Mammogram cartoon

When did Fox News start drawing your editorial cartoons? What does The Minnesota Daily cartoonist mean by “government study” in the Nov. 23 cartoon? Do you mean a study conducted by the government, or research funded through government funds, like most research in all areas of medical science? It’s confusing.

I guess the implication is what I’ve heard from so many Republicans and pundits this week: The government has just randomly decided to do away with women’s health based on no evidence. It’s the start of rationing. To acknowledge that the research that government’s recommendation was based on was not actually conducted by the government or that the recommendation did not take health care costs into account would be too difficult, I guess. Or that the recommendation was made by a panel of “independent” doctors entirely appointed by the Bush administration. Or that the recommendation is nonbinding and would have no effect on government-run health care.

The reaction to the government panel’s recommendation has been nothing but emotional, which obviously doesn’t make sense. I guess I just don’t see the need for mocking research in general, government-funded or not.

Simon Gruber

University graduate student