This week, saw a truly bizarre battle of claims between a state governor and a Senate-Confirmed political appointee.
For reasons which have yet to be explained, RFK accused Governor Shapiro of making up measles deaths. At first blush, one is tempted to think RFK was somehow confused or mis-spoke. For someone who - depending on the day and his political needs, has on one hand he promised the Senators during confirmation that he knows vaccines are effective. On the other hand, nearly every statement he has made since then has been nothing but skeptical toward modern science and vaccines.
One of the more interesting areas of academic study is how conspiracy theories form snd spread. The National Institute of Health, has one insightful article available here: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5724570/. Universities have additional original research available here: https://faculty.lsu.edu/fakenews/about/rumors.php.
UC Davis notes in their 2020 research paper that both the form and targets of U.S-based conspiracy theories have changed over time. (See: https://www.ucdavis.edu/magazine/why-are-conspiracy-theories-so-persistent). The author notes that in the 19th century minorities such as Mormons (Latter Day Saints) and catholics were frequently targeted.
From my own perspective, it seems most conspiracy theories I hear or end up reading about, are primarily disinformation about the competence and integrity of our own democratically elected government. And this is one reason I find RFKs statements intellectually problematic. During the very early years of European settlement in North America, public witch-trials and subsequent executions via burning and drowning, frequently began not with politicians but rather doctors of that era. (See: https://www.history.com/articles/salem-witch-trials-hysteria-factors). I found it to be interesting that more often than not, those making the baseless accusations were men accusing women. Yet, even then there were sufficient remnants of the European enlightenment to require magistrates and judges to get involved.
When I consider a politician who has the moral and ethical responsibility to advance the health and well being of our nation, seeing thousands of Americans suffering and dying, due in no small part to lies and conspiracy theories he has advanced to help his own political career at the expense of Americans’ health, I cannot help but to be reminded of the Salem witch trials, and perhaps more crucially, the very somber reality that conspiracy theories and disinformation have become so powerful that their ideas are literally killing the next generation of American citizens from Texas all the way to Pennsylvania.
Being here in DC, we have seen and continue to see the very real and terrible impact of those whose ideology requires them to spread anti-intellectual and anti-science ideas, at the cost of our nations strength.
It was the advances of science that brought us out of the plagues of the dark ages. For better or worse God (or evolution depending on ones belief) gave us the power of our minds, to work together to overcome thousands of diseases. It is the power of unbridled American and European intellect that brought us nuclear weapons that saved hundreds of thousands, if not millions of American troops lives by ending the war Japan initiated with their Nazi allies.
As I look to the years ahead and the very real challenges my nieces and nephews will be addressing when they are my age, I truly cannot comprehend why we have national leaders spreading lies about vaccines, that they know are killing their fellow Americans.
I completely support the right of every citizen to make their own medical choices. And, I still cannot help but imagine with a sense of sadness, what every life lost to measles is costing and will cost our great nation and the world in the years ahead.
Life being what it is, we are unlikely to ever know the true cost. Was one of these children whose parents condemned them to death at such a young age, the next Albert Einstein? How many would have grown up and felt the patriotic calling to serve our nation as soldiers, fireman, police officers, teachers and great statesmen?
The cost of young, unnecessary deaths is truly incalculable. The harm done with every refused vaccine, not only bleeds our nation of its hope and strength now in 2026. The losses will be felt in ways that we cannot know the full cost of.
What we do - or rather should know - is that for any nation to continue, demographics matter. At a bare minimum, Americans can sit down with a calculator (a gift of science) and project just how much smaller our nations population will be in 10-50 years. This number continues to get smaller every day. Not only due to preventable deaths, but also due to the illegal deportation of our fellow citizens who happen to be of Latino heritage.
Even a cynical observer, were they being honest, would concede that racists influencing our White House and congressional GOP representatives are sacrificing our nations future strength on the alter of their hatred.
Here on the (soon to be) 25th anniversary of September 11th - I truly do hope and pray that some of the national unity we felt during those dark days, will return. We live in the greatest nation on earth, and we owe it, not just to ourselves but to the millions of future Americans to pause and reflect.
I do wonder, as I complete this article, not only what I could and should have done differently (43 yrs into my life) to strengthen our democracy for future generations (including my nieces and nephews) but perhaps more importantly, what I can contribute to our nation and its future in the decades ahead.
One last additional note, for this week’s article.
There is, somewhere in our nation a law enforcement officer who truly did save my life back in May of 2013, here in Washington DC. His professionalism and kindness, in my moment of need back then is why I am still alive. I owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude.
Wishing each of you, a great week ahead.
All the Best,
Carson