Comments on: Variance of care and race http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/07/variance-of-care-and-race.html medical blog Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:59:44 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/07/variance-of-care-and-race.html/comment-page-1#comment-78494 Anonymous Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:52:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/07/variance-of-care-and-race.html#comment-78494 Anon 6:06,<br/><br/>I was saying the system is racist because minorities are more likelty to be poor and have less access to quality care. <br/><br/>"People who engage in certain behaviors tend to be poor irrespective of race. People who engage in certain behaviors tend to do well irrespective of race." -That's absolutely true, but the truth is minority groups are more likely to be poor, have less access to care, and be uninsured. If it makes you feel better I can start referring to it as "unfair access negatively impacting the poor, thus disproportionately minority groups." <br/><br/>"...That isn't racism, that isn't even injustice. It is just the natural fruit of freedom." I guess that depends on how you define freedom. Do we have complete freedom of choice? Or are our choices limited by our environment? In other words, assuming all else is equal, does John/Jane Doe from the trailer park whose parents couldn't afford private school have the same chance of an ivy league education as the son/daughter of the president of Harvard? Or is John/Jane less likely to be accepted because he/she went to public school in Idaho and do not have parents who can afford ivy league tuition? Anon 6:06,

I was saying the system is racist because minorities are more likelty to be poor and have less access to quality care.

“People who engage in certain behaviors tend to be poor irrespective of race. People who engage in certain behaviors tend to do well irrespective of race.” -That’s absolutely true, but the truth is minority groups are more likely to be poor, have less access to care, and be uninsured. If it makes you feel better I can start referring to it as “unfair access negatively impacting the poor, thus disproportionately minority groups.”

“…That isn’t racism, that isn’t even injustice. It is just the natural fruit of freedom.” I guess that depends on how you define freedom. Do we have complete freedom of choice? Or are our choices limited by our environment? In other words, assuming all else is equal, does John/Jane Doe from the trailer park whose parents couldn’t afford private school have the same chance of an ivy league education as the son/daughter of the president of Harvard? Or is John/Jane less likely to be accepted because he/she went to public school in Idaho and do not have parents who can afford ivy league tuition?

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/07/variance-of-care-and-race.html/comment-page-1#comment-78460 Anonymous Tue, 31 Jul 2007 23:06:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/07/variance-of-care-and-race.html#comment-78460 Anon 10:20<br/><br/>I don't know if you are saying the system is racist because blacks are more likely to be poor, or because the poor are more likely to get care at government run or funded clinics. Either conclusion does not logically follow however.<br/><br/>People who engage in certain behaviors tend to be poor irrespective of race. People who engage in certain behaviors tend to do well irrespective of race. <br/><br/>People who pay for their own medical care get better care than those dependent on charity or confiscated goods of others--just as with food, housing, education, clothing, cars, and caskets. That isn't racism, that isn't even injustice. It is just the natural fruit of freedom. Anon 10:20

I don’t know if you are saying the system is racist because blacks are more likely to be poor, or because the poor are more likely to get care at government run or funded clinics. Either conclusion does not logically follow however.

People who engage in certain behaviors tend to be poor irrespective of race. People who engage in certain behaviors tend to do well irrespective of race.

People who pay for their own medical care get better care than those dependent on charity or confiscated goods of others–just as with food, housing, education, clothing, cars, and caskets. That isn’t racism, that isn’t even injustice. It is just the natural fruit of freedom.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/07/variance-of-care-and-race.html/comment-page-1#comment-78443 Anonymous Tue, 31 Jul 2007 19:23:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/07/variance-of-care-and-race.html#comment-78443 Bwana,<br/><br/>Apologies for poor choice of wording on my part. I meant to say some doctors are racist but most probably aren't. I'd be surprised (and disheartened) to find out the majority of doctors are racist. I was just making the point that stating "doctors" aren't racist implies all doctors. Bwana,

Apologies for poor choice of wording on my part. I meant to say some doctors are racist but most probably aren’t. I’d be surprised (and disheartened) to find out the majority of doctors are racist. I was just making the point that stating “doctors” aren’t racist implies all doctors.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/07/variance-of-care-and-race.html/comment-page-1#comment-78440 Anonymous Tue, 31 Jul 2007 18:03:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/07/variance-of-care-and-race.html#comment-78440 "Of course some doctor's are racist but most may not be."<br/><br/>Gee thanks for that vote of confidence, Bwana. “Of course some doctor’s are racist but most may not be.”

Gee thanks for that vote of confidence, Bwana.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/07/variance-of-care-and-race.html/comment-page-1#comment-78430 Anonymous Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:20:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/07/variance-of-care-and-race.html#comment-78430 Saying doctors aren't racist is a blanket statement of all doctor's, and is just as ignorant as saying doctor's are racists. Of course some doctor's are racist but most may not be. But the argument in the post is flawed because if minorities are disproportionately likely to receive care at urban health centers, medicaid mills, and the like becaue they are more likely to be poor, the system is racist. Saying doctors aren’t racist is a blanket statement of all doctor’s, and is just as ignorant as saying doctor’s are racists. Of course some doctor’s are racist but most may not be. But the argument in the post is flawed because if minorities are disproportionately likely to receive care at urban health centers, medicaid mills, and the like becaue they are more likely to be poor, the system is racist.

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