Dr's In: Let's ignore the loudmouths and listen to sensible talk

An old adage states, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”  It seems the louder the outcry, the more the attention.  Whether the issue is health care, education, taxes, abortion; the media focus on noise.  That’s unfortunate, because a lot of wise, unassuming folks get lost in the shuffle. They may have good ideas but don’t sell newspapers or affect the ratings -- without the ratings, no sponsors; no sponsors, no money, no program.

Prior to the Internet and the technology, the news came over the radio or the written page.  Newspapers have a colorful history.  Journalists were often stringers who sold their stories.  These stories had to sell papers so the truth often gave way to the story’s color.  Will people read it? Is it gruesome, scandalous; are there bodies, blood and guts?  Don’t forget the photos. That’s what people want to read.

So what has changed? Nothing!  It is the character of civilizations.  It is rare that the extremist views solve anything.  The question to be asked is how have we survived this long?  The current US Congress is a microcosm of human behavior.  Somewhat like the ad, “I’d rather fight than switch.”  If there is one thing Americans can do and do well, it is fight!

Finding the center on critical issues with the desire to move forward can be difficult.  For example, more than a million people in Florida have signed up for medical insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Those citizens have their first opportunity for affordable insurance.  One million more could be added if the Florida Legislature would have accepted $50 billion in federal money instead of pouting and spending a lot of taxpayer money to undermine Obamacare.  They are still doing it.  They missed the opportunity to do the right thing in this past session.

The war on public schools continues with more state tax dollars finding their way to religious institutions via voucher credits and charter schools at the expense of public schools.  In this case, there are too few loud voices blocking this budgetary and educational travesty.  The conservative legislature may have convinced everybody that public schools must go.  The voices are loud enough to drown out the rational citizens who understand the value of public education.

This endless drain on education dollars sets public schools up for failure. To compound the problem for public schools, politicians have imposed absurd standards on public schools that private schools do not have to meet.  This ludicrous assault on public education is more about the decibel level than intelligent thinking. Public education is a defined cornerstone of  US democracy.

It’s impossible to predict what the future will bring.  Some foresee the end of public schools and the privatizing of education.  Others predict more restrictions on women’s rights and an increasing struggle to get people health care.  Watch the screamers and note their successes.  After all, if they make the news — they must be right.

Dr. Marc Yacht, MD is semi-retired and living in Hudson, FL. This column courtesy of Context Florida.