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You know what brings a smile to my face? Politicians. Their pungent aroma and exquisite finesse of reality is robustly humorous. The burning tears of unforgiving laughter overflow when I think about how hard they work to do so little. This is not to say most politicians are bad or loathsome - actually… that is what I am saying. It is just hard to tell the truth when I'm talking about those who do it so infrequently.

How does this apply to dentistry? It has to do with one of those "give back a smile" programs. You know the ones where dentists donate their time, facilities and expertise to help kids with no funds to get good dentistry on a regular basis. These are great programs - but politicians should not comment on them or propose empty resolutions to "support" them.

Politicians: Guillotine Experts?

Their dabbling in fashionable resolutions is like a guillotine expert commenting on hairstyles, or dandruff shampoos. If you participate in the detachment of the basic unit - your comments about the value of its accessories seem out of place at best and reckless in most cases (or in most baskets, depending on where it falls). Politicians should either do what they are really elected to do--which is to solve the problem--or put their own noggin in the metal noose.

NOTE: The politician in question was doing a "nice thing" - proposing a resolution commending the American Dental Association for sponsorship of the fourth annual "Give Kids a Smile Day". However, the everyday reality is that many thousands still go with out even the most basic dental care. She has probably encouraged or championed other avenues of support - but resolutions for one-day events are mostly politician self-aggrandizement (back slapping happy crap).

Politicians have the position to stop the dental decline guillotine but let it fall again and again. They are often impotent and without courage, but they could do more than hoist flags to fledgling efforts of donational delusion. While I donate to many causes, dental care is too basic and vital to be dealt with successfully by the donation here and there model. Dental care is something we should be in front of not tossing a few dollars at after the fact.

Equal Opportunity Party Hacks

You might be a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent - but any time there is a "program" that includes donations it is a pretty good bet that the real deal is not being taken care of. Handing out chocolate bars to the natives only gets you so far. The reality factor is avoided and the insurgency of overall complacency is unleashed on society.

A society without proper dental care is not a hurricane of which we cannot predict its path. With pitiful category zero Army Corps of Engineer donation dikes and levees, we are left with a constant and progressive losing battle. When your kids wake up in the morning, do you see: pain, fear, disease? Do you choose between their health and food on a regular basis? If you got a donation to give them a break until their next crisis, would you have rock solid faith in your country's congressional competence? Would you have faith of any kind?

This politician is not personally responsible for every crime against children in this country - so giving out her name or where she politizes would be unethical - or completely American - depending on your ACLU affiliation. And obviously you could Google (or Yahoo to be fair and balanced) the keywords in this article and maybe - with some luck - find out who she is. But PLEASE control yourself. This site is built to generate a composed excitement not a chaotic incitement.

For those of you with respectable credentials and maximum integrity, the following keywords might be helpful (Michigan, Woman, Senate, Democrat, US).

Resolution Solution Conclusion

Before I go, I would like to propose a resolution that ENDS one-day event resolutions and then actually change the status quo of mediocre child health care in this country.

Then… We herd all politicians into their annual happy-crap convention hall. There they can slap each other on the back and propose one-day event resolutions until they turn blue… or red - depending on how they lean when they overindulge themselves in happy-crap congratulatory antics.

While freeing the Iraqi people is commendable - foisting substandard dental care on to hundreds of thousands of American children is a roadside bomb of societal proportions we can, should, and MUST avoid.