Should you go to your local hospital and stage a “Die In” to show your displeasure with new mammogram recommendations? David Horowitz, editor of frontpagemag.com spoke on the FoxNews show Glenn Beck Today recently and discussed the recent change in mammogram recommendations. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recently recommended that women under 50 should not receive mammograms, nor should women be taught or encouraged to do breast self-exams (see I Don’t Care What the U.S. Government Says, I Will Grope My Boobs Anytime I Want! ). Horowitz suggested that concerned Americans stage a “Die In” to protest the recent United States government recommendations for mammograms.
So what is a Die In? The idea is that massive numbers of people – most specifically women – would converge upon local hospitals and prostrate themselves on the floors to drive home the point that large numbers of women will die from undiagnosed breast cancer thanks to the new recommendations. According to an email I received about staging a Die In, men joining the protests could hold signs sharing information, statistics and opinions about the new recommendations. The idea of the Die In is spurred by the increased awareness and interest in political action that arose from the recent Tea Party protests started earlier in 2009.
Some Die In organizers have suggested that protesters include candles, tombstones (not real ones of course), black mourning clothes and more during the vigil (or protest) to drive home the point that breast cancer will claim more lives if women aren’t aware of the importance of early detection.
But is a Die In a good idea?
In my opinion, nope – not at all. A Die In, in my opinion, is a terrible idea. For one thing, a hospital is where people go to get medical help. Hospitals and hospital administrators don’t control what the United States government recommends, but it’s the folks who will be showing up for x-rays, emergency room visits, and other medical needs who will be encountering Die In protestors. These people aren’t the ones who need to be convinced or reminded of the need for mammograms and early detection of breast cancer.
A large number of people who join in a Die In will crowd local hospitals and make the hospitals a nightmare for the people who are truly in need of medical help.
If you want to stage a Die In – go to the right place. Park out in front of your State Capitol building and make sure your Representatives and Legislators see you.
Don’t go to the hospital. Crashing out on the floor of your local hospital might put you at risk for more than you bargained for – after all, who knows what the heck is lurking on those floors!
Sources:
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200911230043
http://www.annals.org/content/151/10/716.full
