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At the Wisconsin protest, doctors offer to write excuse notes for teachers who called in sick.

Details and video here.

I saw these people myself today. At first I thought it was some sort of comic street theater, but it was, apparently, real doctors, defending what they were doing. I'll have my video interview up soon. I asked if it was dishonest or unethical, and the answer was that everyone has symptoms, perhaps a migraine, diarrhea, or insomnia. I suggested "activitis."

UPDATE: My video:





UPDATE 2: I spoke to another doctor ? I assume he's a doctor ? and I asked him whether he was worried, with all the cameras here, about his reputation. He said no. But he didn't use a political defense. He didn't say he supported the protesters and wanted to help them. He said people really do have symptoms, and it's a normal thing for doctors to believe patients who report symptoms and to write excuse notes for them. People call doctors all the time to get the required notes, and doctors trust the patients to report their symptoms properly. He ticked off the symptoms I've listed above.

Full post as published by Althouse on February 19, 2011 (boomark / email).