A
s of April 2020, we
can all recognize that
Michigan is in a state
of turmoil. The protest against
Gov.
Gretchen
Whitmer’s
stay-at-home decision in East
Lansing, Mich. demonstrated
the political unrest of some
Michigan
citizens.
COVID-
19 has left our campus a ghost
town. The fulfilling sense of
community we once enjoyed
dissipated beginning in mid-
March. Not only are we facing
unprecedented
obstacles
in
confronting a global pandemic
that has significantly altered our
lives, but we are also faced with
a “lesser of two evils” election,
yet again. On March 8, more
than 10,000 students, citizens
and spectators gathered to see
candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders,
I-Vt. speak in hopes of returning
to his 2016 primary success in the
great state of Michigan. Cheers
echoed among the reinforced
concrete. The sails of the left-
wing
progressive
movement
lost its wind after a series of
major losses bringing Sanders
to suspend his campaign just a
month later.
Yet again, the millions of
young
people
Sanders
and
the
progressive
movement
mobilized are left disillusioned
— now, a potential voting block
is being condescended to with
the well-known phrase “Vote
blue no matter who.” Now, we
must choose between former
Vice President Joe Biden and
President Donald Trump. This
is
disheartening
for
many,
particularly
because
both
candidates have been accused of
sexual assault.
Sadly, the presidency of the
United States is no stranger to
sexual misconduct. It is widely
acknowledged that Trump has
assaulted
numerous
women.
This is evident from both his
lengthy list of accusations and
his own comments dismissing
the allegations. As his defense,
he explained he couldn’t have
sexually assaulted these women
because they were not appealing
to him, not because assault
is
abhorrent.
President
Bill
Clinton is known for his famous
quote, “I did not have sexual
relations with that woman, Miss
Lewinsky,” in which he lied
under oath about inappropriate
relations with a subordinate.
This often takes precedence
in conversation over multiple
other allegations against him.
Presidents Ronald Reagan and
George H. W. Bush have been
accused of sexual misconduct.
Even the revered Founding
Father Thomas Jefferson has
an
incriminating
record
of
maintaining
a
toxic
sexual
power
dynamic
with
Sally
Hemmings. While the current
election
is
uncomfortable
thanks to the validity and
gravity
of
the
allegations
against both men, it should
not be a surprise. However,
this agonizing discussion will
be either swept under the rug
or hypocritically weaponized
against the opposition.
For many, the choice to
vote for Joe Biden is easy. He
is
currently
advocating
for
multiple forms of prison reform
including sentencing justice,
ending cash bail and abolishing
the death penalty. Biden has
also adopted Sanders’ stance
to raise the minimum wage
to $15 an hour, and supports
paid sick leave. Importantly,
while he rejects the notion of
Medicare for All, he would
like to expand coverage for
health
care.
These
policy
stances are bold, considering
his moderate track record and
tendency to stay away from
controversial stances. When
comparing Biden to Trump, the
numerous instances of gross
incompetence and disrespect
Trump touts in a trail of tweets
and press conferences makes
the decision seem obvious,
leaving
Democrats,
leftists,
moderates and some moderate-
conservatives with a correct
and incorrect choice. Policy-
wise, there should be a clear
winner. The narrative is quickly
echoing that of 2016 — even if
you don’t like the democratic
candidate,
you
must
vote
for them, or you are directly
responsible for the (re)election
of Trump.
In order for this country to
be able to move forward from
this
period
of
uncertainty,
division and distrust, we must
diligently respect that every
individual has one vote, and
actively maintain the humanity
of the democratic process for
every single voter. Silencing
the discourse of abusive gender
power
dynamics
will
only
continue the suppression of
survivors.
I am privileged to be able to
vote, yet as a survivor of sexual
assault, being told I must
choose between two men that
have been accused of sexual
misconduct to be president is
revolting. I understand that
lifelong Supreme Court seats
may be filled in the next four
years. Presidential elections
impact the American political
landscape
for
decades,
shaping discourse, policy and
perception. While we have
a
representative
democracy,
people of color and women
have
been
historically
disenfranchised,
so
the
ability to vote cannot be taken
lightly. But just because the
electoral system currently in
place reinforces the two-party
system does not mean that
voters must vote a certain way.
The right to vote is relatively
new on a historic and global
scale, yet it is being minimized
by
discourse
from
within
the left today. The “vote blue
no matter who” coalition is
leveraging a vote for Biden
as a vote against Trump, and
while
this
sentiment
has
truth in our current electoral
system, it is disheartening,
even condescending, to the
disillusioned voters grappling
with their decision. Ultimately,
the process of voting is deeply
personal as well as political, and
in a time of fear, what we must
do as Americans is engage with
our community, acknowledge
the complexity of the election
at hand and empower one
another to vote for a candidate
that earns it. Both as a student
majoring in political science
and American culture at the
University of Michigan and as
a survivor, I urge you to tread
very carefully in discussions
about the upcoming election,
and embrace varying opinions
with grace and empathy rather
than aggression.
T
he
impact
of
COVID-
19
exemplifies
how
the
existing health system in the
United States discriminates against
marginalized groups. Data supports
that in larger cities, such populations
are contracting coronavirus and dying
at a disproportionately high rate.
For example, in Michigan, African
Americans make up about 33 percent
of COVID-19 cases and 40 percent of
deaths, despite constituting only 14
percent of the population.
