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- Kimberly Ross says facts matter most of all. They should trump feelings every time, no matter how long those feelings have existed.
Our binary system of politics is frustrating for those who do not align with either major political party. This has perhaps never been more clear than in recent years. The fevered nature of tribalism is such that veering off the path of party allegiance brands one a traitor. Anymore, guiding principles are anathema to those who believe loyalty to a group should matter most of all.
As a conservative, the last decade of populist politics has been a disappointment. If a party or its leaders subtly promote an abandonment of reason and even basic decency, I will not get on board. This doesn’t mean that I’ve turned progressive. (Too many people on the left already wallow in feelings over facts and lack moral clarity.) But it does mean vocal disapproval of my political allies is appropriate. Cleaning one’s own house should forever be a top priority.
One of the worst aspects of the New Right is the infatuation with standing opposite established science. This is a curious evolution given how much the conservatives generally prizes a pro-life attitude. The pro-life cause, while it can be connected to religious belief, is at its core rooted in the science of conception. Arguments in support of the pro-life movement openly question why abortion supporters deny basic scientific fact. The COVID pandemic did much to degrade Americans’ trust in the scientific community. This is not surprising. Pandemic era overreach was a real concern when it came to things like mandates, distancing guidelines, and for some, even a fast-tracked vaccine. But those realities don’t mean trust in science should be discarded as a result.
The desire to get back at government and authority in a post-COVID world is very real. And there are merits to questioning government intrusion in our lives even when it comes to health decisions. But overcorrecting and sowing distrust, perhaps because it feels like getting back at the Covid era overlords, is not a good move.
In early September, the Florida Surgeon General announced the states would remove vaccine mandates for schools. While some of the mandates will be eliminated 90 days after the announcement, which occurred on September 3rd, others require legislative approval. A piece by the editors at National Review hit the nail on the head in terms of how dangerous this is for society as a whole.
“The question of whether or not to require a vaccination against a dangerous, potentially widespread disease is not a simple question of individual liberty, because it’s a choice that inevitably involves the welfare of others.”
“It was wrong for federal, state, and local governments to go to such great lengths to coerce Americans into taking the Covid vaccines, and for public-health authorities to want to shut down all debate about it. Florida deserves great credit for resisting almost all this nonsense. But the pendulum shouldn’t swing in the other direction such that measles, through suspicion of all established practices and any vaccine requirements whatsoever, is given a new lease on life.”
It is concerning to have RFK, Jr. at the helm and to see states like Florida, well-run in other aspects, lean away from vaccines. It is a direct response to what has happened in recent years. But the pandemic does not dilute the science surrounding the efficacy and safety of vaccines.
Conservatives have always wanted smaller government and less intrusion in our lives. These are good things. But both Covid and a second Trump electoral victory have pushed some to forget reasoning altogether. Instead, they are in favor of getting back at those who made poor leadership decisions in the past by dangerously shaking up the present and the future.
The appointment of RFK, Jr. is a complete embarrassment. Worst of all, he can do some real damage. This man should not be in a position of authority especially when it comes to health decisions in this country. His current level of prominence has done so much to infect a party already leery of the scientific community. But unlike what RFK, Jr. claims, vaccines are good, they have not killed more than they’ve helped. Also, the government will not and simply can’t make Americans healthy. Those actions have to be done on a personal level no matter what claims those involved with the MAHA movement make. Secretary Kennedy has a long history that includes distrust of and misinformation about vaccines, including the claim that vaccines cause autism.
During the Charlie Kirk memorial on September 21st, President Trump declared the next day’s press conference with RFK, Jr. would include “an answer to autism.” Of course, this was a wild exaggeration in every way imaginable. The actual press conference did not include an answer at all but suggestions and fear-mongering. The administration states that taking Tylenol during pregnancy can have disastrous neurological consequences and is issuing guidelines as a result: “President Donald Trump announced Monday a link between Tylenol usage during pregnancy and autism, a claim that the medication’s maker fiercely disputes. The Trump administration is releasing new guidance advising pregnant women against acetaminophen unless they have a fever. Tylenol is the brand name for acetaminophen, an over-the-counter medication commonly used for pain relief and common sicknesses like cold and fever.”
But as Bethany Mandel wrote earlier this month in the New York Post: “Large-scale studies have not found reliable evidence that acetaminophen causes autism, and medical experts consider it safe when used appropriately. The evidence against acetaminophen is weak and riddled with confounding factors. It’s nowhere near enough to outweigh decades of real-world safety data. Scaring women away from it on shaky evidence isn’t responsible, it’s cruel. But cruelty to mothers has a long history in the autism debate. When science can’t provide answers, culture fills the void with blame.”
It is astounding and altogether disappointing that the side so focused on accepting science when it comes to the development of human life is so quick to accept quackery because it either feels good or feels like revenge for a past wrong. None of this bodes well for the present, the next few years of the Trump administration, and the future relationship between science and the political right.
As always, facts matter most of all. They should trump feelings every time, no matter how long those feelings have existed. Simply put: the data concerning vaccines and acetaminophen in no way supports the expansive nonsense we currently see on display.
