Pubdate: Tue, 15 Apr 2003
Source: Stanford Daily (CA Edu)
Copyright: 2003 The Stanford Daily
Contact:  http://daily.stanford.org/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/952

EX-SURGEON GENERAL SPEAKS ON LIFE, WORK

Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders spoke about her life and her 
work in public health to a full house at Kresge Auditorium last night in 
the first Aurora Forum of the quarter.

The talk, entitled "Jocelyn Elders: From Sharecropper's Daughter to Surgeon 
General," was an interview-style discussion between Elders and LaDoris 
Cordell, vice provost for campus relations and special counselor to the 
president.

Cordell described Elders as "the rare public figure that has had, and 
continues to have, the courage of [her] convictions 24 / 7, 365 days a year."

Elders criticized the U.S. health care system during the discussion, citing 
the lack of universal access to health care and to comprehensive health 
education.

"We do not have a health-care system," Elders said. "We have a very 
expensive sick-care system. The sicker you are the better we doctor you. 
The only people in America with universal access to health care are 
criminals in the criminal justice system and I think it makes no sense.

"We also do not educate our people to be healthy," Elders said. "We are a 
health-illiterate society."

Elders, born in Arkansas in 1933, grew up in a shack as part of a large 
sharecropping family. At the age of 15, she entered Philander Smith College 
in Little Rock Arkansas. After time in the army, she earned her medical 
degree and later her master's in biochemistry from the University of Arkansas.

Elders was appointed the director of public health by former Arkansas 
Governor Bill Clinton and for six years was a "lightning rod for public 
health," as described by Cordell.

In 1993, Clinton nominated Elders for the position of surgeon general, and 
she became the first African-American U.S. surgeon general. During her 
time, she gave 302 speeches. One mishap she mentioned was when she lost the 
speech she was planning to give at a Harvard commencement and had to 
scribble out some notes for a new one on a scrap of toilet paper in the 
bathroom.

One of her more controversial remarks was at the National Press Club when 
she made a statement about the legalization of drugs.

"There have been multiple studies that have shown that the legalization of 
drugs would lower the crime rate, but I do not know all the implications of 
this," Elders said when recounting the incident at the forum. "I feel it 
should be studied."

After 15 months she was forced to resign amidst controversy stemming from a 
remark she made at an AIDS conference that allegedly endorsed courses to 
teach how to masturbate. She specifically said masturbation "is part of 
human sexuality and it's a part of something that perhaps should be 
taught." Elders maintained that she meant that children should be taught 
about masturbation in sex education courses.

She spoke about the incident with a sense of humor. "[Masturbation] never 
got anybody pregnant," she said, "and you know you're always having sex 
with somebody you love."

Elders said that she had no regrets about her time as surgeon general.

"I would do it again," she said. "In fact, I absolutely did this job as I 
felt it should be done. If I had to do it all over again, I'd do it exactly 
the same way.

"I want you to know that I always did the very best that I could do as your 
surgeon general," she added.

Despite the fact that Clinton called for her resignation, Elders said that 
she harbors no harsh feelings for him.

"I think Bill Clinton is probably the smartest person that I've met, and I 
feel certain that he's the best politician this country has seen in a long 
time."

After her resignation, Elders returned to the College of Public Health of 
the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences as a professor of pediatrics.

The Aurora Forum is a series of "public conversations bringing together 
academics writers, artists, socially engaged intellectuals and the 
concerned public," according to its Web site. It brings panels together to 
discuss the past, present and future of American ideals and aspirations.
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