What the CDC shutdown reveals about government workers

Many government employees, including those at the CDC, are not reporting for work because of the current (October 9, 2013 ) partial government shutdown. This tells us all we need to know about such people bereft of dedication and professionalism.

When I worked as an ER doctor, if I were told I'd not be paid and the ER wouldn't be staffed with a doctor unless I showed up, I'd show up anyway.

If I didn't, what would happen? Blue babies struggling to breathe would stop breathing and die. People with heart problems would go to their graves. People thinking of suicide might do it instead of getting help. Kids with fevers might have meningitis that needs stat treatment. Lonely old folks might not have a hand to hold.

I did so much unpaid work as a doctor I couldn't begin to list even 1% of it, so when I hear of government workers sitting on their butts instead of reporting for work, I have nothing but contempt for them. Either their jobs are not very important, or they don't give a hoot anyway.

In addition to being unethical, they're also stupid for letting themselves be used as political pawns by a petty administration that is doing everything it can to make life as miserable as possible for as many Americans as possible. Example: Arizona and local businesses offered to pay to keep the Grand Canyon open, but the feds refused. That's petty, mean-spirited, unprofessional, and unjustified.

The views expressed on this page may or may not reflect my current opinions, nor do they necessarily represent my past ones. After reading a slice of what I wrote in my various websites and books, you may conclude that I am a liberal Democrat or a conservative Republican. Wrong; there is a better alternative. Just as the primary benefit from debate classes results when students present and defend opinions contrary to their own, I use a similar strategy as a creative writing tool to expand my brainpower—and yours. Mystified? Stay tuned for an explanation. PS: The wheels in your head are already turning a bit faster, aren't they?

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Reference: Imagining dialogue can boost critical thinking: Excerpt: “Examining an issue as a debate or dialogue between two sides helps people apply deeper, more sophisticated reasoning …”

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