Re: Thoughts on eMail writing

October 3, 2000

Mockery...you could say that:) Sure would like to meet you some day, Gene.

Blaine Rourke

October 4, 2000

What is the phrase, " the pen is mightier than the sword.. " if we keep

writing we will eventually slay the various dragons facing EMS today and in

the future.

In case some miss understand, I agree completely with Gene, the only way to

use the right of free speech is to actually use it, not complain about

others using it! Express your ideas and do not attack others for expressing

theirs.

Steve Dralle

Re: [texasems-L] Thoughts on eMail writing

Mockery...you could say that:) Sure would like to meet you some day, Gene.

Blaine Rourke

October 4, 2000

I've been a subscriber to this list for some time and have, for the most

part, read and kept silent. I can't, however, resist following still another

of your eloquent messages with a message of my own to the other subscribers.

It's a simple message for those have doubts regarding the value of education

beyond vocational paramedicine.

Read Mr. Gandy's posts and views and note the spelling, punctuation,

sentence construction and articulation of his thoughts. His writng skills

didn't appear from out of the blue. They didn't appear, as if by miracle,

from completion of a vocational paramedicine program. Mr. Gandy has a formal

education which has given him the tools to articulate the thoughts roaming

around in that brain of his.

Compare his command and execution of the English language to others (whose

thoughts I don't necessarily criticize) who post here. The message is clear.

No matter how bright, caring, talented and dedicated you are, you will be

viewed by some as less than " educated " until you achieve a command of the

language, both spoken and written.

I don't mean to offend anyone, but after thirty plus years in EMS, I am

convinced of at least one thing. Without a formal, rounded education, our

profession will continue to be viewed as a blue collar trade, and we will be

considered (perhaps justifiably) as inferior to the other allied health

professions.

Finally, when/if the majority of us achieve some level of educational

sophistication, I believe that we will progress in a direction we haven't in

the years I've been involved in EMS. We will unite and work toward the

common cause we all believe in - the improvement and perpetuation of what we

do for a living as a legitimate and recognized health profession.

[texasems-L] Thoughts on eMail writing

> As a frequent poster on various eMail lists, I receive many replies to my

> posts, some positive and some negative. Often I receive emails taking me

to

> task for being politically incorrect, blunt, offensive, critical of

others,

> stupid, insensitive, and a myriad of other tags. I also receive many

emails

> in support and agreement with my stated positions, but many of them are

sent

> privately because the writers fear the wrath of somebody (employer) for

> having agreed with me. I understand the need to preserve one's job. I

also

> understand that we live in the greatest country on earth and are blessed

with

> a Constitution and Bill of Rights, the First Amendment of which guarantees

> Freedom of Speech. So let me expound a little on Freedom of Speech.

>

> First, Freedom of Speech DEMANDS SPEECH. Freedom of speech means nothing

if

> nobody speaks. There are so few people on this list who post. The same

> people are usually posting, and thank God for them, but how many of the

rest

> of you just lurk? Get on board and post something, even if it's wrong!!

If

> you're not a part of the debate, then you're left out of the solution.

> Exercise your freedom or lose it.

>

> Second, Freedom of Speech allows us to be politically correct, incorrect,

> stupid, dumb, brilliant, funny, sad, and lots of other adjectives. But if

we

> don't speak, then we're none of the above.

>

> Third, email is a hybrid sort of communication. It's faster than

snailmail

> but slower than telephone conversations. It's stream of conscience but

with

> the opportunity to edit it before speaking it. But it's not the same as

> journalistic writing. If I'm writing for a journal I revisit my writing

100

> times, rereading, refining, revising, and rethinking what I've said over

and

> over. Email lets me do that to a certain extent, but the very nature of

> email is that I won't spend a week or two weeks on a post before I send

it.

> Rather, I'll spend a few minutes at best. Once it is sent it is history

that

> I have to live with. But at least it's better than a voice recording of

> one's spontaneous conversations, which would offer no opportunity to

edit

> or refine. Email is very dangerous in that once it's posted, it's

available

> to the world and can be copied and used against you. My emails have been

> copied and used against me on various occasions, and I'm comfortable with

> that because I understand that once published, they're there for

posterity.

