lauren@vortex.com
Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2017 08:26:36 -0800
*WashPo* via NNSquad https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/02/24/science-societies-have-long-shunned-politics-but-now-theyre-ready-to-march/
Some of the nation's biggest scientific organizations, including the
American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American
Geophysical Union, are partnering with grass-roots organizers to plan the
March for Science, an Earth Day rally in Washington and cities around the
world aimed at defending "robustly funded and publicly communicated
science." The news signals that the effort, spawned from social-media
musings in the days after President Trump's inauguration, has officially
gone mainstream. Such coordinated activism is a big change for scientists
and the societies that represent them.
- - -
I don't think marching is going to do a hell of a lot of good. But for many, many years I have strongly urged that scientists and techies be involved politically, and I was continually told by the higher-ups in these professional societies that "This isn't our role. We just do the science and let the data speak for us." I always knew that they were dangerously wrong about this, and now we have the proof. I take no pleasure from being right about the issue, however.
Some years ago, I held a pair of conferences about the Future of the
Internet. At one, there was a rather distinguished looking older attendee
whom I didn't know. I've called him the man in black since he was always
dressed entirely in black. He sat at the back of the room and listened
attentively -- he rarely said anything. Then at one point, he pulled me
aside privately and said words to this effect: "Lauren, I spend all my time
in Washington dealing with politicians. And I can guarantee you one
thing. If you techies don't become politically aware and active and start
pushing back, you're going to be crushed and steamrolled." Later I found out
that he was apparently a top lobbyist for the tobacco industry. It was like
getting advice from Darth Vader. But he was 100% correct.