[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 18 (Wednesday, February 12, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E237]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         CONTEST WINNING ESSAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT A. WEYGAND

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 12, 1997

  Mr. WEYGAND. Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to have Mr. Matthew Arundale, 
a student from Warwick, RI, who is currently attending Marymount 
University in Virginia join me in attending President Clinton's State 
of the Union Address last Tuesday.
  Matt was the winner of a contest my office held that asked interested 
Rhode Islanders attending college in the Washington, DC, area to 
prepare an essay on why they wanted to attend the State of the Union 
Address.
  While I received many entries, all of fine quality, Matt's was 
particularly creative. For that reason, I asked him to watch the 
President's address from the House gallery.
  I commend Mr. Arundale's essay to all my colleagues.

       I am a sophomore Political Science and Biology double major 
     at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. While many 
     students are bitten by the political bug and decide to major 
     in political science, few decide to also pursue a career in 
     medicine. But I have.
       While this double-major may seem a bit odd, it really is 
     not. I have always loved politics and the idea that men can 
     work together and effect change for all. But I have also 
     loved the idea of helping people in a more direct way: 
     through medicine. After examining the two pursuits, one can 
     see that they are not all that dissimilar.
       Take a politician or government official. They are doctors. 
     Their patient is not one person with one illness. Rather, 
     their patient is a group of people with a variety of 
     illnesses (crime, poverty, education, to name a few).
       The politician's x-rays are opinion polls and late-night 
     phone calls from his constituents. His nurses are called 
     legislative aides and political advisors. Legislation are his 
     prescriptions.
       Every politician, whether they realize it or not, has been 
     charged with the duties of a doctor. While one may get 
     references from friends before they choose a doctor, the 
     patients of politics look at debates, news conferences, and 
     press releases before they make their choice. A two party 
     system (quickly giving way to third party candidates) ensures 
     that people will always have the opportunity to get a second 
     opinion before trusting themselves to any one doctor. In the 
     end, they hope their choice was correct.
       One such political doctor is President Bill Clinton. Last 
     November, he was charged with the duties of continuing his 
     role as ``Chief Doctor of the Nation.'' He has read the 
     public opinion polls, had conferences with his advisors, and 
     listened to peoples' grumps and groans. Now, on this Tuesday, 
     he has to report back to the patient. President Clinton must 
     tell a concerned nation what is wrong and what he plans to do 
     to change it. The patient(s) will be listening, wondering if 
     he heard their complaints correctly. They will also be 
     analyzing the President's suggested treatments. Then, just as 
     the patient with high blood pressure is not sure if he is 
     willing to quit smoking to get healthy, the nation will 
     decide if it is willing to make the sacrifices necessary to 
     fix its problems.
       In short, I would love to be present for this report. The 
     President is renowned for his speaking ability, so his 
     bedside manner is unquestionable. But to see the culmination 
     of the political triage process come together would be a 
     momentous experience for a student who hopes to one day 
     become a doctor, too.
       Furthermore, as President of my Sophomore Class, I have 
     been asked by FOX TV to participate in an interview on the 
     effect of President Clinton's educational incentive plans on 
     college students. I can think of no better way to garnish 
     first-hand information for this interview than to be in the 
     House of Representatives while Clinton outlines his 
     proposals.
       Finally, I know I can never take your wife's place, but, I 
     voted for you!!

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