Nick's Blog

From being fully paternalistic to allowing individuals to make their decisions on their own, I am choosing to take a position somewhere near the center, leaning towards the more paternalistic side. I chose this because the nature of vaccine mandates require governments to implement an order for the benefit of the community. Vaccines for COVID 19 has been proven to minimize the severe symptoms from this virus as well as decrease the risk of contracting the infection.  The strength of this argument comes from the basis that we vaccinate so that we control the spread of Covid 19 to other people. Having individuals vaccinated boosts the immunity for contracting the virus, and thus preventing other immunocompromised persons from contracting it as well. Covid is a new virus circulating the world so, excluding those genetically immune to the virus, the spread of it is much faster than other current viruses. The government sees that the best way to slow the spread of the virus is by mandat...

 The topic I am addressing is the issue of vaccine mandates. The debate about government intervention with regards to vaccine mandates is not new. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought forth a new wave of vaccine mandates. This essay is going to describe the extent in which governments should intervene with personal health choices. The articles I chose does a pro/cons about what the benefits of getting vaccinated is, while also bringing up counterarguments about how government should respect the persons individual health. While it may be beneficial for the community, it is still a controversial topic that we can not fully cover. 

      After my group work, I was able to narrow my choice of values into two broad yet effective ones. Values such as compassion, forgiveness, kindness all fit into the larger umbrella value, empathy. By doing so, I can focus more on my essays explanation process and link the topic to the real world. After quick paragraph drafting in class, as well, I figured that Patch Adams' character is an unrealistic image of what a good doctor is in the real world. The passion that Patch Adams has for medicine is unmatched for. His selflessness, willingness to learn, and passion for helping others has led him to do unimaginable things (in the film), and as such set a high bar in our cultural expectations. 

     The movie Patch Adams features Robin Williams as Hunter "Patch" Adams, a medical student in the Medical College of Virginia. Patch's experience when he self admitted into a mental health hospital sparked his passion in helping other people -- thus his enrolment into medical school. He decided that, contrary to traditional practice, the best way to treat his patients was through the use of humour, laughter, and friendship.  Although his methods worked in improving patients' quality of life, Patch received backlash from his superior, Dean Walcott, who prefers students to display more professional, and conventional methods.       The recurring values displayed in this film could be narrowed down to a few -- empathy, perseverance, and compassion. These qualities are perceived by people in the real world to be some that we expect doctors to possess, and Patch Adams perfectly portrays this in the film.