A Nation in Pain, By Dr. Leonard Sowah
Over the past two decades the United States has experienced an uncontrollable epidemic of drug related deaths. In 2016 sixty-three thousand Americans died of drug overdoses, two out of three of these Read More…
Category: government and politics
Secularism and Separation of Church from State: Where Do We Draw The Line? by Dr. Leonard Sowah
My country of birth has been described as one of the most religious countries in the world. This is a crown that most Ghanaians wear proudly, whilst others would gladly avoid any mention of that. ORead More…
How can we keep our friends and families safer whilst protecting the Second Amendment?
In a prior post I had dreamed of claiming my gun which I rightfully acquired as a citizen of this great nation. Unfortunately life always just appears to get in the way of the greatest ideas and like Read More…
Generic Truvada; why is it still not available on the US market?
In the US most patients who require PrEP (HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) get coverage for Truvada by their insurance companies. Patients with medicaid coverage have copays ranging from $3 – 25, howeverRead More…
A Masseuse for a Boob Job
When I look at what is happening around me these days in America, I get deja vu feelings about my childhood. Sometimes it causes me extreme tummy upset and nausea and here is why! My mom and I lived iRead More…
Thinking Outside The Box When There is No Box
I have been very lucky when it come to religious education. I grew up in the Anglican Church; actually my elementary education was in a school affiliated with the Church. In those days we would all maRead More…
The Holy Trinity, American Democracy, Zero Tolerance Nonsense and Hell goers!!
I lived with my single mother for the first 10 years of my life. At age ten I was distraught when my mother suggested I had to go live with my father because I needed a father figure to look up to! ToRead More…
General Robert E Lee, did he shape American history or has this country shaped his legacy?
In the past few years there have been many protests and struggles across this country surrounding the fate of several monuments depicting confederate leaders. One such protest which occurred in the Read More…
Oh no!! another wet dream ?
I rarely have dreams! And on the rare occasions that I have dreamt, I barely remember the contents of my dream! I guess I am not prone to hypnopompic and hypnagogic hallucinations! If I were the MartiRead More…
Why the oppressed need to keep silent so passive supporters of oppression do not feel uncomfortable.
Whilst boarding school in Ghana for me was mostly fun that was not all that I experienced in Mfantsipim School, one of the oldest schools in Ghana. My first 3 years in boarding school as a junior boy Read More…
Why I now use sign language in public !!
Before I came to America I was made to believe that America was this “melting pot” of people from all over the world. A huge successful experiment where people from all walks of life and continentRead More…
The war on drugs; who won that war? By Dr. Leonard Sowah
I first saw her in my clinic seeking care for HIV but when we first met like most patients with her medical condition she was not an ideal patient. The decision to start her on ART Antiretroviral theRead More…
Why STARBUCKS does not need to apologize to African Americans
After more than 2 centuries of slavery progress towards equity and equality has always been challenging for African Americans, progress always seems to be followed by significant periods or retrogressRead More…
Where is my gun? American democracy and the 2nd Amendment
I recently read that America has about 270 – 310 million guns, and with a population estimate of 310 million, that is almost as many guns as for every man, woman and child in this country. That gRead More…
UNSAFE ROADS IN GHANA AND GUNS IN USA, LET’S LEAVE THE SOLUTION IN GOD’S HANDS!!
Gun violence in the USA and road traffic accidents in Ghana share one thing in common both countries have decided to leave their respective problems in the hand of God. In the past 2 weeks I have beRead More…
Marijuana Use and The Evolution of Medical Marijuana Laws in the USA, By Dr. Leonard Sowah
The history of cannabis laws in the US has always been a racially charged issue. Most advocates for more relaxed laws on cannabis use believe that common usage of the word Marijuana was an attempt by Read More…
HEALTH EQUITY, IS IT REALLY ACHIEVABLE?
As a student in medical school I have a host of memories that I believe would still remain vivid in my mind for ages. One such image is my experience as a 4th year medical student observing an amputatRead More…
MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr. after 50 years his Dream still lives on
Race has been a defining characteristic in America over the years due to historical elements of American society. In the 1600s European settlers in the New World transitioned a system of slavery and iRead More…
HIV in Ghana Current Status and Potential Challenges to Control, By Dr. Leonard Sowah
My first HIV patient that I cared for was in Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana in the late 1990s. I can still remember the woman in her mid-thirties who we had admitted with symptoms suggestiveRead More…
THE OPIOID CRISIS IN AMERICA TODAY – WHAT MUST WE DO AS A NATION ?
President Trump declared a National Public Health Emergency this week; in his statement from the Whitehouse he was not talking about HIV or Hepatitis C nor was he referring to the increased incidencRead More…
WORDS CAN KILL, AND DO KILL – THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF THE DREAM ACT (DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS)
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin introduced the Dream Act in Congress in 2001 due to a story told him by a music teacher about the life of Tereza Lee a Korean girl whose parents had come to the US from KoRead More…
The Struggle for a New America II, By Dr. Leonard Sowah
For those who do not know my heritage I am Ghanaian by birth and moved to the United States about 16 yrs ago. In the US I have never been able to escape being mistaken for a Nigerian, Caribbean AmericRead More…
Driving While Black: Implicit Racial Bias & the Safety of Motorists, By Dr. Leonard Sowah
I had the opportunity to watch the released dash-cam video of the shooting of Philando Castile by police officer Geronimo Yanez. My reaction was mostly surprise at the composure and calmness of the laRead More…
GUNS DON’T KILL, PEOPLE DO !, By Dr. Leonard Sowah
“Guns don’t kill, people do”, the gun lobby has been touting this mantra for years in the United States whilst our numbers on gun violence continues to rise. Studies however show a very strong cRead More…
The struggle for a new America
On a flight back home from Seattle, Washington last month I had a conversation with the lady seated next to me about the political situation in America today. She happens to be white and since Read More…