Evidence

There was an unfounded rumor that Barack Obama was not born in the United States.  It persisted throughout his campaigns, even after he provided indisputable proof that he was born in Hawaii, one of the 50 states in the USA.  The rumor was started and perpetuated by a man named Donald Trump. There was no evidence ever to support this claim.

In America, evidence is required for meting out justice. Our criminal justice system is based upon evidence and truth.  Both are taken extremely seriously and corrupted evidence is enough to end a trial in favor of the accused.  It’s not always perfect.  But most times it works. It separates America from some lesser countries where justice is swift and brutal but often based upon mere accusations.  The American ideal is trial based and requires truth for justice.

Similarly modern medical practice is striving to be evidence based. Hence, for example, superior doctors will not give a patient antibiotics for a viral infection such as a cold.  They know that only bacterial infections respond to antibiotics and that there is a growing worldwide risk of such drugs no longer being effective because of overuse.  If your doctor gives you an antibiotic for a head cold you need a new doctor.  Many other examples of this concern need to be understood by doctors and patients but the trend is towards evidence based medicine and that’s good for all of us.

Vaccines have been questioned as having a link to autism.  This is not evidence based.  Those who refuse to vaccinate their children are putting their children’s health and very lives at risk.  Just this week there was a cluster of measles cases in the United States among unvaccinated children.  So, a disease which should be eradicated resurfaces to threaten lives.  Parents who believe rumors instead of serious and compelling research endanger their own children and others as well.

Similarly photos of the recent inauguration, just a few days ago, contrasted the 45th such event to the 44th.  No forensics were needed to see the optics.  Photos of both events clearly showed massive empty space for 45’s swearing in versus a packed mall for 44.  One could easily see the evidence that the earlier event was more heavily attended than the later one.  Yet no lesser person than the PUSA maintains that the press was out to get him and the pictures did, in fact, lie.  Give me a break! I, and you, saw the evidence.  And why does it matter anyway? The man was elected. Now is the time for him to do his job.

And just a few hours ago, at a press conference in the
White House, the NONissue of voter fraud again came before Press Secretary Spicer.  Yes indeed.  He told the assembled reporters, and all of those Americans watching the event, that the president still believed that there was massive voter fraud and that even though PUSA had won the electoral college votes needed to win, he had lost the popular vote due to between three and five million unregistered and illegal voters. There is no evidence at all of this and numerous investigations have shown that it is totally fabricated.

So America finds itself in the hands of someone who can act and react as if utter lies are true. This is mighty dangerous folks.  We really need to know that pursuit of truth is an urgent value in everything our government does.  We need to know that the numbers they provide are fact based.  We need to know, before we find ourselves in a nuclear war, that our government and president, are seeking evidence based facts and not the recently created Trumpian phrase alternative facts. Alternative facts, a term used  for the first time in US government history, are lies. Facts are facts. Lies are lies.  Alternative facts are lies, pure and simple.

So we now have a president who tells us lies and who believes lies of others and acts upon those lies.  Birthism.  Election fraud.  Vaccinations. Global warming.  Who knows what else?  The facts are that our country depends upon a government capable of interpreting the truth and not fomenting ridiculous rumors, often self invented ridiculous rumors.

The perpetrator in chief is called Donald Trump.  His own ego is destroyed by any perceived lack in the size of his crowds or his fingers! He will lash back at those who accuse him, even when those accusations are evidence based.  He will act irrationally and focus his attention on wildly unsupported claims without merit or evidence.  He will be diverted from his job in order to respond to those who critique him in any way.  So he goes to the CIA, lies about the press and the size of the inaugural crowd and continues to yammer about the millions of illegal votes.  This is a dangerous and persecuted man.

Woe unto us America..