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For the past 30 years, I have been a part-time practitioner of political medicine, which I define as employing the political process to improve health. Political medicine is different from health policy, a term that repels me. Those involved in health policy are often elitists who like to remain above the fray. They deliberate among themselves and then hand down idealized concepts of what the world should be like. I know of no legislation that ever came about by politicians asking policy makers for guidance. An example is First Lady Clinton's "gang of 400" who labored mightily during the summer of 1993.
Laws and policies come about through the ebb and flow of politics, which involves the exercise of power. If one wants to influence the political process, one has to attain or gain the influence of those who possess power. The currency of power is money and votes. As child advocates, we possess neither. We therefore are left to practice the "politics of the powerless." That does not mean, however, that we are without tools.
Too many child advocates engage in handwringing and self-pity. If we are to practice the politics of the powerless, it behooves us to understand how to be effective, which need not mean crying to each other. It also does not mean proclaiming our moral superiority. Appeating to conscience all the time does not work. Politicians must choose from a variety of causes, many of them as worthy as ours. In the health field, we are competing with issues such as education, housing, jobs, environment, and transportation - all of which are also important. The trick is to give the politicians a way to help our constituents while helping themselves politically.
As an undertalented and overaged jock, I think of politics in terms of sports. Hard hitting and team effort are needed for success. It is imperative to know where the goal line is located. AU too often, we listen for the crowd noise instead of scoring points. Magnitude of effort is confused with outcome. For example, the number of persons attending a meeting, the number of newspaper or television stories, or the number of letters written are important only to the extent that they further a specific objective. Conferences...