Happy National Doctors’ Day!
Sunday, March 30, is the annual observance of National Doctors’ Day. This is a special day celebrated since 1933 to recognize and honor the contributions of doctors to our American society. The wife of a family doctor began the tradition by encouraging her fellow citizens to send greeting cards to their physicians.
March 30 was purposely chosen to commemorate the first date anesthesia was used during surgery in 1842 by physician Dr. Crawford Long. On March 30, 1958, Congress adopted the resolution commemorating March 30 as National Doctors’ Day. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush designated National Doctors’ Day an official day of recognition by the U.S. government. Currently the contributions of doctors are celebrated nationwide on March 30 of every year by the employers, co-workers and patients of physicians.
Medical City Denton hospital doctors are so incredibly dedicated and caring. They have a profound impact on their patients, the patients’ families and our communities.
As board members, we are privileged to work side-by-side with many of these doctors on committees and special projects. We see firsthand the hard work, dedication and sacrifices these remarkable women and men perform daily to ensure the health and well-being of their patients, their hospital and their community.
We are so very proud and grateful for all of our doctors! We celebrate and appreciate you every day, but especially on March 30!
Happy Doctors’ Day!
Pete Kamp and the Medical City Board of Trustees,
Denton
A major DI athletics program or not?
If the University of North Texas’ priority is faculty luncheons over hosting major athletic events, then let’s stop pretending the university is committed to building a major Division I program. It’s embarrassing to be the national joke of the week. Either make the commitment to major athletics, or do us all a favor and drop back down to DI AA Southland Conference. Signed, Class of ’92.
David Jameson,
Little Elm
How would Trump currency benefit the people?
Regarding the Newsweek article ”Republican Moves Against Judge Despite Justice John Roberts’ Warning,” I’m just going to state this outright and without equivocation: I am personally incensed that Brandon Gill supposedly represents me and my congressional district in the U.S. Congress.
First of all, even a cursory reading of the Constitution (yes, the same one that all representatives swear an oath to uphold) reflects that laws are introduced, debated and enacted for the benefit of the people. Nevertheless, this “representative” has had the audacity to file a bill that would replace a specific portrait on our national currency for no other reason than to “honor the legacy” of the current president. Please feel free to explain to me how this — in any way — benefits the people of our district.
Now, this same “representative” seeks to instigate impeachment proceedings against a federal court judge for doing exactly what the Constitution allows, but that a few specific people don’t seem to like.
Even though I would most certainly lose the race due to my own political affiliation, the actions of this marionette so soon into the current political cycle are certainly provoking me to consider running for this seat in 2026. All I really have to say is, “Keep going, Brandon; you’re just making it that much easier.”
Darren Hamilton,
Little Elm
It’s not just healthy venting
The sour grapes, ad hominem attacks and hatred in so many letters are disappointing. Several weeks ago one could hope that such letters were just a temporary and healthy venting. Now it seems that they are products of unwavering belief. I hope that those on the right don’t give in to temptation and sink to that level by responding in kind.
Let’s discuss a couple of issues raised recently, starting with diversity, equity and inclusion. We should all want “equal opportunity for all.” Too often, though, DEI results in quotas intended to ensure representation equal to percentages of various groups in the population. There are good and bad and qualified and unqualified people in every group. True equality of opportunity means choices based on individual merit and qualifications, not race, religion, sex, ethnicity or any other external factors. Too often DEI becomes the mirror image of the terrible past when qualified members of certain groups were excluded because of such external factors.
Freedom of speech is necessary for all, but true freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom to say only what left or right favor, declaring other speech to be “disinformation.” Let people say exactly what they think, as long as they don’t openly call for violence. Then we can decide whether they make good points or are just jerks.
Some Democrats claimed that George W. Bush’s and Trump’s first victories were marked by irregularities. Why are charges of election irregularities deplorable only if they come from the right?
Lee Nahrgang,
Denton
And the wall came a-tumbling down
Our Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or the free exercise thereof.” Thomas Jefferson explained this as “building a wall of separation between Church & State.” He also said, “religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God.”
The government shouldn’t interfere in people’s religious beliefs and practices. The government shouldn’t support any religion — or pick one over another. The Constitution prohibited the British system of using tax dollars to support the Church of England.
The Supreme Court has ruled that staff of tax-supported schools should not lead students in prayer. Doing so would represent the government supporting one religion over others or none. It never prohibited students from praying in school.
Oklahoma is requiring Christian Bibles in every classroom. They are buying Trump Bibles at $60. The Texas Board of Education is offering schools $60 per student to adopt lessons using the Christian Bible and destroying the “wall of separation between Church & State.”
How are non-Christian teachers supposed to explain New Testament Scripture? How would a Hindu explain that Mary was a pregnant virgin when questioned by a fourth grader?
There are over 180 Protestant denominations because of disagreements regarding the Bible. Parents have plenty of options for teaching religion at home or through various faith communities. Our schools should focus energy on literacy, math, science and the arts.
Christian nationalists are pushing an idea that is unconstitutional, unworkable and unnecessary.
Dalton Gregory,
Denton
Former teacher’s take on vouchers bill
Reading Monday’s article regarding school vouchers being forced down the throats of Texas citizens, this paragraph gave me cold chills.
“The current version of the bill explicitly exempts private schools from abiding by federal and state laws regarding special education. Public schools must evaluate students’ disabilities and provide individualized education plans ...”