But this disparity does not only
exist with health care outcomes.
Rather, these disparities start early
within the chain of medical care: lack
of testing for the African American
population. This leads to delays in
diagnosis and therefore delays in
treatment, leading to worse outcomes
due
to
coronavirus’s
quick progression. Lack
of testing is often due
to the fact that lower-
income areas of the
country and institutions
with little funding do
not have equal access
to
testing
equipment
and personal protective
gear.
It’s
important
to
realize that this is not a new issue,
but the by-product of a pre-existing
system
that
caters
best
to
the
elite class in the U.S. If you’re not
financially stable and you’re a person
of color, it’s likely that health care
services are not readily available to
you as health care is a privilege rather
than a right. This isn’t a riddle, it’s a
reality that lower-income areas of the
U.S. lack hospitals and primary care
physicians. For example, a special
report produced by Journal Sentinel
maps a breakdown of primary care
physicians in poorer neighborhoods
in comparison to large affluent cities.
It’s clear that the poorer areas are
facing a physician shortage, which
means that there are upwards of
3,500 residents per primary care
physician in that area. These patient
populations are often heavily reliant
on student-run clinics and emergency
care community centers. This is
because single income households
cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket
costs and premiums. Programs that
support marginalized groups include
but are not limited to Medicare,
Medicaid and the Children’s Health
Insurance Program.
A figure in a health report on
“Racism, Inequality, and Health Care
for African Americans” constructed
by The Century Foundation depicts
the stark maternal health outcomes
between
African
American
and
white women. “However, disparities
still exist across health conditions
when comparing African Americans
and
whites,
including
maternal
mortality, infant mortality, heart
disease,
diabetes,
cancer,
and
other health issues.” In addition,
underrepresented minority groups
suffer from the effects of social
factors compounded with medical
conditions. Social factors include
income inequality, insurance status,
inequities in education and lack of
access to health care, thus impacting
a person’s ability to lead a healthy
life. Racism and discrimination are
additional examples of social factors
that not only take a toll on mental
well-being but also impact the level
of access to health care. During
this pandemic, many of us live with
the security that if we do not have
underlying health conditions we’re
better protected from the worst of
it. However, minority communities
more
frequently
fall
under
the
category of at-risk populations as
they’re disproportionately impacted
by chronic illnesses and underlying
health conditions like diabetes and
lung disease.
Dr.
Sharnell
Barber,
assistant
professor
of
biostatistics
and
epidemiology at Drexel University,
states
that
“these
communities,
structurally,
they’re
breeding
grounds for the transmission of
the disease ... It’s not biological.
It’s really these existing structural
inequalities that are going to shape
the racial inequalities
in
this
pandemic.”
The
maintenance
of
structural inequalities
is
how
the
cycle
perpetuates.
These inequities in
the current health care
model are unacceptable.
So then the question
that arises is: How can
hospitals better serve
and deliver care to diverse patient
populations? To better serve diverse
patient populations, the hospitals
within this system must embrace
a
patient-centered
focus
with
consumer-friendly health solutions.
To accomplish this requires an
entire paradigm shift in the purpose
of the health care system. Currently,
the health care system is driven by
churning out a high volume of patients
rather than focused on producing
better health care outcomes. Per the
Health System Tracker, in comparison
to international prices for health
services and prescription drug costs,
today the costs of medical procedures
in the U.S. are more costly than
medical procedures anywhere else.
Many may argue this is proportional
to the standard of care available in the
U.S. such as readily available testing
and innovative health care solutions
but upon further examination, the
demand for lower costs and improved
outcomes surpasses the standard of
care here.
It’s beautiful to see how in times
of true need, so many community
members are stepping up to contribute
to the efforts. This type of support
for
at-risk
populations
needs
to
operate year-round with or without
a pandemic present. Listen to the
numbers and listen to the public health
experts, they serve as a voice for
those who are silenced by the system.
Universal health coverage cannot be
achieved while racism, biases and
other oppressive barriers persist in
health care. COVID-19 opened our
eyes to the fact that as a nation, we
are not prepared to address the public
health needs of all people. Providers
and hospitals need to invest in closing
the gaps in medically underserved
communities. While innovative health
care solutions that serve all patients
equally aren’t easy to come by, we
also cannot continue to fail our at-risk
patient populations with the current
systemic barriers in place. Because
health care is a human right.
5 — Monday, April 20, 2020
Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Alanna Berger
Zack Blumberg
Brittany Bowman
Emily Considine
Jess D’Agostino
Jenny Gurung
Cheryn Hong
Krystal Hur
Ethan Kessler
Zoe Phillips
Mary Rolfes
Michael Russo
Timothy Spurlin
Miles Stephenson
Joel Weiner
Erin White
ERIN WHITE
Managing Editor
Stanford Lipsey Student Publications Building
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
ELIZABETH LAWRENCE
Editor in Chief
EMILY CONSIDINE AND
MILES STEPHENSON
Editorial Page Editors
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of The Daily’s Editorial Board.
All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
VARNA KODOTH | COLUMN
Health care is not created equal
Varna Kodoth can be reached at
vkodoth@umich.edu.
The volatility of voting in 2020
ELIZABETH COOK | COLUMN
Elizabeth Cook can be reached at
elizcook@umich.edu.
Inequities in
the current
health care
model are
unacceptable.