A video going viral on social media shows what appears to be a sectarian ritual. Like a prayer in a very solemn tone, people share in a semi-trance state.
Amazingly, this video features students admitted to the University of Minnesota Medical School. They swear. Not the famous Hippocratic Oath for doctors. They are taking a civilized pledge for 2022, pledging to fight against white supremacy, colonialism and gender binary.
They openly recognize that they are operating on unsanctioned indigenous territory. Those built in Minnesota, including the university where they are located, represent evil incarnate. So the settler has to apologize for what he already was and blame his ancestors.
But all this is not serious. It’s the fashion of the moment: a genuine desire to right the wrongs of the past and self-flagellation to look cool. Vogue Hurricane, which has swept a chapter Daughters of CalebAttacking universities.
Doctors of the future?
The real concern is something else. These future doctors also pledge to “respect all indigenous healing systems that have historically been marginalized by Western medicine.”
Here, I’m not sure I understand. Medicine is an evidence-based science. Studies and research, over the centuries, have sorted out what works and what doesn’t. Aside from beliefs, placebo effects have been studied with the aim of prolonging life and alleviating suffering in healthy people.
Medicine is one of our greatest advances in civilization. Think about infant mortality or improvements in life expectancy.
This is to be said without ignoring the methods that all peoples have used throughout the ages to heal people and alleviate suffering. Tribals, like other peoples, made wise and welfare-related observations. My grandmother Georgiana, who had 16 children, also had her share of healing and relief products.
A science for all
But in 2022, medicine is a global science. If indigenous knowledge is overtaken by more effective medicine, medicine must be turned to. If a plant used by indigenous peoples turns out to contain a molecule that is undoubtedly healing, this new approach should be available to the entire population.
There cannot be two drugs.
What’s interesting is that when it comes to climate change, the Awakened Movement wants to end any debate by invoking science.
On other issues, they organize more people to downplay the importance of science when minority rights are claimed.
By the way, the French philosopher Jean-François Braunstein recently published. Religion arose. Here future doctors pledge to put their religion before medical science.
