Political Choices Are Health Choices

Donna Eden and David Feinstein

A study recently published in a multi-disciplinary academic journal on the social implications of health policies looked at the relationship between life expectancy in the United States and social policies, giving state by state comparisons. The article opens with, “For a number of years, the United States has ranked last in life expectancy among high-income countries.”  Our own audience is becoming increasingly international, and the implications of this study apply everywhere.

The study used information on 18 policy domains, such as labor laws, tax codes, civil rights, education, tobacco taxes, gun safety, abortion, and environmental policies. It found that some policies had a negative impact on health and longevity while others had a positive impact. For instance, in states whose legislation had, over the past dozen years, become more favorable in terms of policies associated with better health, life expectancy increased by more than two years. Meanwhile, in states whose policies had become less favorable, life expectancy decreased significantly.

The policies associated with longevity are, however, politically charged. What are we to do with such findings about the impact of social policies on longevity in formulating the health guidance we provide? Are we to ignore them in our public statements because they have become political hotwires? The truth is, so far, we have. We’ve not even offered guidance on the use of masks or physical distancing during the pandemic in terms of their impact energetically. Here is what we would have said:  “Covid appears to Donna as a thick murky green. Masks and distancing keep that murky energy from moving into others.”

Why change now? Why are we ready to comment on highly charged social issues? The study of social policies and life expectancy, while even more dramatic than we realized, did not surprise us. What is new is that as the 2022 elections approach, we believe that the implications for policies that impact health are going to be momentous and probably unprecedented. For us personally, we are deeply concerned about the world our grandchildren will inherit. Will effective health care be readily available? Will they feel safe at a concert? Will they be able to do meaningful work for a livable wage? Will bridges be safe? Will they have fresh air to breathe and clean water to drink? Will their bodies enjoy swimming in clean oceans?

There is more to living a healthy life than just nutrition, exercise, adequate sleep, meaningful work, good relationships and, of course from our perspective, energy medicine practices. Attending to your environment is also part of the package. Gasoline did not have lead removed because the auto industry or oil companies demanded it. Toxic pesticides were not banned because the farming industry or chemical manufacturers thought it was a good idea. We are healthier today because earlier generations demanded better.

Our students have often heard us emphasize that “Energy medicine only works if you use it.” It is similar with your voice and your vote. You can’t be heard if you don’t speak up. If you want to live in a healthier environment, the evidence shows that the way you vote and engage politically makes a difference. The life expectancy gap between Connecticut, the state with the greatest movement toward policies associated with good health, and Oklahoma, the state that made greatest movement away from such policies, is 7 years. Political choices are health choices.

While we will be vocal in our opinions about specific health care policies and how to get them implemented, we want to be clear on one fundamental point. We do not expect to change the political views of anyone in our community! We will continue to enthusiastically embrace everyone, regardless of political affiliation, as we provide guidance on the use of energy methods for health and well-being. Our intention is not to change your opinion. Our intention is to offer our perspective on specific topics and to encourage those who are aligned with that perspective on that issue to make their voices heard. If our opinions do not resonate with yours, we honor and respect that. Jane Goodall summed up the arrangement: “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”

In today’s world, the misinformation floating around is unprecedented. Social policies based on that misinformation are being enacted. That misinformation is, as you witness every day, aided and abetted by electronic media that literally rewires the brain. Here is what you can expect from us: We believe in science. We believe in the world revealed by invisible energies. We believe in critical thinking. The positions we will advocate will be supported by our best integration of these three sources of information.

We are more committed than ever to activate forces within you that support your health at the deepest levels and that support the conditions in your environment that promote health. In promoting your own health, you are taking a gargantuan step toward promoting the health of your culture. During these coming months, we will explore issues that will be impacted by the upcoming elections. To the degree that our perspective resonates with yours, we hope to inspire you to be vocal. We ourselves are inspired to be more vocal by the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

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Feel free to share your responses. Your comments will not be censored. We expect differing viewpoints and hopefully rich discussion. Comments do, of course, need nowadays to be screened for trolls, bots, being respectful, understandable, on-topic, et cetera, so there will be some delay between your submitting them and their being posted.

Even though Donna and Donna won’t be responding to these comments directly, our purpose is to get dialogue going among the members of our community. We will also have a staff person answer questions that are directly pertinent for our organization to answer, such as questions about our policies. Finally, Donna and David will read all of your comments when they are writing subsequent articles so they will have them in their minds.