>

> Fourth, some comments about eMail writing. Some use email as a simple

> commuication tool which takes the place of telephone or snailmail

> communications. Some use it to communicate ideas, and that's what I use

it

> for. I write to inform people about what's going on in EMS education, but

> more often to expound upon my ideas on EMS subjects. When I write, I use

> various writing techniques that I'd like to discuss and explain for those

who

> take offense to my writing.

>

> Recently I wrote a post entitled " Taking Myself to Task " in which I

revisited

> some writing I had done and rewrote it in " politically correct " terms. I

had

> written something that some had unfortunately seen as derogatory to EMS

> personnel who attend the EMS Conference in uniform and lurch down 6th

Street

> under the influence of ETOH and give EMS a bad name. Someone thought I

was

> targeting certain persons for criticism, which I assuredly was not, but

> questioned my post. So I replied with a " politically correct " version of

my

> post. This immediately led to further criticism for making a mockery of

> those who had criticized me, and on and on, as you can well see.

>

> What was I doing? First, I was using satire. Satire is a technique that

> uses holding up of human vices to ridicule or scorn. Satire is

particularly

> useful in puncturing the balloons of pompous and self-important people.

> There is a great amount of pomposity and self importance in the medical

> profession which is vulnerable to satire.

>

> Second, I use hyperbole, which is an exaggeration of descriptions designed

to

> bring down pompous thought. Example: He was the ParaGod.

>

> Third, I use pointed questions. This is perhaps the most hated technique,

in

> that it points out perceived problems and demands a reply. Nobody likes

> this. Those who read the " pointed questions " don't know whether or not

the

> questions are being pointed at them, but they're paranoid that they are.

> They tend to assume that they are and immediately become defensive, which,

of

> course, proves that the " pointed questions " were in fact addressed to

them.

> They then attack the questioner. The questioner always has the upper hand

> because s/he can then recite the history of the " pointed question " and the

> responses to it and then use satire, hyperbole, and metaphors to attack.

The

> recipients of the " pointed questions " generally have no sense of humor nor

> any sense of perspective and therefore tend to overreact to the use of the

> " pointed question, " thus making themselves paragons of bad practices and

> opening themselves up to further questioning/ridicule.

>

> TALKING POINTS: Be open and free with your eMail presence. Be honest

> about yourself and your organization. If you feel threatened, keep it to

> yourself. Don't take things personally. Contribute everything you can to

> help advance the EMS Profession.

>

> Gene Gandy

>

October 4, 2000

Agreed. That is, that education as well as command of the language are vital in

being viewed of as a professional. I remember hearing a physican in our system's

central hospital ICU, after reading an EMS chart on his pt., say that " Good

gosh, we give them the responsibility of administering drugs that they can't

even spell! " . The medic, as I learned later, had repeatedly mispelled the drug

atropine. Not one of the tougher drug names. While one who has achieved a

bachelor's degree or a post-graduate degree usually does not have many problems

with the English language, I've certainly met those who did (regardless of the

degree).

One of my favorite quotes regarding care forms is " Show me a sloppy, dummy care

form and I'll show you a sloppy, dummy paramedic. " This, of course, applies to

any practitioner! I, personally, am most bothered that it so often occurs in our

industry. I HATE to hear a radio report from someone who states " I done that or

done this " and whose grammar would likely fail in a 7th grade English class, (or

lower).

While I want the person who comes to the aid of my mother to be competent and

while I really don't care at the time if they misspell or mispronounce words and

have poor grammar as long as the competence is there, I still cringe when so

many in the EMS industry use have such poor language skills. It does make a huge

difference in the way we're viewed.

Now, while Gene's language abilities are superior (and very lawyer-esque), Gene

didn't need a law degree to gain them. Where is the language skills development

in primary education? No one should be reaching EMT school much less Paramedic

school (actually not even graduating high school) without first getting these

skills. The failure has already occurred before we get them. And not one

paramedic school in the state is going to fix it. The school's may help,

however. Other higher education might help also but it's not the answer. The

individual. naturally, has to want to correct these deficiencies. And if they're

in Paramedicine, I wish they would.

