Dogs That Bark - Bark Back!

March 22, 2023

Mar 22, 2023

Happy Wednesday Healthcare Advocates

I am so thankful for all of you and for the actions you take to move us towards a universal healthcare system. I want to remind all of you to use the comment button at the bottom to send research topics (or helpful suggestions).

Current State - Dogs That Bark

We were recently visiting some friends and Gary related how there was an obnoxious dog in the neighborhood that ran to a fence and barked loudly and chased him on his daily walk. It was quite unnerving. But Gary keeps walking and eventually the dog stops. The dog wins.

When we explained the bark back principle to Gary he tried it. Lo and behold it worked, the dog left. The next day he only needed to be firm and the dog left. Standing up and barking back works.

There are two important lessons here.

The dog’s behavior is self-reinforcing. That is, the dog’s job is to protect their property and by barking they want you to leave. When you keep moving on, they win. They did their job and were successful.
When you stand up to the dog, they usually back down.

Why are we having this psychology lesson? Because we are under a concerted and coordinated attack by political bullies to restrict our rights. They are much like the obnoxious dog. If we do nothing then they are emboldened to do more because their barking worked. That’s why you see attacks on some of the population that are bolder and bolder. If there is not a loud voice to stand up to them, they win

Look, there is a playbook for authoritarians to seize power and here it is

There is a belief that we are in a crisis caused by some group, ethnic, cultural, racial, religious etc.
There is an idealized past. Things were better then.
Social/political change is needed and people must submit to the major new changes or new social structure to achieve revival of the idealized past.

Right now we see that women and reproductive rights are under attack. LGBTQ people and their health care are under attack, Discussing our racial history is under attack. Minority religions are under attack. Many of these attacks have teeth, including lawsuits, threats of loss of employment, and even jail.

Many who are not part of the attacked group just say it is not my problem. I did text banking for pro choice groups and I can’t tell you how many men responded with, “I don’t have a uterus so it's not my problem”. If you’re quiet, the dog wins.

Of course such attacks are not just in the field of healthcare. Let’s not forget the “don’t say gay” law in Florida and the resulting review of textbooks and library books. There is the ban on Critical Race Theory in school books there (except that CRT is mostly for law school) and a recent story about how a publisher kept revising the story of Rosa Parks until her race was not mentioned in the book at all.

In reproductive rights:

An Idaho hospital, Bonner General Health, the only hospital in Sandpoint Idaho, has planned to stop delivering babies, with the medical center’s managers citing increasing criminalization of physicians and the inability to retain pediatricians as major reasons. (link to story)

LA Times - Doctors in abortion-ban states fear prosecution for treating patients with life-threatening pregnancies.

PBS Doctors worry abortion laws will hinder treatment of patients in life-or-death situations.

WWNO New Orleans Public Radio 'I’m terrified': Louisiana doctors fear for patients — and themselves — under abortion ban.

Some pharmacists have even refused to provide medical abortion medications to women, for fear of jail, even when doctors have prescribed it. Here is a story in Slate about just that.

Walgreens has been intimidated from selling abortion medication, even in states where it is legal, because they fear retribution.

Ok, so today was not all healthcare, but I want you to see that the attack on women and reproductive rights is part of a larger attack in the US by people using fear tactics to control others and the goal is an authoritarian system. They are following the playbook.

What can you do? If you do nothing they win. So find a way to get involved and make your voice heard.

Two good sources of actions to protect democracy are in the links below.

Jessica Craven’s Chop Wood, Carry Water

Susan Rogan’s Rogan’s List

Take Action

Use RESISTBOT

Text SIGN PRMCNK to 50409 to send the message below to your Congressperson and Senators and President Biden. And Text SIGN PPGZGL to send it to your state representatives and governor.

The attacks on reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and racial and ethnic and religious attacks are not who we are as Americans and we want you to take action now to put a stop to it. I want you to use voice and podium to let the public know that this is not acceptable behavior. I want you to restore women’s healthcare rights and make sure that pro LGBTQ legislation is passed as well as legislation that protects our racial and ethnic diversity. We all belong here. Let’s act that way, in public and in the law.