EDITORIALS THE EMORY WHEEL
Friday, January 24, 2014 Editorials Editor: Priyanka Krishnamurthy
Our Opinion
Respecting MLK’s Legacy
CONTRIBUTE Email: pkrish4@emory.edu
Zachary Elkwood
Zachary Elkwood is a member of the Class of 2015. His cartoons appear in every other Friday issue of the Wheel.
The History and Importance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day In 2014, it seems like an obvious fact that our federal government would honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., but we should not forget that this was not always the case. The White House never firmly supported King’s mission during his lifetime — in fact, then U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy approved extensive wire taps and spying of the Civil Rights leader. A special division of the FBI listed him as a potential “black messiah,” labeled the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) as a “Black National Hate Group” and even authored a fake letter that, some conclude, encouraged him to commit suicide. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was not signed into being a national holiday until 1983. The holiday’s establishment was a hard-fought victory, the result of at least 15 years of lobbying on the part of — among others — King’s widowed wife Coretta Scott King and musician Stevie Wonder. These facts are a scary reminder that our federal government has not always been on the right side of history, especially on matters of civil rights and surveillance. As such, it is important to remember those who battled for the recognition of this holiday, and not treat MLK Day as a given. We at the Wheel believe we must continue to embody the spirit of MLK throughout our lives. That being said, Emory University deserves praise for honoring the great leader for a week, not just a day. Volunteer Emory successfully represented King’s legacy through community service with Emory’s Day On, in which 400 students worked on 19 service projects in Atlanta. Emory also hosted a speech by Rev. C.T. Vivian and a social justice dialogue. The University even put together a conversation about undocumented immigrants, tying King’s teachings into modern-day issues. A full look at the array of events that the University implemented for this week showcases its commitment to honoring King. Additionally, we urge you to take advantage of the amazing resources we have in our Southern metropolis, like the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, which, while experiencing ups and downs since its founding, now chronicles King’s life, holds archives of his letters and writings and hosts nonviolence workshops. The King Center is located in Atlanta’s historic Sweet Auburn district, historically home to the city’s black commercial community, and it is near to the APEX Museum, which presents black historical perspectives, as well as the Sweet Auburn Curb Market, a beautiful melange of food from different cultures. Furthermore, we are glad to see that a statue of King will be erected in front of the Georgia State Capitol thanks to the advocacy of many civil rights leaders and lawmakers. Activists called for the new memorial to replace an old and controversial statue of Thomas Watson, a Georgia politician and newspaper editor. It is fitting that a memorial of MLK will stand in front of the Georgia State Capitol in downtown Atlanta, and even more fitting that its existence was brought about by activists. However, we should be careful about the ways we use King’s name and how we remember his legacy on this day. For instance, “MLK Day Sales” represent the commercialization of a day that should be used to honor a true hero. Of course, corporations and malls have the right to market as they please — that’s merely the nature of a free-market society — however, we shouldn’t let this kind of trivialization make us forget the rich history behind MLK Day. The progress we’ve made as a nation since the Civil Rights movement is encouraging, but race-based discrimination is by no means a resolved issue in the United States. There have been several particularly troubling examples in the news this MLK Day that illustrate racism’s ongoing presence in our nation. Former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin, in a Facebook post about the holiday, urged President Obama, “Mr. President, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. and all who commit to ending any racial divide, no more playing the race card.” Though Palin’s comment may be referring to a quote Obama made about his standing with white voters in The New Yorker, the Facebook comment made no reference to the President’s quote and was offensive and uncalled for. In addition, a fraternity at Arizona State University was suspended after throwing an “MLK Black Party,” where white students allegedly took pictures throwing gang signs and drinking out of watermelon cups. The Arizona State example hits close to home: just last year, Emory was grappling with what some saw as racist “lynching” jokes made on the Dooley Show as well as University President James W. Wagner’s controversial three-fifths compromise article in Emory Magazine. All one needs to do is check national headlines to realize that racebased discrimination and economic inequality are still an issue. We’ve made progress, but there’s still quite a ways to go. We at the Wheel hope that even though MLK Day has passed this year, our community will continue to learn from King’s life and message. His commitment to racial equality, and the lessons of tolerance surrounding it, should continue to inspire and influence us every day. The above staff editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel.