No one should even begin to derive that vocational paramedicine is creating

medics with less than the best language skills. Unfortunately, too many in our

society possess poor language skills. And sometimes they're RN's with degrees,

EMT-P's with degrees, etc.

>>> jayrems@... 10/04/00 08:51AM >>>

I've been a subscriber to this list for some time and have, for the most

part, read and kept silent. I can't, however, resist following still another

of your eloquent messages with a message of my own to the other subscribers.

It's a simple message for those have doubts regarding the value of education

beyond vocational paramedicine.

Read Mr. Gandy's posts and views and note the spelling, punctuation,

sentence construction and articulation of his thoughts. His writng skills

didn't appear from out of the blue. They didn't appear, as if by miracle,

from completion of a vocational paramedicine program. Mr. Gandy has a formal

education which has given him the tools to articulate the thoughts roaming

around in that brain of his.

Compare his command and execution of the English language to others (whose

thoughts I don't necessarily criticize) who post here. The message is clear.

No matter how bright, caring, talented and dedicated you are, you will be

viewed by some as less than " educated " until you achieve a command of the

language, both spoken and written.

I don't mean to offend anyone, but after thirty plus years in EMS, I am

convinced of at least one thing. Without a formal, rounded education, our

profession will continue to be viewed as a blue collar trade, and we will be

considered (perhaps justifiably) as inferior to the other allied health

professions.

Finally, when/if the majority of us achieve some level of educational

sophistication, I believe that we will progress in a direction we haven't in

the years I've been involved in EMS. We will unite and work toward the

common cause we all believe in - the improvement and perpetuation of what we

do for a living as a legitimate and recognized health profession.

[texasems-L] Thoughts on eMail writing

> As a frequent poster on various eMail lists, I receive many replies to my

> posts, some positive and some negative. Often I receive emails taking me

to

> task for being politically incorrect, blunt, offensive, critical of

others,

> stupid, insensitive, and a myriad of other tags. I also receive many

emails

> in support and agreement with my stated positions, but many of them are

sent

> privately because the writers fear the wrath of somebody (employer) for

> having agreed with me. I understand the need to preserve one's job. I

also

> understand that we live in the greatest country on earth and are blessed

with

> a Constitution and Bill of Rights, the First Amendment of which guarantees

> Freedom of Speech. So let me expound a little on Freedom of Speech.

>

> First, Freedom of Speech DEMANDS SPEECH. Freedom of speech means nothing

if

> nobody speaks. There are so few people on this list who post. The same

> people are usually posting, and thank God for them, but how many of the

rest

> of you just lurk? Get on board and post something, even if it's wrong!!

If

> you're not a part of the debate, then you're left out of the solution.

> Exercise your freedom or lose it.

>

> Second, Freedom of Speech allows us to be politically correct, incorrect,

> stupid, dumb, brilliant, funny, sad, and lots of other adjectives. But if

we

> don't speak, then we're none of the above.

>

> Third, email is a hybrid sort of communication. It's faster than

snailmail

> but slower than telephone conversations. It's stream of conscience but

with

> the opportunity to edit it before speaking it. But it's not the same as

> journalistic writing. If I'm writing for a journal I revisit my writing

100

> times, rereading, refining, revising, and rethinking what I've said over

and

> over. Email lets me do that to a certain extent, but the very nature of

> email is that I won't spend a week or two weeks on a post before I send

it.

> Rather, I'll spend a few minutes at best. Once it is sent it is history

that

> I have to live with. But at least it's better than a voice recording of

> one's spontaneous conversations, which would offer no opportunity to

edit

> or refine. Email is very dangerous in that once it's posted, it's

available

> to the world and can be copied and used against you. My emails have been

> copied and used against me on various occasions, and I'm comfortable with

> that because I understand that once published, they're there for

posterity.

>

> Fourth, some comments about eMail writing. Some use email as a simple

> commuication tool which takes the place of telephone or snailmail

> communications. Some use it to communicate ideas, and that's what I use

it

> for. I write to inform people about what's going on in EMS education, but

> more often to expound upon my ideas on EMS subjects. When I write, I use

> various writing techniques that I'd like to discuss and explain for those

who

> take offense to my writing.