How did this even make it into a bill that Greg Abbott touts as help for parents’ choice? He took choice away from some of the neediest students in this state. Those of us who worked in special education know that there are many students who, with the help of these federal programs, not only survive but thrive in an appropriate educational setting.
When I was teaching, I was able to move students from lower reading classes to regular education and to release students into a regular classroom setting. Our lowest-level students learned skills that would enable them to get jobs. Any “private” educational system that would refuse to provide help for these students doesn’t deserve taxpayers’ money.
This current gang of thugs in Austin couldn’t be more blatant that the vouchers have nothing to do with any interest in education but rather to pander to the wealthy. Where is the moral outrage in this state regarding what our elected representatives and senators are doing to the very people they are supposed to protect? There should be marching in the streets of Austin by teachers and parents alike. Shame on whoever wrote this heinous unpopular bill.
Danna Zoltner,
Denton
A fool and our money
Donald Trump said last January that he doesn’t plan to end programs like Social Security and Medicare. Yet his billionaire Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently opined that real Americans, like his 94-year-old independently wealthy mother-in-law, would not “wouldn’t call and complain” if her Social Security check missed a month. Those who would, he said, were “fraudsters.” His mother-in-law is clearly not as dependent on her Social Security check as most of the 70 million recipients who are.
Gabriel Arana reported in the Daily Beast that “Interim SSA Commissioner Lee Dudek threatened to close the agency over a judge’s ruling barring Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing personal data for millions of Americans — including Social Security numbers, banking information, and health records.”
Arana wrote that the Social Security Administration “plans to fire 7,000 of its 57,000 employees ... and shutter 47 of its field offices. To protect against identity theft, the agency will no longer allow beneficiaries to verify their identities over the phone in order to change direct deposit information, requiring them to do so online or in person.”
The incompetent handling of firing massive numbers of federal workers by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who recently referred to Social Security as a “huge Ponzi scheme.”
Get ready, people. Social Security’s demise will be summed up in a Trump quote, that said, “I’m not a schmuck. Even if the world goes to hell in a handbasket, I won’t lose a penny.” Or to put it more succinctly, “I got mine, to hell with yours”
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.” — Mahatma Gandhi
Larry Beck,
Denton
The Trump/Musk administration is endangering our health and future
Funds for lifesaving research for childhood cancer and women’s health have been slashed and research projects canceled. Measles erupts in our state and our federal health officials question the efficacy of vaccines and promote bogus cures.
Inspections to curtail foodborne illnesses are reduced and regulations to make the food producers accountable weakened.
Our health and the health of our environment are threatened by the removal of regulations that ensure clean air and water, and that bring polluters to justice for poisoning our cities and neighborhoods.
In a time when it is known that climate change and its disastrous effects are primarily caused by the mining and combustion of coal, methane gas and oil, our government supports more fossil fuel usage and less, if any, expansion of renewable energy resources, especially wind, solar and battery storage.
None of these actions make America better. They destroy relationships with our allies, make our lives harder and more expensive, and threaten the well-being of all of us, especially our children, elderly and veterans. Trump’s and Musk’s actions have created fear, disunity and anxiety.
Ed Soph,
Denton
Thank your doctors this National Doctors’ Day!
As a recent addition to the executive team at Medical City Denton, I’m impressed with the commitment and dedication of the health care professionals here, in addition to the support of the Denton community for those caregivers. As Denton’s only Level II trauma center, our physicians are highly trained in treating life-threating injuries — demonstrated by receiving victims of the Valley View tornado last spring and the tragic rollover accident near Alvord last summer. These physicians provide critical lifesaving care for patients suffering from medical emergencies including cardiac arrest, heart attacks, strokes, broken bones and severe allergic reactions. Medical City Denton stands ready to meet community needs.
As we celebrate National Doctors’ Day on Sunday, March 30, let’s recognize and celebrate the knowledge, experience and dedication our physicians offer the people in our community. I also encourage you to reach out to a physician and show your gratitude for the care they have provided for you, a loved one or a friend. This small gesture of gratitude has a profound effect on them and helps to renew our joy of practicing medicine.
The next time you interact with your doctor, whether it’s a virtual visit with your primary care provider or a bedside interaction with a hospital-based physician, remember their commitment and be sure to tell them, “Thank you and Happy Doctors’ Day!”
Glenn Hardesty, Chief Medical Officer, Medical City Denton, Medical City Argyle, Medical City Decatur,
Denton
Predictions
If the events of Donald Trump’s first administration is any indication, some event will outstrip the resources Trump’s billionaires bring to leading this nation. I have several candidates for what could happen.
- An epidemic of some previously suppressed or preventable disease. Pathogens exist everywhere. It is possible that such a disease will emerge and challenge the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s ability to prevent the onset of an epidemic.
- An economic catastrophe brought on by Trump’s erratic trade policies. It appears that a deep and painful recession, or even a disastrous depression, is within the realm of possibility.
- Could the safety of air travel experience important and long-term difficulties, resulting in a loss of confidence in air travel? Such problems seem to be made more likely based on the planned reductions in staffing of the Transportation Safety Administration and air traffic control system.
- Might the Social Security Administration be severely impaired by the proposed massive staff reductions and the shuttering of regional offices around the nation?
- Will an international conflict emerge amongst world powers? The administration’s puzzling “policies” relative to the invasion of a sovereign nation by its neighbor does nothing to maintain the stability of international relations.
The old saying that “the past predicts the future” does seem to reflect the U.S. now. I hope it does not prove to predict the U.S.’s future.
Ron Fannin,
Denton
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