Staff Reports
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who seems to have a knack for making baseless claims, recently dissented from the majority’s decision that using racial preferences in college admissions is unconstitutional. But it turns out her dissent was based on a brief submitted by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) that contained some glaring errors. And by glaring, we mean errors that suggest a disaster is looming in medical education.
She’s a buffoon.
Justice Jackson’s Incredible Statistichttps://t.co/PpeyZ3InwM
— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) July 9, 2023
According to researcher Jay P. Greene, Jackson’s claim that matching Black physicians with Black patients doubles survival rates for newborns is not only unbelievable but also completely unsupported by facts. It’s not rocket science – if 40% of black newborns died, we’d have thousands of dead infants every week. Plus, the actual survival rate for newborns is over 99%, so even if it was possible to double it, it would still be mathematically impossible. How did Justice Jackson make such an innumerate mistake? Perhaps she needs to go back to basic math.
Jackson cited a 2020 study by a professor from George Mason University School of Business to support her claims. However, attorney Ted Frank, in a previous op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, pointed out that the study made no such claims. It seems like the AAMC either misunderstood the paper or simply made up the statistic. Either way, it’s a clear indication of their incompetence.
But that’s not all. Jackson also made another claim based on the AAMC amicus brief, stating that research shows Black physicians are better at assessing pain tolerance and treating Black patients accordingly. Yet, as Greene points out, none of the four studies mentioned in the brief actually examine whether Black doctors are more effective in treating the pain of Black patients. It seems the AAMC either didn’t bother to read the research or deliberately fabricated this claim.
What this all boils down to is the fact that the AAMC’s actions are jeopardizing the future of medical education and subsequently the quality of future medical care. By insisting on pushing their diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda, they are putting ideology ahead of good medical practice. And Justice Jackson, in her misguided dissent, inadvertently shed light on the dangers of this ideology to Americans’ health and well-being.
It’s clear that this whole debacle is just another example of how identity politics and virtue signaling are infiltrating every aspect of our society, even the hallowed halls of our legal institutions. We must prioritize merit, qualifications, and competency over empty gestures of diversity if we want to maintain the highest standards in our education and healthcare systems. It’s time to put an end to this dangerous trend and focus on what truly matters – the well-being and prosperity of all Americans.
