When Science is Abandoned for Political Agendas

My heart is heavy and my spirit is deeply troubled. Two days ago, a 30-year-old man armed with five guns fired dozens of rounds on the campuses of Emory University and the CDC, trying to force his way into the CDC headquarters. His reported motive? He blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him suicidal.

This is the horrifying, real-world consequence of the relentless war on science.

We now have uniformed and ignorant leadership at the highest levels, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leading the Department of Health and Human Services. Let me be clear: I believe in science. I reject the dangerous untruths and conspiracy theories that will undoubtedly lead more people to confusion, despair, and untimely deaths.

This is personal for me. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was proud to work at the CDC. I was deployed as a Regional Liaison Officer, a role in which I was responsible for providing critical guidance to six different jurisdictions. I saw the risks firsthand and reported our mitigations and strategies directly to the White House. It was grueling, complex work, but we were saving lives.

To see that hard work, the sacrifices of countless public health officials, and the very science that pulled us from the depths of the pandemic being systematically dismantled is a betrayal to every single person who trusted the process and every professional who dedicated their lives to protecting this nation. The violence that just unfolded on the doorsteps of my former workplace is a symptom of a much larger disease: a leadership that fans the flames of mistrust and disinformation. This is what happens when science is abandoned for political agendas.