>

> Recently I wrote a post entitled " Taking Myself to Task " in which I

revisited

> some writing I had done and rewrote it in " politically correct " terms. I

had

> written something that some had unfortunately seen as derogatory to EMS

> personnel who attend the EMS Conference in uniform and lurch down 6th

Street

> under the influence of ETOH and give EMS a bad name. Someone thought I

was

> targeting certain persons for criticism, which I assuredly was not, but

> questioned my post. So I replied with a " politically correct " version of

my

> post. This immediately led to further criticism for making a mockery of

> those who had criticized me, and on and on, as you can well see.

>

> What was I doing? First, I was using satire. Satire is a technique that

> uses holding up of human vices to ridicule or scorn. Satire is

particularly

> useful in puncturing the balloons of pompous and self-important people.

> There is a great amount of pomposity and self importance in the medical

> profession which is vulnerable to satire.

>

> Second, I use hyperbole, which is an exaggeration of descriptions designed

to

> bring down pompous thought. Example: He was the ParaGod.

>

> Third, I use pointed questions. This is perhaps the most hated technique,

in

> that it points out perceived problems and demands a reply. Nobody likes

> this. Those who read the " pointed questions " don't know whether or not

the

> questions are being pointed at them, but they're paranoid that they are.

> They tend to assume that they are and immediately become defensive, which,

of

> course, proves that the " pointed questions " were in fact addressed to

them.

> They then attack the questioner. The questioner always has the upper hand

> because s/he can then recite the history of the " pointed question " and the

> responses to it and then use satire, hyperbole, and metaphors to attack.

The

> recipients of the " pointed questions " generally have no sense of humor nor

> any sense of perspective and therefore tend to overreact to the use of the

> " pointed question, " thus making themselves paragons of bad practices and

> opening themselves up to further questioning/ridicule.

>

> TALKING POINTS: Be open and free with your eMail presence. Be honest

> about yourself and your organization. If you feel threatened, keep it to

> yourself. Don't take things personally. Contribute everything you can to

> help advance the EMS Profession.

>

> Gene Gandy

>

October 4, 2000

I personally know a few outstanding EMS personnel that have great skills and

exceptional instinct (which is what most of us rely on), that are dyslexic

and have trouble with spelling. I don't believe that makes them less than

any of the rest of us. In fact, I have learned a lot by watching them work

to overcome this weakness. Who are we to judge, they passed the test just

like the rest of us. If you received a 100 or barley passed, you still got

certified.

Grand Prairie, TX

October 4, 2000

Touche' and 10-4.

[texasems-L] Thoughts on eMail writing

>

> > As a frequent poster on various eMail lists, I receive many replies to

my

> > posts, some positive and some negative. Often I receive emails taking

me

> to

> > task for being politically incorrect, blunt, offensive, critical of

> others,

> > stupid, insensitive, and a myriad of other tags. I also receive many

> emails

> > in support and agreement with my stated positions, but many of them are

> sent

> > privately because the writers fear the wrath of somebody (employer) for

> > having agreed with me. I understand the need to preserve one's job. I

> also

> > understand that we live in the greatest country on earth and are blessed

> with

> > a Constitution and Bill of Rights, the First Amendment of which

guarantees

> > Freedom of Speech. So let me expound a little on Freedom of Speech.

> >

> > First, Freedom of Speech DEMANDS SPEECH. Freedom of speech means

nothing

> if

> > nobody speaks. There are so few people on this list who post. The same

> > people are usually posting, and thank God for them, but how many of the

> rest

> > of you just lurk? Get on board and post something, even if it's wrong!!

> If

> > you're not a part of the debate, then you're left out of the solution.

> > Exercise your freedom or lose it.

> >

> > Second, Freedom of Speech allows us to be politically correct,

incorrect,

> > stupid, dumb, brilliant, funny, sad, and lots of other adjectives. But

if

> we

> > don't speak, then we're none of the above.

> >

> > Third, email is a hybrid sort of communication. It's faster than

> snailmail

> > but slower than telephone conversations. It's stream of conscience but

> with

> > the opportunity to edit it before speaking it. But it's not the same as

> > journalistic writing. If I'm writing for a journal I revisit my writing

> 100

> > times, rereading, refining, revising, and rethinking what I've said over

> and

> > over. Email lets me do that to a certain extent, but the very nature of

> > email is that I won't spend a week or two weeks on a post before I send

> it.

