk about her willingness to treat patients who cannot pay, and even to help subsidize their medications.
Go read her Wikipedia article for more details, including various awards and recognitions. I will highlight the fact that she was the first African-American woman to head the Alabama Medical Association, and a MacArthur Fellow.
However, creeping into the dialogue about her qualifications is the fat snark. The Salon article above asks if she's too fat to be Surgeon General (to the author's credit, the answer is no). It's funny, but I don't ever recall the weight of male nominees being an issue before. Granted, maybe I just wasn't paying that much attention then, always possible. But I don't think the fact that she'll need a size 18 uniform should disqualify her from the position, particularly in light of all her qualifications. You know, the things that matter like her performance as a doctor, her service to her community, all that... stuff.
As disappointed as I have been with many of President Obama's policy choices and moves (DADT and DOMA leap readily to mind) I wholeheartedly approve of his choice for Surgeon General.
Gosh, I hope I don't disappoint with the lack of snark in this entry, but it's hard to maintain that level of cynicism in the face of something like this that just leaves me pleased as punch.
Mickey Schulz is a guest author for the California NOW blog; her opinions are not necessarily those of California NOW. Copyright Mickey Schulz, with permission granted to California NOW for use on this site.
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