My Son, the Doctor
Is really a lawyer
I was four months shy of my 16th birthday when Senator Robert F. Kennedy died on June 6, 1968. His son, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was only a few months younger than I. That’s about all we have in common outside of our American citizenry and Catholic upbringing.
Despite having good grades throughout my public school education, I lacked both the aptitude and the desire to study law; therefore, I have great respect for those who have the determination to earn a Juris Doctor degree, pass the bar exam(s), and practice law. For that, I will tip my hat to RFK Jr.
What’s the big deal? It ain’t rocket surgery!
Donald Trump has been heavily criticized for his questionable Cabinet appointments. Among them is the choice of Kennedy as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
In November 2024, U.S. News.com wrote:
“Critics believe Donald Trump's nominee to lead Health and Human Services poses a threat to the achievements of a science-based public health order painstakingly built since World War II.”
Why such a fear-laced statement? I went to MBA Healthcare Management for some answers, where they listed 5 Responsibilities of the Secretary of Health and Human Services:
The Secretary of Health and Human Services oversees 11 agencies that have an impact on the health and well-being of Americans in the United States. This means that the Secretary should have a medical and administration background to effectively manage the agencies under his or her charge.
Monitor the Food and Drug Administration
Manage Medicaid and Medicare Policies
Oversee the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Supervise the Native American Health Service
Appointed by the President
Hmm. I see an emphasis on science and medicine. It seems to me that the last item was the only one where RFK Jr. stuck the landing. And that’s not something he did; it was Trump’s action.
A not-so-hot idea
I was going to draw a cartoon featuring parents RFK Sr. and Ethel Kennedy proudly saying from the great beyond, “My son, the doctor,” which is a well-known saying in the Jewish Community. But I figured good Catholic parents couldn’t pull it off, and neither could I.
A coincidence I never thought about.
Until now, that is. Many people in my age group vividly recall where we were when we learned that JFK had been murdered in Dallas. Less than 5 years later, his brother fell to an assassin during the tumultuous summer of ‘68.
RFK died on June 6, but that date resonates differently than November 22 in our minds because (1) he was “only” a U.S. senator, albeit a presidential hopeful, and (2) Bobby Kennedy was shot on June 5. He died nearly 25 hours later on June 6, the same day we commemorate D-Day.
The date is nigh, and this year, as I reflect on the sacrifices made on D-Day, a pivotal moment in history, I will note that it occurred almost 10 years before I was born. I’ll also remember RFK Sr. because my memory is etched with waking up to radio news of Senator Kennedy’s assassination. That tragic event was also a pivotal moment in history for what could have been, as well as for what happened.
I wonder what Robert Sr. and Ethel would be thinking of their son now?
The whole thing. It's really one big comic strip, isn't it? I think they used to call them comic books. Collect them all. I think you should go long form Frank. I will sign up for that ride. Can I pay you with crypto, meme coin??? I'm thinking of minting and mining my own tomorrow. $cott coin. People are going to love it.
When AI is purposely used and screws up a summer book list for a Chicago newspaper we can all laugh. It is not so funny when one of our national health agencies releases a pediatric health report that can compromises children’s health with its inaccuracies. Yet, in short order our nation has experienced both. As a physician astutely remarked last week, AI’s job is to please us and if that means stringing words together to falsely give what was requested, well, that is what it does. It is only a tool, so is not lying. It does not know the difference. Those who use it this way and neglect fact checking are lying, though, both to themselves and to the people who assume or need a high rate of accuracy.