ADDRESS

BY

C, EVERETT KOOP, MA, ScJ,

    SURGEON GENERAL

         OF THE

     UA PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
UA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

PRESENTED TO THE JOHN F, KENNEDY LODGE OF B'NAI B'RITH
           WASHINGTON, DL
           APRIL 12, 1989


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(GREETINGS TO HOSTS, GUESTS, FRIENDS, ETCJ

   I AM DEEPLY HONORED TO BE THE RECIPIENT OF YOUR "PROFILES IN

COURAGE AWARD,"  IT IS ENOUGH TO MAKE EVEN A SURGEON HUMBLE ., ,

AND THAT'S SAYING QUITE A LOT, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW,

   THIS IS AN AWARD THAT'S BEEN GIVEN TO A NUMBER OF OTHER

PEOPLE WHOM I HAVE ADMIRED OVER THE YEARS. THEY ARE ALL

INDIVIDUALS WHO SHOWED GREAT PERSONAL COURAGE IN THEIR LIVES AND

WHO DEALT WITH THEIR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS FROM A STRONG MORAL

BASE,


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  THE1 R VERY NAMES RECALL A PARTICULAR TIME OF TESTING AND WE

REVIVE THEIR MEMORIES THAT THEY MAY SOMEHOW HELP US RESPOND TO

THE TESTS OF OUR OWN TIME,

  EARL WARREN mu, CHARLES EVERS no, FATHER HESBURGH 11,

MENACHEM BEGIN AND ANWAR SADAT I,, AND ELIE WIESEL, ONE OF THE

VERY SPECIAL PERSONALITIES OF THIS CENTURY,

ALL WERE OR ARE INDIVIDUALS WHOSE WHOLE LIVES HAVE BEEN AN

INSPIRATION TO YOU t,, TO ME m mm AND TO PEOPLE EVERYWHERE,

   I'VE LOOKED UP TO THEM mm, AND NOW YOUR AWARD COMMITTEE HAS

SAID THAT TONIGHT I CAN BE COUNTED AMONG THAT EXCEPTIONAL

COMPANY,


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I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW DEEPLY I APPRECIATE THAT OPINION AND

HOW HIGHLY I VALUE THIS AWARD.

  A WEEK OR TWO AGO, AS I PAUSED FOR A MOMENT TO THINK ABOUT

THIS EVENING'S EVENT, I COULDN'T HELP BUT BE STRUCK BY THE FACT

THAT I WILL BE COMING HERE TO THIS PODIUM BECAUSE OF THINGS I

HAVE WANTED TO DO AND CHOSE TO DO , , , AND ALSO BECAUSE OF THINGS

I WAS SUDDENLY REQUIRED TO DO, WHETHER I WANTED TO DO THEM OR

NOT,

  YES, I WAS A PHILADELPHIA SURGEON FOR MANY YEARS --

APPARENTLY NOT AS TUNEFUL AN OCCUPATION AS BEING A GREAT PHILA-

DELPH IA LAWYER,


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  NEVERTHELESS, BEING A SURGEON WAS SOMETHING I WANTED VERY

MUCH TO DO man AND DID DO FOR ALMOST FOUR DECADES mm, AND THE

MEMORY OF THOSE YEARS IS A GREAT SOURCE OF PERSONAL PRIDE AND

SATISFACTION,

   AND FOR THE PAST 8 YEARS I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING

A MUCH LARGER CONSTITUTENCY, THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, AS

THE I R SURGEON GENERAL,

   1 KNOW I CHANGED THE WAY SOME THINGS WERE DONE IN

PHILADELPHIA,   I GUESS, FROM YOUR WARM RECEPTION THIS EVENING, I

MAY HAVE CHANGED SOME THINKING HERE AS WELL,


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  IT WOULD BE FUN TO SAY THAT THIS WAS ALL ONE-WAY, THAT I

INFLUENCED OTHER PEOPLE,  BUT LIFE ISN'T LIKE THAT, AS YOU KNOW,

AND THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT FOR JUST A

COUPLE OF MINUTES, WITH YOUR INDULGENCE,

  MANY PEOPLE CONTRIBUTE TO THE MAKING OF A SURGEON GENERAL,

BUT ONE WHO IS RECOGNIZED FOR COURAGE , , , THAT'S A DIFFERENT

MATTER, AND FOR THAT I HAVE TO GO BACK TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE

BEEN FOR ME THE MODELS OF COURAGE AND THE EXEMPLARS OF THE

GREATNESS OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT,


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  AND I'M TALKING ABOUT CHILDREN ,a, THE CHILDREN OF

