Don't You Dare Disrespect Dr. Biden

 Gary Fouse

fousesquawk

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com

Call me uninformed, but for years when I heard Jill Biden referred to as "Dr Jill Biden", I thought she was a practicing physician. It wasn't until the Democratic convention that I learned that she was actually a former teacher with a PhD. Truth be told, there has been lots of misleading information surrounding the Biden family, but I will stay with this specific topic.

It seems that the Jacobins at Northwestern University are all upset that a former NW English teacher has written an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal advising Jill to drop the Dr title because it is misleading. 

https://www.foxnews.com/media/wsj-op-ed-on-dr-jill-biden-gets-writer-canceled-by-northwestern-university

Here is what the Daily Northwestern has to say about all this:

https://dailynorthwestern.com/2020/12/12/lateststories/nu-condemns-former-english-lecturer-joseph-epsteins-op-ed-calling-jill-biden-to-drop-doctor-title/

“Northwestern is firmly committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, and strongly disagrees with Mr. Epstein’s misogynistic views,” the University wrote.

Is there a university in the Land that doesn't use this by-line? But I digress.

Personally, calling someone with a PhD "Dr" is appropriate in a university setting or when that person is being addressed in their capacity as an academic. To use it as an everyday title the way Jill Biden has been using it does strike me as a bit presumptuous.  

And unlike Whoopi Goldberg, I never presumed that Jill Biden was an "amazing" doctor who should be surgeon general.