This morning I took Shark Jr. to the pediatrician for his annual check-up.
The doctor asks me how he's doing in school "Is he an above average student?"
My above average curious first-grader asks: "What's an above average student?"
"An average student is someone who does okay in school," Doc explains. "An above average student does really well in school".
"Are there any below average students?" Jr. asks.
"Yes", says the doctor. "And those are the people who vote for McCain-Palin!".
I shot back that my wife and I are voting for McCain-Palin and that we both have advanced degrees.
Doc apologized profusely, saying that it was a dumb joke and that he didn't really feel that way. But sheesh.
That's Seattle for you, where such attitudes and expressions are so standard and socially acceptable, that an otherwise above-average pediatrician would feel uninhibited about making such comments to his 7-year-old patients.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at November 04, 2008 03:04 PM | Email ThisIt must be a challenge having a brain while living amongst Seattlites.
Posted by: saltherring on November 4, 2008 03:25 PMDon't you just LOVE the tolerant left! I think that you should post the name of your pediatrician so that if any other Sound Politics readers are putting their money into his pocket, they can know his true feelings about them!
It will be interesting to see how he feels in a few years when his income is slashed and his patient load is doubled under Obama's Socialist Health Care Plan. Sadly though, by then it will be too late!
Posted by: Suzihomemaker on November 4, 2008 03:28 PM
Here I thought all doctors were stingy SOB's who believed they were entitled to keeping their lavish incomes for 15 years of gruelling school and residence requirements.
It just goes to show you can't make assumptions.
Posted by: Andy on November 4, 2008 03:44 PMLike Palin, your mom chose to not abort a special needs child.
Every life is precious, even yours.
Posted by: Andy on November 4, 2008 04:21 PMWhat is refreshing however, is that you always know what Slo Joe is talking about when he:
*tells a man he knows is wheelchair bound to stand up,
*thinks there were TV's in 1929, insults a whole race and culture when he says you need an Indian accent when walking into a 7/11,
* thinks the word J-O-B-S is spelled with three letters
* warns the nation not to be scared s***less when his running mate is tested by world leaders.
* without checking the the man in charge, lowers the income level that will be taxed to $150,000
Remind me again who the "below average" VP candidate is?
Posted by: Dave on November 4, 2008 04:42 PMWhy, you libs may ask?
Answer: Because dummy is helping to vote in the very people that would sue (trial lawyers, the democrats' main constituency) and tax his arse out of existence. A guy with an IQ that low shouldn't be treating kids.
Posted by: SteveM on November 4, 2008 05:41 PMI work in a school, and NEVER talk politics. When I eat in the lunch room, I'm the one who isn't viley insulting anyone with whom I disagree.
Of course, what do I know? I'm one of those "some college" people without a degree who isn't smart enough to find my way out of a wet paper bag.
Here in Olympia, I was delighted to see this weekend that LOTS of Dino Rossi signs had been erected along the roadsides. Unfortunately, as of this afternoon, almost all of them are lying in shreds along the sides of the road. Two different homes with Republican yardsigns in my fairly affluent neighborhood have been vandalized, while all of the Obama/Gregoire signs remain unscathed.
Please God, let Dino win tonight!
Posted by: Lynn on November 4, 2008 06:02 PMI work in a school, and NEVER talk politics. When I eat in the lunch room, I'm the one who isn't viley insulting anyone with whom I disagree.
Of course, what do I know? I'm one of those "some college" people without a degree who isn't smart enough to find my way out of a wet paper bag.
Here in Olympia, I was delighted to see this weekend that LOTS of Dino Rossi signs had been erected along the roadsides. Unfortunately, as of this afternoon, almost all of them are lying in shreds along the sides of the road. Two different homes with Republican yardsigns in my fairly affluent neighborhood have been vandalized, while all of the Obama/Gregoire signs remain unscathed.
Please God, let Dino win tonight!
Posted by: Lynn on November 4, 2008 06:02 PMI've since switched to a pediatrician that considers parents part of the solution, and not part of the problem for our children.
But I'll confess to hiding a smurk when my 17 yo son brought home the Marine recruiter...they were hiding the medical intake form, to be filled out later in private with the recruiter. Yesh, we're involved parents, I could have filled it out myself with 99.95% accuracty. Some of us parents actually know our children.
...and there are some like Hugh Straley, Medical director for Group Health Cooperative/Kaiser Permanente that sent out an all staff e-mail back in November of 2004 lamenting the fact that George W. Bush was elected instead of John Kerry.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing, but there it was straight from on high.
Much like Shark's doc though, Mr. Straley found out his groupthink ideology wasn't shared by many others within the organizatiion and plenty responded with surprise and outrage that he would have the gall to send such a self-indulgent communication out in the first place.
What soon followed was a mea culpa and apology when he got a sound rap on the nose with rolled up newspaper by Scott Armstrong (now CEO) and presumably Cheryl Scott who was finishing up her tenure as CEO.
Which goes to show, the groupthink mentallity knows no professional boundaries.
Switched, and glad we did.
Posted by: dl on November 4, 2008 07:55 PMLast year we were listening to NPR and a story came on with a quote from President Bush. My then five year old asked "is President Bush evil? All the kids at the orange square table say he is!" I am the first to admit I am not a fan of Bush, never have voted for him (wrote in John McCain both times!) but I would NEVER tell my five year old child that the president of the US is evil. But hey, we're in the Seattle school district!
Posted by: modMilq on November 4, 2008 09:49 PM