Catching up before Christmas

This is probably my last post before Christmas so I thought I would just comment on a few things in the news.

I decided not to weigh in on the Elmwood School Silver Bells fiasco. I would, however, like to point out something to those progressive persons who believe in inclusiveness. Inclusiveness, the way you go about it, is really exclusiveness. When you change the lyrics of a Christmas song (by the way Mr. L Green of CFRA, Silver Bells is a Christmas song not a Christmas Carol) to make non-Christians feel included, you run the risk of excluding Christians.

Second, there was an article in the Ottawa paper the other day that reported that a neurologist was suspended from practice for a year for calling a rather corpulent patient "fat". I do not condone that type of behaviour but it did remind me of an incident years ago when I worked in a hospital. About 7 PM one weekend evening the emergency department called in a Plastic Surgeon to sew up the wrists of a women who had tried to commit suicide. This was her third slashing and the third time that this particular surgeon had been called away from his dinner and family. He was pissed.

I remember him looking the women straight in the eye and yelling at her to do it right the next time. He showed her the correct technique to get at the artery. While I did not condone his behaviour either, I do know that that women straightened up and became a nurse, working ultimately at that same hospital.

Sometimes a good kick in the ass can be good medicine, too.