> > Rather, I'll spend a few minutes at best. Once it is sent it is history

> that

> > I have to live with. But at least it's better than a voice recording of

> > one's spontaneous conversations, which would offer no opportunity to

> edit

> > or refine. Email is very dangerous in that once it's posted, it's

> available

> > to the world and can be copied and used against you. My emails have

been

> > copied and used against me on various occasions, and I'm comfortable

with

> > that because I understand that once published, they're there for

> posterity.

> >

> > Fourth, some comments about eMail writing. Some use email as a simple

> > commuication tool which takes the place of telephone or snailmail

> > communications. Some use it to communicate ideas, and that's what I use

> it

> > for. I write to inform people about what's going on in EMS education,

but

> > more often to expound upon my ideas on EMS subjects. When I write, I

use

> > various writing techniques that I'd like to discuss and explain for

those

> who

> > take offense to my writing.

> >

> > Recently I wrote a post entitled " Taking Myself to Task " in which I

> revisited

> > some writing I had done and rewrote it in " politically correct " terms. I

> had

> > written something that some had unfortunately seen as derogatory to EMS

> > personnel who attend the EMS Conference in uniform and lurch down 6th

> Street

> > under the influence of ETOH and give EMS a bad name. Someone thought I

> was

> > targeting certain persons for criticism, which I assuredly was not, but

> > questioned my post. So I replied with a " politically correct " version

of

> my

> > post. This immediately led to further criticism for making a mockery of

> > those who had criticized me, and on and on, as you can well see.

> >

> > What was I doing? First, I was using satire. Satire is a technique

that

> > uses holding up of human vices to ridicule or scorn. Satire is

> particularly

> > useful in puncturing the balloons of pompous and self-important people.

> > There is a great amount of pomposity and self importance in the medical

> > profession which is vulnerable to satire.

> >

> > Second, I use hyperbole, which is an exaggeration of descriptions

designed

> to

> > bring down pompous thought. Example: He was the ParaGod.

> >

> > Third, I use pointed questions. This is perhaps the most hated

technique,

> in

> > that it points out perceived problems and demands a reply. Nobody likes

> > this. Those who read the " pointed questions " don't know whether or not

> the

> > questions are being pointed at them, but they're paranoid that they are.

> > They tend to assume that they are and immediately become defensive,

which,

> of

> > course, proves that the " pointed questions " were in fact addressed to

> them.

> > They then attack the questioner. The questioner always has the upper

hand

> > because s/he can then recite the history of the " pointed question " and

the

> > responses to it and then use satire, hyperbole, and metaphors to attack.

> The

> > recipients of the " pointed questions " generally have no sense of humor

nor

> > any sense of perspective and therefore tend to overreact to the use of

the

> > " pointed question, " thus making themselves paragons of bad practices and

> > opening themselves up to further questioning/ridicule.

> >

> > TALKING POINTS: Be open and free with your eMail presence. Be honest

> > about yourself and your organization. If you feel threatened, keep it

to

> > yourself. Don't take things personally. Contribute everything you can

to

> > help advance the EMS Profession.

> >

> > Gene Gandy

> >

>

October 4, 2000

AMEN

October 4, 2000

My only comment on this is that not everyone can afford the cost of getting a

degree or like me at my age, and my medical condition, it is impossible.

However, getting and keeping my EMTI (unfortunately due to health never made

the Paramedic classes) hasn't been a hardship on my husband financially since

I had to quit working and keeping up with my CE hours now isn't that

expensive. I would love to go " for the GOLD " but know that in my case it is

unrealistic. I do, however, LOVE helping people and since I won't be seeking

a job at a higher level, I certainly happy they still have certification for

my level (or any level for that matter) as I know those who couldn't make it

through college to get the degree even if they had the money BUT are good if

not very good/great at what they do!!

LloydEMTI

October 4, 2000

you just said one of my favorite things. There are those out there

that make a 100 on a test I wouldn't want to touch me while the one barely

passing is the one I'd want. Testing is something some people to very well,

then some get so nervous, even though they know the answers, they freeze up.

I'll take the one I know can take care of me best besides just knowing his

book stuff!

