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Truth in advertising, another covid casualty

December 14, 2022 - 00:00
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Just about everyone has some pet peeve that drives them up the wall. For some it’s the sound of fingernails scraping across a blackboard or maybe it’s how ridiculously long your spouse stirred his cereal to dissolve the sugar. For others, it may be columnists who can’t seem to quit writing pandemic related articles! So, what sets me off so bad that I want to reach into the television and throttle someone? It’s the Houston Methodist Hospital commercials which run on Pluto TV! 

If I were independently wealthy, I’d sue for violation of the Truth in Advertising Act every time they say Houston Methodist “respects every voice.” If you really believe that ask nurse Jennifer Bridges, or one of the other 116 nurses who sued Methodist in 2021, if their voices were respected. They were forced to become “human guinea pigs” and take the jab or take a hike. What a terrible way to treat the employees who spent 2020 in the belly of the beast caring for Houston Methodist covid patients! 

Now for part two of The Big Lie – Houston Methodist claims it is THE “difference in practicing medicine and leading.” Just in case CEO Dr. Marc Boom is confused about the difference in practicing and leading, let Merriam-Webster and I explain it. Practicing means “to perform, or work at repeatedly, so as to become proficient,” while leading is “to be the first in, or among.” 

My opinion of leading is when you’re faced with crazy, you take the leap and explore all options. Shockingly, I’ve not heard of one hospital which respected its patients’ right to informed consent or went against the politically driven narrative to administered drugs with a proven track record for safety.

The real leaders in this tawdry, tragic chapter in America’s medical history were the doctors who spoke up against the protocol – the ones who lost their privileges or their practices – such as Dr. Mary Talley Bowden who sued Houston Methodist Hospital for defamation. Bowden’s thinking aligned with those “Frontline” doctors like Dr. Peter McCullough, a Texas A&M graduate, and vaccine specialist Dr. Robert Malone who were saving lives by treating at the onset and treating with already approved FDA drugs such as Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin. This hospital chain which claims it “respects every voice,” publicly accused Dr. Bowden of “spreading dangerous misinformation.” 

This intolerance of anyone who colors outside the lines isn’t new. Another casualty of original thought was Dr. Ignaz Semmelweiss. He was convinced that if doctors would just wash their hands after performing autopsies before immediately delivering babies, it would save mothers’ lives by stopping the spread of infection. Semmelweiss relentlessly pushed for handwashing from 1846 to 1861. He was laughed at, harassed and eventually committed suicide. It wasn’t until the mid-1860s and Dr. Joseph Lister’s work in antiseptic surgery that handwashing was no longer a joke and became accepted practice. 

A law of propaganda attributed to Nazi Joseph Goebbels is, “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth.” I suspect Houston Methodist Hospital is betting heavily on pandemic amnesty and repetition but it will take a lot more than exposure to that commercial ad nauseum to convince me that respect and leadership have been restored. 

The column represents the thoughts and opinions of Connie Clements. Opinion columns are NOT the opinion of the Navasota Examiner. 

Clements is a freelance reporter for the Navasota Examiner and an award-winning columnist.