Wvw Swimmers Off To Fast Start, Trounce Hazleton

Advertising Employee Is Times Leader's '94 Best

Tuesday, December 13, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 12A 





Elders still doesn't see what brought her down &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 No regrets? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If Dr. Joycelyn Elders truly has no regrets about the supposed
``frankness'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 that cost her her post as Surgeon General, then she is foolish as well as
stubbornFor not only does she pretend to be carefree about her humiliating
failure in the bully pulpit, she also misdiagnoses the problem that led to
that failure in the first place. Because frankness didn't cost Dr. Elders her
job. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pride did. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But then, any leader who holds religion in such apparent contempt might be
expected to miss the ancient lesson of the Seven Deadly Sins. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 President Clinton fired Dr. Elders on Friday after learning about yet
another of her public gaffes. The details of these -- saying some Catholics
have "a love affair with the fetus," telling people to "get real" about the
irresistible tide of sex outside of marriage, and so on -- don't need another
review. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This sense of Elders that she is somehow blameless could use a little
scrutiny, though. Start with her "frankness." To see how frankness is actually
an asset in the hands of a thoughtful Surgeon General, just think about Dr. C.
Everett Koop, who held the post under President Reagan -- and whose popularity
extends to this day. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Koop was (and is) as famously plainspoken as Elders. He not only called for
teaching about AIDS in schools, he supervised the mass-mailing of an AIDS
information packet to every household in the entire United States. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 He spoke frankly about condoms, and -- on the seemingly opposite end of the
political spectrum -- strongly and openly supported the goals of the
anti-abortion movement. Those landmines have claimed more than one Washington
figure. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But Koop phrased his comments with a tone of respect. Elders phrased hers
with a tone of contempt. There's a difference. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Though religious conservatives opposed many of Koop's notions, Koop never
sneered at them or their faith. He acknowledged in his manner, tone and choice
of words the heartfelt nature of the conservatives' beliefs. He treated the
believers as his equals. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 By doing this, he acknowledged a healthy sense of doubt about his own
convictions. Maybe, just maybe, the critics were right, Koop implied. After
all, why respect someone who is utterly, laughably wrong? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Why indeed? said Elders. And laugh she did, dismissing the conservatives
and telling them to "get real." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Her condescension showed in her statements right up to the end. "Truth as I
see it and truth as you see it may be two different things, but certainly
dealing with many of our poorer communities, I know that their outlook on life
is very different from someone who plans a trip to Europe every summer,"
Elders said after her firing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In other words, those who disagree with her not only are wrong, but are
morally inferior to people such as her who supposedly speak for the poor. But
who does Dr. Elders think led the 1992 and '93 taxpayers' uproar in Queens,
N.Y., over condoms in schools -- the uproar that, in a prelude to Elders'
firing, cost the New York City school superintendent his job? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Those weren't millionaires, taking breaks between flights on the Concorde,
who packed the city's school board meetings. And rich executives aren't the
ones keeping condom demonstrations out of th

Elders Still Doesn't See What Brought Her Down 
No Regrets? 
If Dr. Joycelyn Elders Truly Has No Regrets About The Supposed ``frankness'' 
That Cost Her Her Post As Surgeon General, Then She Is Foolish As Well As 
Stubborn.

Elders Still Doesn't See What Brought Her Down No Regrets? If Dr. Joycelyn Elders Truly Has No Regrets About The Supposed ``frankness'' That Cost Her Her Post As Surgeon General, Then She Is Foolish As Well As Stubborn.