LloydEMTI

October 5, 2000

:

Unfortunately, it is common for people to be assessed at face value with a

bit of filtering through our own prejudices in the process. When most

physicians or nurses see a paramedic chart in which every other word is

misspelled or in which the grammar sounds like something a recent immigrant

might write, they don't assume the author was dyslexic. They assume he or

she is ignorant and undereducated. They assume his or her medical education

is probably deficient, too, and that he or she cannot be trusted to perform

appropriately. The same assumption is made of those medics who insist of

projecting the good-ole-boy image of being a country hick that just hopped

off the combine to go run a paramedic call. None of these assumptions is

fair, but you will never change the fact they are made and acted on. The

only thing one can do is correct the image one projects and be intolerant of

other medics who continue to project a bad image. Along with that, it would

be a positive step to try and help them improve, if they are amenable to

being helped. That's reality. 'Tis the pits, but there it is.

Actually, one could argue that being severely dyslexic, while an honest

disability and no fault of the sufferer, can be sufficient grounds to

disqualify one from being a paramedic. I certainly don't want someone who

can't read and interpret complex medical protocols correctly working on a

member of my family. I also don't want someone whose math ability is so poor

he can't calculate proper drug doses to touch us either.

Because there is substantial controversy over just what a particular score

on the exam means in terms of real-world competency, I refrain from

commenting about medics whose test scores are low, but passing. Its the same

as the old saw about physicians - What do they call a medical student who

makes a 71 on the state board exam? Doctor!

Dave

Re: [texasems-L] Thoughts on eMail writing

> I personally know a few outstanding EMS personnel that have great skills

and

> exceptional instinct (which is what most of us rely on), that are dyslexic

> and have trouble with spelling. I don't believe that makes them less than

> any of the rest of us. In fact, I have learned a lot by watching them

work

> to overcome this weakness. Who are we to judge, they passed the test just

> like the rest of us. If you received a 100 or barley passed, you still

got

> certified.

>

> Grand Prairie, TX

>

October 5, 2000

Dave,

Unfortunately, it is common for people to be assessed at face value with a

bit of filtering through our own prejudices in the process. When most

physicians or nurses see a paramedic chart in which every other word is

misspelled or in which the grammar sounds like something a recent immigrant

might write, they don't assume the author was dyslexic. They assume he or

she is ignorant and undereducated. They assume his or her medical education.

is probably deficient, too, and that he or she cannot be trusted to perform

appropriately. The same assumption is made of those medics who insist of

projecting the good-ole-boy image of being a country hick that just hopped

off the combine to go run a paramedic call. None of these assumptions is

fair, but you will never change the fact they are made and acted on.

You know what they say about people who assume.

The only thing one can do is correct the image one projects and be intolerant

of

other medics who continue to project a bad image. Along with that, it would

be a positive step to try and help them improve, if they are amenable to

being helped. That's reality. 'Tis the pits, but there it is.

To have achieved the level that they have achieved, they have undoubtedly

improved more than one can know.

Actually, one could argue that being severely dyslexic, while an honest

disability and no fault of the sufferer, can be sufficient grounds to

disqualify one from being a paramedic. I certainly don't want someone who

can't read and interpret complex medical protocols correctly working on a

member of my family. I also don't want someone whose math ability is so poor

he can't calculate proper drug doses to touch us either.

Again EMS is more about instincts, their math is not involved in the problem.

Do they perform less or not as efficient care because they occasionally

transpose letters? Obviously not or would not have made it in the profession.

Because there is substantial controversy over just what a particular score

on the exam means in terms of real-world competency, I refrain from

commenting about medics whose test scores are low, but passing. Its the same

as the old saw about physicians - What do they call a medical student who

makes a 71 on the state board exam? Doctor!

I totally agree.

October 5, 2000

AMEN

October 5, 2000

The VAST majority of those I know who are good in EMS (and I feel I know a lot

of them) do not have degrees, nor or licensed (of course these things are

relatively new to obtain for EMS jobs) and, like you, are good because they like

what they are doing. Language skills are important in our line of work and that

is the basic point here. Believe me, your point is well taken.

>>> LloydEMTI@... 10/04/00 08:45PM >>>