August 8, 2021

Jackasses.

That is the only adequate word to describe the people responsible for the firing of Dr. Michelle Fiscus. Dr. Fiscus is a pediatrician, so she knows a thing or two about the medical needs of children and adolescents. Until July 12, 2021, she worked for the Tennessee Department of Health as the medical director for vaccine preventable diseases. Let me say that again: vaccine preventable diseases. She lost her job because she was promoting the safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines and providing outreach in an effort to get more people vaccinated. I greatly respect Dr. Fiscus because she did not now to the pressure placed on her by politicians who do not know the first thing about the best public health practices.

I am beyond disgusted with and pissed at the politicians responsible for this. I do not care if I know you or not: you are still jackasses. Not even when someone tried to intimidate Dr. Fiscus by sending a muzzle to her office did she falter. Kudos, Dr. Fiscus. You are one of very few leaders in this state who genuinely give a damn about the health and safety of children.

I do have a question for the state representatives and senators: Why are you all so scared of the future? You seem highly motivated to make sure Tennesseeans remain true to the stereotypes of poverty, ignorance, and poor health that have always plagued Southerners. By all accounts, these are bad things, yet your policies and laws keep people in these wretched states of existence. It begs the question: why?

The answer is plain as day: These conditions serve your sole purpose of staying in power. If people are educated and are allowed to think for themselves, they will want something better than you. So, stop sucking up to the very definition of loser down in Florida, and do the job the voters entrusted you to do.