Interesting Email From a Doctor on the Current Problems in US Culture

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/starner.asp

I often write about the decline of cultural values (or the attacks, both overt and covert on it) in the West. I got back late from my son's HS wrestling meet and did not have time to put together a regular post. I did however receive an email with an explanation purportedly sent by a doctor to the White House. While I cannot confirm that the letter was actually sent to the president, I checked on Snopes and found that the a letter to the editor of a local newspaper was received. I thought that, in addition to the sad list of non-essential spending observed and to which this patient admitted, plus the fact that Medicaid was paying for the treatment, the doctor notes that we are facing a crisis of culture. (Italics added)

The email text is coped below:

View of a young doctor
> Diagnosis, prognosis and cure in just three (3) short paragraphs!!!
> If you doubt any part of what Dr. Jones says, go visit your
> local hospital emergency room as an observer for an hour or so
> some Friday or Saturday night.
> See how many responsible people you can send this to!!!
> Pictured below is a young physician by the name of Dr. Starner
> Jones. His short two-paragraph letter to the White House
> accurately puts the blame on a "Culture Crisis" instead of a
> "Health Care Crisis". It's worth a quick read:
>
> []
> Dear Mr. President:
> During my shift in the Emergency Room last night, I had the
> pleasure of evaluating a patient whose smile revealed an
> expensive shiny gold tooth, whose body was adorned with a wide
> assortment of elaborate and costly tattoos, who wore a very
> expensive brand of tennis shoes and who chatted on a new
> cellular telephone equipped with a popular R&B ring tone. While
> glancing over her patient chart, I happened to notice that her
> payer status was listed as "Medicaid"! During my examination of
> her, the patient informed me that she smokes more than one
> costly pack of cigarettes every day and somehow still has money
> to buy pretzels and beer.
>
> And, you and our Congress expect me to pay for this woman's
> health care? I contend that our nation's "health care crisis" is
> not the result of a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or
> nurses. Rather, it is the result of a "crisis of culture", a
> culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on
> luxuries and vices while refusing to take care of one's self or,
> heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. It is a culture based
> on the irresponsible credo that "I can do whatever I want to
> because someone else will always take care of me". Once you fix
> this "culture crisis" that rewards irresponsibility and
> dependency, you'll be amazed at how quickly our nation's health
> care difficulties will disappear.
> Respectfully,
> STARNER JONES, MD
>
> If you agree...pass it on. YES YES YES
>
>
>