Joycelyn Elders (1933 - )

Sun Aug 13, 1933

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Dr. Joycelyn Elders, born on this day in 1933, is an American pediatrician and public health administrator who served as Surgeon General of the United States from 1993 to 1994. Elders was the first African American to serve as Surgeon General and is best known for her frank discussion of her views on controversial issues such as drug legalization, masturbation, and distributing contraception in schools.

Although she faced censure from the Clinton administration for advocating the legalization of drugs, it was her sex positive view on masturbation that led to her removal from office. After stating “I think that [masturbation] is part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught”, Clinton forced her to resign as Surgeon General in December of 1994. She is currently a professor emerita of pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

“If you can’t control your reproduction, you can’t control your life.”

- Dr. Joycelyn Elders

  • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
    231·
    4 months ago

    She was the best surgeon general we’ve had. It was infuriating to me that she got booted for doing the job to the best of her ability because what she said wasn’t popular. It still is infuriating.

  • johannesvanderwhales@lemmy.world
    21·
    4 months ago

    I remember the late night hosts had a field day with the masturbation thing, but very revealing about our country that it was controversial.

  • Verdant Banana@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2346·
    4 months ago

    she being forced to resign is proof both parties are against progress and anyone who openly admits they are progressive

    • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
      4411·
      4 months ago

      bOth SiDEs ArE the SAme is how we got into this mess in the first place.

      People couldn’t bear to vote for Humphrey and we got Nixon. They stayed away from Gore and we got Bush.

      Half a loaf is much better than a giant pile of shit.

        • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
          2·
          4 months ago

          It’s not the popular vote that matters, it’s the vote in each state. A heavier turn out in Florida would have turned the tide.

          Look at how the ‘Moral Majority’ took over the GOP. They’d go to every single local Republican clubhouse anytime there was anything to decide. If twenty people had decided on the local sheriff candidate last time, the MM’s would show up with fifty. They grabbed the party by the grassroots.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Falwell

          • snooggumsEnglish
            4·
            4 months ago

            As long as we are shifting goalposts, how about some voter suppression?

            When Steen gave the poll worker his name, she searched a list of registered voters in the precinct and told him, “You can’t vote. You’re a convicted felon.”

            “You must be mistaken,” a shocked Steen replied. “I’ve never been arrested in my life.”

            He later found out from journalist Greg Palast that he’d been confused with a convict named Willie O’Steen, who had committed a felony between 1991 and 1993, when Steen was in the Persian Gulf. Little did Steen know that the same thing was happening to voters across the state of Florida—and disproportionately to voters like him, who were African-American.

      • Verdant Banana@lemmy.worldEnglish
        730·
        4 months ago

        having a loaf of bread that is made up of half bread and the other half consisting of shit is still just as nonedible as a loaf of bread consisting of just shit

        • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
          196·
          4 months ago

          That’s the voice of privilege.

          Maybe you don’t have to worry about things like gay and trans rights, or good schools, or a clean environment.

          One side actually did stuff, despite having to fight uphill.

          If you can’t see any difference between the administrations of Obama and Bush Jr. that says a lot about you.

          • redrum@lemmy.mlM
            57·
            4 months ago

            That’s a false dichotomy, there are other political options outside the two factions (republicans and democrats) of the US Bourgeoisie party.

      • snooggumsEnglish
        155·
        4 months ago

        Drugs are still illegal at the federal level and the ability to control reproduction is being taken away. So the two things listed in the post that she was trying to overcome haven’t improved significantly.

        So yeah, they changed, but not necessarily for the better.

    • madcaesar@lemmy.world
      7·
      4 months ago

      Except we’re not running Bill Clinton are we? Meanwhile Republicans are literarily taking rights away from women while we are running a woman.

      Get fucked with this both sides horseshit.

    • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
      51·
      4 months ago

      If by “both parties” you mean “Bill Clinton” then I will 100% agree with you

    • Zexks@lemmy.world
      74·
      4 months ago

      This train of thought is all that is wrong with the world. Eschewing progress for perfection will lead to death for all.

      • MotoAsh@lemmy.world
        52·
        4 months ago

        Notice how they DID NOT say to eschew progress. They said both parties push against progress, which is FACTUALLY CORRECT.

        Just because one party pushes less hard does NOT magically make them a positive force.

        This braindead absolute LACK of perspective is what is wrong with the world. Do better, because that post is pathetic.