Lately I have really struggled. As the last 4 years came to a close, as a changing of the guard has achieved, hopefully, the ultimate, not the pen-ultimate peak of this disaster. Five people died. None of my Trump supporting friends denounced their leader. None of them stood up to show their integrity. Their silence revealing their lack-thereof. I have been appalled. Appalled into silence. In disbelief that my friends, coworkers, family members and neighbors could continue to support a con-man. A man that has consistently shown us who he is. For the love of money. Money over life. Money over people. Money over all else. Whether as a result of denial or active ignorance, do not consider the reality of the situation. There are incredible disparities in our country. It may not be the caste system of Ancient Egypt, but we are not all the same. We do not all have the same opportunities. This country was founded only 245 years ago by individuals seeking relief from persecution. On this unique land- stolen from the Native Americans- the American republic was founded on the bases that all people are created equal with the same inalienable rights and that these fundamental rights include liberty, free speech, freedom of religion, due process of law, and freedom of assembly. But that’s not what happened. The past 245 years have seen slavery abolished 156 years ago and the Jim Crow laws “ending” only 53 years ago. Since then there has been a slow and steady and often violent progress toward equality. THIS IS NOT OK.
You cannot be a scientist and agree with slavery or discrimination or that women are property. We all have the same DNA in our bodies. For more on this subject, I cannot say it better than Vivian Chou (http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/science-genetics-reshaping-race-debate-21st-century/). Science by definition is unbiased. That is the beauty of science. There must be sufficient data with sufficient power (sample size) to draw a statistically significant conclusion. Furthermore, it must be repeatable. Let’s take the history of vaccination for example. Twelve years after the landmark study, published in the Lancet, drawing a conclusion between MMR vaccines and risk for autism, it was retracted (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2831678/). It was retracted because the data had never once been replicated. Since that time, there has been much effort to prevent such publications being printed ever again. The process of science is rigorous and lengthy. It is a marathon and not a sprint. You can draw NO conclusions from any one publication other than “there is more research needed on this subject.”
The past 4 years, seeing Science put into question by a political party was just beyond comprehension. The Capitol insurrection was the first time I realized just how deep the misconceptions and dissolutions ran. THIS IS NOT OK. I held my breath, waiting for people to denounce their toxic leader. It did not happen. So I decided my line had been crossed. It is enough. It is time for us to all stand up against this virus that has infected our country, much like COVID-19. If I don’t, then I too am complicit.
MumGene 