A contributor on Wall Street Journal argues that incoming United States 1st lady should consider removing "Dr" from her name because the quality of doctorates has waned over te years (in the USA). He further claimed that her thesis was subpar since it is in education. His article has led to furore as many, especially women and minorities across the world who argued that the article was sexist, misogynistic shameful, and decided to include "Dr" in their LinkedIn profiles. The crux of their argument is that they worked for the degree.

The piece, “Is There a Doctor in the White House? Not if You Need an M.D.” by Joseph Epstein, an emeritus lecturer of English at Northwestern University, is ostensibly a foray into an ongoing debate over whether only medical doctors can claim the title, or whether it can also be used by PhDs or others with doctorates, such as Biden, who has a doctorate in educational leadership. (Many publications, including Vox, follow the Associated Press stylebook, which reserves “Dr.” for medical doctors.)

Epstein’s op-ed, though, went beyond this argument to specifically belittle Biden’s credentials and her field of study, beginning with addressing Biden — who is 69 — as “kiddo.” In the op-ed, he describes her decision to use the title of doctor as something that “sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic.” He also dismisses her doctoral dissertation, about keeping community college students enrolled, as “unpromising,” though he does not make clear whether he has read it.

Many women in academia struggle to be addressed with the same respect given their male colleagues. And community colleges have long fought a stigma that the education they offer is inferior to their four-year counterparts.

Biden’s students call her “Dr.” — but the op-ed insists she doesn’t deserve the title

Biden, according to Politico, has two master’s degrees and earned her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Delaware in 2007; she was a community college professor in northern Virginia while her husband was vice president. Though she took a leave of absence during the campaign, she has said that she will continue to teach while in the White House. Her students, according to Politico, call her “Dr. B.”

But Epstein suggests that Biden does not deserve to be referred to this way, writing that “a wise man once said that no one should call himself ‘Dr.’ unless he has delivered a child. Think about it, Dr. Jill, and forthwith drop the doc.” For anyone else who has earned the title to use it is “pathetic” to Epstein’s mind, and he claims it is meaningless anyway.

Epstein goes on to argue the value of a doctorate has diminished in recent years in comparison to the olden days at Columbia University, when “a secretary sat outside the room where these [doctoral examinations] were administered, a pitcher of water and a glass on her desk. The water and glass were there for the candidates who fainted.”

https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/2020/12/12/22171419/wall-street-journal-op-ed-epstein-jill-biden-sexism-elitism

https://www.thelily.com/for-women-with-doctoral-degrees-the-wsj-op-ed-about-jill-biden-was-no-surprise-we-are-always-questioned/?

The subject of the attack, Dr Jill Biden who was described as kiddo (a child) by the writer, responded as follows:

"That was such a surprise," Biden told comedian Stephen Colbert. "It was really the tone of it. ... You know, he called me ‘kiddo.’ One of the things that I'm most proud of is my doctorate. I mean I worked so hard for it."

The university where the writer of the article lectured have expressed disagreements with his submission and dissociated themselves from him:

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

NU’s English Department said the op-ed cast an “unmerited aspersion” on Biden’s doctoral credentials and expertise. Rejecting the opinion, the department wrote it also condemns the diminishing of any individual’s well-earned degrees “in any field, from any university.”

Epstein was never a tenured professor at NU, the University wrote, and has not been a lecturer since 2002. He currently holds emeritus status with the English Department

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

Ok, next!

emkz:
A contributor on Wall Street Journal argues that incoming United States 1st lady should consider removing "Dr" from her name because the quality of doctorates has waned over te years (in the USA). He further claimed that her thesis was subpar since it is in education. His article has led to furore as many, especially women and minorities across the world who argued that the article was sexist, misogynistic shameful, and decided to include "Dr" in their LinkedIn profiles. The crux of their argument is that they worked for the degree.



https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/2020/12/12/22171419/wall-street-journal-op-ed-epstein-jill-biden-sexism-elitism

https://www.thelily.com/for-women-with-doctoral-degrees-the-wsj-op-ed-about-jill-biden-was-no-surprise-we-are-always-questioned/?

The subject of the attack, Dr Jill Biden who was described as kiddo (a child) by the writer, responded as follows:



The university where the writer of the article lectured have expressed disagreements with his submission and dissociated themselves from him:

.

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

Jealous Republicans everywhere.

Congratulations to First Lady Dr. Jill Biden.