PHILADELPHIA n aa THE CHILDREN OF WASHINGTON, DL ,n, THE

CHILDREN OF OUR COUNTRY a am AND THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD,

   IN MEDICINE AND IN PUBLIC HEALTH YOU SEE CHILDREN AT THEIR

MOST VULNERABLE 1,. WHEN THEY'RE HURT AND IN PAIN, WHEN THEY'VE

BEEN ABANDONED, AND WHEN THEIR FUTURE SEEMS TO BE ESPECIALLY DIM,

THAT'S WHEN I'VE SEEN THEM OVER MANY YEARS,

AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE IN THOSE PAINFUL,

TRAGIC CIRCUMSTANCES,


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  THROUGHOUT MY CAREER IN PEDIATRIC SURGERY I WAS TAUGHT SOME

VALUABLE LESSONS BY THOSE CHILDREN am, LESSONS OF HOPE, OF

OPTIMISM, OF CHARITY, OF GOOD HUMOR, OF HEROISM m n u AND OF

COURAGE,

  I WAS TAUGHT MANY LESSONS ABOUT THE GENEROSITY OF THE HUMAN

SPIRIT , , m A QUALITY THAT I BELIEVE EVERYBODY HAS AS A CHILD,

BUT THAT MOST OF US GRADUALLY SEEM TO LOSE IN PROPORTION TO THE

NUMBER OF YEARS WE LIVE,


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   SO I MUST SAY THAT I WAS VERY FORTUNATE -- DURING MY LONG

AND RATHER CHECKERED PROFESSIONAL CAREER -- TO HAVE HAD DAILY

AND VERY CLOSE CONTACT WITH A POPULATION OF HUMAN BEINGS WHO

DEMONSTRATED THE VERY HIGHEST AND MOST SUBLIME HUMAN TRAITS,

I OWE CHILDREN A GREAT DEAL,   WE ALL DO,

AND THAT FEELING OF GRATITUDE AND INDEBTEDNESS HAS CERTAINLY

BEEN PART OF MY MOTIVATION TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON BEHALF OF 11,


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HANDICAPPED CHILDREN ntu

OF CHILDREN WITH PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DEFICITS OF ONE KIND OR

   ANOTHER an,

CHILDREN WHO ARE VICTIMS OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT 11, WHO HAVE

  BEEN CRIMINALLY ASSAULTED ma m

AND ON BEHALF OF THE NEWEST CATEGORY OF CHILD VICTIMS mm m

  THOSE CHILDREN WHO HAVE BECOME THE INNOCENT VICTIMS OF

  THE CURRENT PLAGUE OF AIDS,

SO I'VE DONE SOME THINGS ON BEHALF OF CHILDREN BECAUSE I'VE

WANTED TO,  AND I'M HAPPY THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO,


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BUT I'VE ALSO DONE SOME THINGS THAT I HAD TO DO BECAUSE I

WAS WHERE I WAS AT THE TIME,

THAT'S BEEN ESPECIALLY TRUE DURING THESE PAST 8 YEARS, AS

YOUR SURGEON GENERAL,

  I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE NECESSARILY GONE LOOKING TO TAKE

A STAND ON "BABY DOE" OR "BABY JANE DOE," IF I HAD REMAINED IN

PHILADELPHIA,

  I WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY INTERESTED IN THOSE CASES -- AND

MAYBE I'D HAVE WRITTEN SOMETHING ABOUT THEM FOR THE NEWSPAPERS OR

FOR ONE OR ANOTHER PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL,


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   BUT INSTEAD I SPENT THE BETTER PART OF TWO YEARS WORKING ON

BEHALF OF THE "BABY DOES" OF THIS WORLD, TRYING TO GET MY

COLLEAGUES IN MEDICINE, LAW, SOCIAL SERVICES, AND GOVERNMENT TO

MAKE SOCIETY A SAFER, MORE HUMANE PLACE FOR THEM,

  I'M GLAD I HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY m a w GLAD THAT I WAS WHERE I

WAS, WHEN THOSE QUESTIONS CAME UP 11, AND GLAD THAT I COULD HELP

IMPROVE AN OTHERWISE TRAGIC AND PROFOUNDLY UNFAIR SITUATION,

  NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WAS ALSO ON MY WATCH THAT THE TIME

ARRIVED FOR US TO TAKE THE OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE TOBACCO

INDUSTRY,


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YOU SAY IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH COURAGE, MAYBE SO I, u

