It hurts my heart that the current administration is
engaging in deceit, falsehoods, and inaccuracy…and it is not even a week into
the current changes. I work for the United States government and already many
like-minded individuals and scientists are under governmental restriction to
remain silent about simple facts of our world. I am fortunate to remain mostly
outside of those restrictions…at the moment.
This form of silencing is reminiscent of governments in
countries that rule by fear, devalue free thinking, and fuel propaganda. As a
scientist and employee of the National Institutes of Health, I feel it is my
duty to provide the most accurate truth that is available in the effort to
educate and protect those that rely on accurate health information and fact…particularly
those groups that are underrepresented in science.
Perhaps I’m looking at the dark side of the moon; perhaps I
am overreacting. Both are possible, I’ll admit. But I promise to myself and my
family and friends and to everyone else that I will not allow myself to be subjected
to falsehood and the belief that there are ‘alternative’ truths to basic facts
and truth. I feel incredibly passionate about this and I will not be dissuaded
from engaging anyone, on either side of the aisle, from a productive discussion
about these principles so long as people are willing to acknowledge that there
is a reality to our world that can be defined in a reasonable way. This is dramatic
maybe, but I feel this is imperative to define for myself and those I know as
our country moves forward.
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