As a physician with degrees in cell biology, medicine and public health, I must cry out to my fellow citizens, “Are we nuts?” The secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services has proclaimed publicly, “I’m not afraid of a germ. I used to snort cocaine off toilet seats.” It gets worse. The entire federal panel of experts on vaccinations was dismissed and replaced by hucksters. We got through COVID-19, so let’s push our luck. The hantavirus, which infected cruise passengers, could be coming to your community in the U.S. While we disbelieve in science, let’s bring back measles and whooping cough to our schools and county jails.
When I grew up, folks who didn’t read or contemplate facts were considered stupid, and they were ashamed. Today they are proud, as they have “alternative facts.” It sounds fine, but it’s not. Societies that embrace the dark side, such as the Confederate States of America or the Third Reich, come to power by dehumanizing others. That influence is at odds with common sense, common decency and common courtesy. Those values are no longer common. So, which direction will you take? How will you be remembered? Resist. Vote.
Dr. Bob Larsen