I'M NOT THE BEST JUDGE OF THAT,

  BUT I QQ KNOW IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH ANGER 11, MY OWN

ANGER ,,a AT THE ARROGANCE, THE INSOLENCE, THE AUDACITY, AND THE
SHEER BRASS OF AN INDUSTRY THAT CONTINUES TO VIGOROUSLY PUSH A
PRODUCT THAT IS, BY EVERY SCIENTIFIC STANDARD, A CLEAR AND

PRESENT DANGER TO THE HEALTH OF MANKIND,

  AND I AM ESPECIALLY ANGRY AT THE CIGARETTE INDUSTRY'S
SPECIFIC STRATEGY OF TARGETING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AS THEIR
NEXT GENERATION OF "REPLACEMENT SMOKERS," NOT JUST HERE IN THE
UNITED STATES, BUT IN THE LESS DEVELOPED AND UNDEVELOPED NATIONS

OF THE WORLD,


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  I DON'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT COURAGE 11, BUT I m KNOW IT

WOULD HAVE BEEN DOWNRIGHT COWARDICE IF THIS SURGEON GENERAL HAD

NOT TAKEN A FIRM AND UNCOMPROMISING STAND AGAINST THE TOBACCO

INDUSTRY AND TTS OWN PRIVATE WAR ON CHILDREN ABND HEALTH,

IN A SENSE, MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY WAS GOOD

TRAINING FOR WHAT I WAS CALLED UPON TO DO IN REGARD TO AIDS,

THIS DEADLY VIRUS ALSO FLOURISHES OUTSIDE THE NORMAL RULES

OF SCIENCE AND THE SOCIAL CONTRACT,


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   THE AIDS VIRUS ALSO CHALLENGES US TO SPEAK OPENLY ABOUT THE

UNSPEAKABLE ma, ABOUT HIGH-RISK SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AND DRUG ABUSE

BEHAVIOR a,, ABOUT SEX EDUCATION 11, ABOUT RACE ,m, AND ABOUT

EQUAL ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE,

  OVER 1,200 CHILDREN HAVE BEEN BORN WITH AIDS, BECOMING

INFECTED BECAUSE THEIR MOTHER'S WERE CARRYING THE VIRUS, THERE'S

VERY LITTLE HOPE FOR THOSE CHILDREN,

  SOCIETY IS BEING ASKED TO BE COMPASSIONATE -- AND IT MUST

BE COMPASSIONATE -- TO\JARD THOSE CHILDREN,   ALSO -- DIFFICULT

THOUGH IT MAY BE -- WE MUST ALSO SHOW COMPASSION TO THEIR MOTHERS

AS WELL, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY LIVE LIVES OF HIGH RISK AND LOW

ESTEEM, BOTH PERSONAL AND SOCIAL,


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  WE A& TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS AND WE ARE TAKING ACTION

AS WELL, BECAUSE MANY LIVES DEPEND ON OUR ABILITY TO SEE THE

HUMAN BEING BENEATH THE DISEASE 11, TO SEE THE CHILD BENEATH THE

SHADOW OF DEATH,

  WE'RE TRYING TO GET A HANDLE ON THE AIDS VIRUS SO THAT WE

CAN PRODUCE A VACCINE, BUT SO FAR THAT HANDLE HAS ESCAPED OUR

GRASP,  IN THE ABSENCE OF A VACCINE, ABOUT THE ONLY WEAPONS WE

HAVE AGAINST THIS DISEASE ARE THE C;JEAPONS OF EDUCATION 11, AND

CHARITY m a. AND COMPASS ION,


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  AS I SAY, I WAS TAUGHT A GREAT DEAL ABOUT LIFE BY MY

PATIENTS m., CHILDREN WITH SERIOUS, LIFE-THREATENING HANDICAPS

I I I AND CHILDREN SMILING THROUGH THE TEARS OF A PERMANENTLY

DAMAGED LIFE,

  BUT I WAS ALSO TAUGHT

MET, WHILE SERVING AS YOUR

FEAR ,,a BY DISEASE ,m, BY

TOBACCO, AND THIS WAS THE

ME :

A GREAT DEAL BY THE ADVERSARIES I'VE

SURGEON GENERAL 11, BY PREJUDICE AND

THE ONSET OF OLD AGE ,n, AND BY

MAIN THING THESE ADVERSARIES TAUGHT


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THAT I MUST DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO

MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T WIN a,, BUT THAT

THE REST OF US jl&L

ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS HONOR, IT IS ONE I

WILL AL\;JAYS CHERISH e

THANK YOU.

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