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Six surgeons general: It's our duty to warn the nation about RFK Jr
- Tadpole9181 1y agoArticle is paywalled, excerpt below: By Jerome Adams, Richard Carmona, Joycelyn Elders, Vivek Murthy, Antonia Novello and David Satcher As former U.S. surgeons general appointed by every Republican and Democratic president since George H.W. Bush, we have collectively spent decades in service as the Nation’s Doctor. We took two sacred oaths in our lifetimes: first, as physicians who swore to care for our patients and, second, as public servants who committed to protecting the health of all Americans. Today, in keeping with those oaths, we are compelled to speak with one voice to say that the actions of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are endangering the health of the nation. Never before have we issued a joint public warning like this. But the profound, immediate and unprecedented threat that Kennedy’s policies and positions pose to the nation’s health cannot be ignored. ... Rather than combating the rapid spread of health misinformation with facts and clarity, Kennedy is amplifying it. The consequences aren’t abstract. They are measured in lives lost, disease outbreaks and an erosion of public trust that will take years to rebuild. It is essential to note that good science and public health require not only evidence but also people — the scientists, public health professionals and civil servants whose expertise protects millions of Americans. Yet under Kennedy’s leadership, the HHS workforce has been badly damaged. He has silenced and sidelined hundreds of scientists, public health officials and medical professionals, creating an atmosphere of fear and distrust. Many of the nation’s top public health professionals — people we have worked with during crises — have resigned or retired early. They describe a culture of intimidation, where scientific findings are censored, evidence is disregarded and career officials are pressured to rubber stamp conclusions that are not backed by science.
- tim333 1y agohttps://archive.ph/cW4yJ https://archive.ph/cW4yJ
- defrost 1y agoArchive link: https://archive.md/cW4yJ https://archive.md/cW4yJ or https://archive.is/cW4yJ https://archive.is/cW4yJ
- TavinHartsell 1y ago[flagged]
- emeril 1y agoyeah, but it doesn't matter - anyone who is on the fence for vaccines will just be that less likely to get vaccinated because of rfk jr
- SapporoChris 1y agoHow often is it that six surgeon generals work together to address an issue that doesn't matter? The letter documents numerous areas of concern. You haven't addressed any of those, only flippantly responded.
- emeril 1y agowhile you're right, anyone who is vaccine hesitant probably isn't going to be influenced by this or even see reporting on this sadly
- yawpitch 1y agoThis isn’t about converting the already brain-wormed, it’s about letting those who don’t want brain worms know that a brain worm is currently deciding how brain worms are researched and regulated.
- DaSHacka 1y agoSo the point is to convince people already in the in-group to remain in the in-group? That doesn't seem to bring significant clairity as to why this matters.
- yawpitch 1y agoIf your definition of the “in-group” is “people who might be open to heeding the warnings of 1/3rd of all living US Surgeons-General on topics of their health” then yeah, I can see why that might not clarify anything for you.
- Anonbrit 1y ago
- King-Aaron 1y agoIf you were to write a film ten years ago based on the current events in the US, no one would accept it as the premise would be too absurd.
- AnimalMuppet 1y agoWould you accept a book? Ninety years ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Can't_Happen_Here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Can't_Happen_Here
- brador 1y agoThe full book is readable online: https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks03/0301001h.html https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks03/0301001h.html
- burnt-resistor 1y agoOverton window meets verisimilitude and the increase of credulity with decreases in education and critical thinking skills in the face of massive new media assaults facilitating information overload and reduced costs of manufacturing of consent.
- bryanlarsen 1y agoSimpsons did it (at least the Trump as president part). Like a lot of great humor, it had that biting edge because it was seemingly implausible with just enough of a hint of plausibility. That couldn't really happen, or could it? Oh %$#%.
- jamincan 1y agoIf you were to write a film one year ago based on the current events in the US, I don't think people would accept the premise either. I feel I was pretty pessimistic compared to most and I have been shocked at how quickly things have changed.
- King-Aaron 1y agoWell wasn't that the critical response for "Civil War"? Many people thought it was too outlandish.
- WarOnPrivacy 1y agoThis declaration by multiple USSG is clear, factual and accurate — qualities that have recently become more of a memory than a reality from US Gov officials. This statement unabashedly calls out actual and historical ongoing harm by a top US Gov official. I can't recall it's like, from any time in my longish life. HHS requires steady, ethical leadership grounded in science. By contrast, [RF] Kennedy has spent decades advancing dangerous and discredited claims about vaccines — most notoriously, the thoroughly discredited theory that childhood vaccines cause autism. He has promoted misinformation about the HPV vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer, and he has repeatedly misrepresented the risks of mRNA technology and coronavirus vaccines, despite their lifesaving impact during the pandemic. This year, as the United States faced its worst measles outbreak in more than 30 years, Kennedy de-emphasized vaccination and directed agency resources toward unproven vitamin therapies. The result: months-long outbreak, three preventable deaths and the first measles-related child death in the U.S. in over two decades. Secretary Kennedy is entitled to his views. But he is not entitled to put people’s health at risk. He has rejected science, misled the public and compromised the health of Americans. The nation deserves a health and human services secretary who is committed to scientific integrity and can restore morale and trust in our public health agencies. ed: That secretary is not, in any way, RFK Jr.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- jmclnx 1y agoGlad to see this, now we need all past living Presidents to make a similar statement about Trump, publicly.
- Bhilai 1y agoDoes it matter? Who is listening? Who is reading? Definitely not the Trump administration and the GoP. They simply don't care about these appeals and truths.
- EForEndeavour 1y ago> Does it matter? If they speak up, maybe. If they stay silent, definitely not.
- animitronix 1y agoMaybe they should have done this before the election...
- jamincan 1y agoPeople did speak up before the election and they were dismissed as overreacting.
- JohnTHaller 1y agoDirect link in case the MAGA flagging brigade gets it taken down: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/10/07/surgeons-general-rfk-jr-robert-kennedy/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/10/07/surgeons-...
- mieses 1y agosuch a rule follower. a normal person would have linked to archive.is.
- difosfor 1y agoSince when is MAGA calling the shots here? I'm surprised to see this flagged. Can simple users like me counter such flagging by upcoming the posts?
- Tadpole9181 1y agoNo, only mods can unflag.
- mdhb 1y agoAnd they have no intention of doing so they are actively on the side of the flaggers but you’ll be called a conspiracy theorist if you suggest that despite months and months of evidence.
- consumer451 1y agoI don't think it's exactly "MAGA" here. I would guess that it's the normalcy bias engine erroring out in many people's minds. We are living through the greatest "Emperor Wears no Clothes" moment in my somewhat long lifetime. It's really interesting to see how poorly we are dealing with this as a society. Is there some Slavic word to describe a hilarious public tragedy? Seems like there would be. I suppose it's time for English to invent one now.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
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- tim333 1y agoIt's nice of them to warn but hasn't everyone been informed he's a conspiracy nut for years?
- uslic001 1y agoGiven the proliferation of chronic disease under these prior surgeon generals they really have no standing to challenge RFK Jr. They failed doing their jobs. Before I get shadow banned, I am a MD in practice since 1997.
- consumer451 1y agoSince you are an MD, could you please help me understand the science behind these latest moves?