Katrina Worsham | Staff
Patients Deserve Health Care The Devastating Impacts of Cutting Grady’s Budget CAMERON LAMBERT
Every day I drive south on Juniper Street from Midtown to Downtown Atlanta. Every day I am reminded of the diversity that exists in this city. My drive starts in Midtown surrounded by high rises. I drive south and the scenery changes. I cross over Ponce de Leon and the HE MORY HEEL traffic picks up. At a traffic light I notice Arianna Skibell EDITOR-IN-CHIEF around 20 of Atlanta’s 10,000 homeless sleepJordan Friedman Executive Editor ing beside buildings and on several church Lane Billings Managing Editor steps. Volume 95 | Number 26 After I park my car, I walk up to the mediCopy Chief Online Editor Sonam Vashi Ross Fogg cal wards at Grady Memorial Hospital. My News Editors Asst. Copy Chiefs Business and Advertising Dustin Slade patients are as equally diverse as my drive to Benazir Wehelie Karishma Mehrotra Harmeet Kaur Editorials Editor Akeel Williams BUSINESS MANAGER work. I may see a business man with influAsst. News Editor Priyanka Krishnamurthy Rupsha Basu enza, a woman with newly diagnosed HIV, a Blaire Chennault Sales Manager Student Life Editor Asst. Photo Editor Jenna Kingsley traveler from Asia diagnosed with malaria or Thomas Han Maggie Daorai Design Manager Arts & Entertainment Editor Asst. Sports Editor an older gentleman whose family struggles Emelia Fredlick Zak Hudak Account Executives Sports Editor to comprehend the news of his advanced Associate Editors Bryce Robertson, Lena Erpaiboon, Salaar Ahmed, Ryan Smith Vincent Xu Christopher Hwang Przybylski, Annabelle Zhuno, Julia prostate cancer. Photo Editor Emily Lin James Crissman Leonardos I am a new transplant to Atlanta from Nathaniel Ludewig Features Editors Business/Advertising Office Number Nicholas Sommariva Zoe Mesirow another southern state. I moved here because (404) 727-6178 Nick Bradley Ashley Bianco of what I saw and felt when I walked into Grady for the first time. I could feel that this place was a safe haven for Atlanta’s citizens. The Emory Wheel welcomes letters and op-ed submissions from the Emory community. Working at Grady has been an honor. The Letters should be limited to 300 words and op-eds should be limited to 700. Those selected employees work cohesively, developing cremay be shortened to fit allotted space or edited for grammar, punctuation and libelous content. ative solutions to some of the most difficult Submissions reflect the opinions of individual writers and not of the Wheel Editorial Board problems imaginable. These problems, I have or Emory University. Send e-mail to askibel@emory.edu or postal mail to The Emory Wheel, learned, don’t end with how to treat my Drawer W, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga. 30322. patients—they extend to how to pay for the care these patients deserve.
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It was announced recently that Fulton County may cut $25 million in funding for Grady from their budget. This represents half of the support the county has given in prior years. This loss will be particularly devastating to Grady as the hospital faces decreased federal funding in the upcoming year and would terminate such services as mental health and primary care. These critical services will lead to the loss of 66,000 mental health appointments and 110,000 primary care appointments annually. As a physician training at Grady, I recently saw a young man suffering from diabetes who was previously unable to receive care due to lack of insurance. Now on the appropriate medical therapy and feeling better, he has just reentered the workforce. Some may try to rest comfortably, rationalizing the cuts as affecting only those citizens who cannot afford to pay for their care. That could not be any further from the truth. For example, last month I was a part of a team treating a previously healthy, fully insured, 40-year-old woman who suffered a blood clot to her lungs. She never anticipated needing Grady’s services, but has repeatedly expressed gratitude to the large team that cared for her and continues to follow in our clinics. These cuts will have a rippling effect. Our emergency departments will see increased volume, that is, expensive, often uncompensated care replacing more affordable and efficient outpatient services. Our citizens who suffer from mental health problems will be
abandoned. Emergent psychiatric admissions will strain our already busy inpatient services and potentially force premature discharges of the mentally ill. Cutting Grady’s budget is a poor shortterm solution leaving many of our most vulnerable citizens without options for receiving critical medical care and crippling Grady’s mission. Mahatma Gandhi challenged the ideas by which we govern, saying, “The measure of a civilization is how it treats its weakest members.” Will our elected leaders choose to reinforce the safety net that is Grady Hospital, or will they choose to cut invaluable services that protect our vulnerable citizens? We have to ask our lawmakers tough questions. Let them know what Grady means to you, your family, your city and your state. I hope to continue driving to work with the sense of purpose I have had since walking through the door my first day, knowing I am part of a safe haven for those who fall through the cracks of healthcare. Please call the Fulton County Board of Commissioners at 404-612-8200 to express your concerns. Cameron Lambert is a resident physician in internal medicine within Emory University School of Medicine. While in training, he works at Grady Hospital, Emory University Hospital, Emory University Hospital Midtown and the Atlanta Veterans Medical Center. He is originally from Raleigh, N.C.