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staff to serve on committees and handle tasks they'd rather not dirty
their own hands with.
• We practice patronage. Ever met a co-worker who got her job or pro-
motion despite the fact that she doesn't have the experience for it?
Have you ever noticed the charge nurse giving special favors to some
staff on the call schedule? Sure you have.
So I ask you, my fellow Americans: Are we overlooking the true
talent to lead? A nurse would have a wide base of voter support,
given our numbers in the workplace. Dealing with Congress would
be nothing compared to surgeons. A Southern nurse could tell hos-
tile foreign nations where to go and they'd be asking for directions.
But the first order of business would be fixing the healthcare sys-
tem, just as long as we have more than silk tape to do it with. OSM
Ms. Watkins can be reached at pwatkins12@comcast.net.