Far too much coverage of Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearings has focused on her role as a mother of seven. Republican and Democratic senators alike have admired her “beautiful” and “well-behaved” children. In apparent awe, they have queried, “How do you do it?” In response to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Coney Barrett relied on a familiar deflection: “I have eyes in the back of my head.”

How should educators teach the election of 2020? No doubt it’s essential. Pulitzer-winning historians Eric Foner, Jon Meacham, and Doris Kearns-Goodwin have gone on record saying that this Presidential contest is epochal, that the outcome may well be challenged in historically important ways, that it rates as a high-stakes “crisis election.” The recent presidential debate put students on notice that the contest will be bruising; they’re fascinated — as they might be watching a car wreck on YouTube. They want to talk about it.

Writing a prescription used to give me great hope. I knew that by following my treatment regimen with a new prescription medication that the patient would improve and achieve a better quality of life. But today, that hope has been replaced with trepidation —how many hoops will I, my staff, and our patient have to jump through with their insurer to get the treatment I’ve prescribed? Will that patient even get the medication? Given the challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s critical that patients receive the care they need without unnecessary delays.