The death of the sturgeon general

The death of C. Evert Koop, the infamous Sturgeon General of the Reagan era, cuts another link to the days of the "real" America.

Koop was opposed to homosexuality as a lifestyle, believed that sex should wait until marriage and was opposed to abortion. However, he put the treatment and prevention of AIDs as a priority, and while he was not afraid to state his personal beliefs, he strove to be true to science, medicine, and the duties of his office.
To beat you on the head with my point, he had strong beliefs which may have been a bit old fashioned. But, those same beliefs also reflected a strength of character and principles which ended up transcending party lines. As in doing what he thought was the right thing regardless of political consequences.
And he had the dignity to put on a silly uniform and actually command respect. The undefinable quality of being "old school." We don't see that any more. Joe Biden- a joke, Mitt Romney - AmWay salesman, Obama - smug white man pretending to be black, McCain - punch drunk.
But, I digress...

He was always good for interesting quotes, such as suggesting to medical students that abortion violated the hippocratic oath. (I think he was out of office at that point.)

Koop is credited with starting the crusade against smokers, which in a typical American estrogen enhanced fashion, turned into a crusade that has made it illegal to smoke cigarettes anywhere but in a huddled group around the employee entrance of Wallmart. 

Fortunately we now have meth to give those of a certain economic and social status a quick pick-me-up in the middle of a boring workday, if they actually have a workday at this point in history.

I do miss his uniform, gold braid, campaign ribbons and all. 

After all he was the Sturgeon General!

In case you did not click on the link above here is another excellent quote, which seems to be coming true. Or at least seems to be a much of a possible reality than in was in 1979 when he first said it. Of course in the modern world, the clever folks probably never even thought of this until they heard it in a Koop speech!

"Foes noted that Koop traveled the country in 1979 and 1980 giving speeches that predicted a progression "from liberalized abortion to infanticide to passive euthanasia to active euthanasia, indeed to the very beginnings of the political climate that led to Auschwitz, Dachau and Belsen."

Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/feb/25/koop-who-transformed-surgeon-general-post-dies/#ixzz2M1E95acL

My second favorite Sturgeon General was Dr. Joycelyn Elders. She was a virtual hilarious quote factory. 

She was forced to resign after JC Penney was reportedly unable to keep up the demand for catalogues, there was an epidemic of blindness amoung high school student blind, along with the strange side effect of developing hair on their palms.

Now that we have the internet no one really notices...

Also, I am I the only one that finds it ironic that Bill Clinton was the one to fire her? If only he would have followed her advice! Well, on things other than listening to Peter Tosh.