Dave Weldon Out; TDS and MAHA Hate Collide

"Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world." - Cat Stevens

Dr. Dave Weldon’s abrupt ouster from his nomination to head the CDC made all the headlines today, but I’d like to begin with another story. One of the first things I read this morning was a Facebook post by my good friend Kristen Meghan Kelly. Some of you are no doubt familiar with Kristen from her years of work as an industrial hygienist and advocate for health freedom and veterans’ rights, among other things (yeah, she’s pretty amazing). Many of you likely first heard of her during the covid years, when she was on the front lines exposing the lies about the efficacy of masks. But she’s been at it a lot longer than that. Anyway, Kristen’s post shared something that happened to her young daughter (affectionately nicknamed “Moo”) recently:

For those of you who may be using a screen reader, Kristen’s daughter was told by a neighbor’s child that she was no longer allowed to visit Kristen’s daughter at her home, because apparently Kristen and her (amazing health advocate and military veteran) husband “are bad people” who are “nice to kids but not to adults.” As someone who has only known Kristen since I’ve been an adult, I can personally attest that this statement is utter hogwash.

But that’s not the point. The point is that Kristen and her husband are clearly being vilified for their personal political views. Kristen happens to be a Ron Paul Libertarian who also supports both U.S. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and also sometimes supports President Trump (yes, it’s possible to do both). You’d be hard-pressed to find a politician with whom Kristen agrees on every issue (ok, Ron Paul may be the exception), and she has been very outspoken about her political beliefs online. From where I sit, the only thing she’s guilty of is exercising her First Amendment rights. And what’s more, there have been several things Kristen’s said with which I completely disagree, not only due to my personal opinions but also due to my religious beliefs. But my attitude about that is, to put it bluntly, “So what?” It hasn’t affected my respect for her as a person one bit.

And well it should not, to paraphrase Master Yoda. I don’t know anything about the neighbors who banned their children from Kristen’s house, but what I do know is that it’s pathetic, childish, and even hateful. What’s more, they apparently did it without regard for how it could affect their child’s feelings, or those of Kristen’s daughter. When you place young children in the crossfire of your stupid political war games, that’s when you’ve lost my respect (though I doubt they’d care very much about that either). The irony is that people who do these things tend to identify themselves as politically liberal, advocates for diversity, and warriors against discrimination. But diversity to these people is only skin deep (and sometimes, not even as deep as that). True diversity includes diversity of thought, which of course includes diversity of political opinion. They are the first to join hands in a Kumbaya moment with anyone who shares their worldview, and the first to ostracize and demonize anyone who dares to disagree with them. In short, they are quick to assume the form of the very thing they claim to despise.

Kristen has very thick skin, and this won’t bother her. Her child, with a heart of gold (and probably equally thick skin), expressed to Kristen that she was more concerned that her mother would be hurt by this news. God bless them both.

Back to Weldon, who I’m sorry to say has become a footnote, rather than a headline, in this post. What Senators Bill Cassidy and Susan Collins did to him in derailing his nomination to head the CDC was fruit of the same tree from which Kristen’s neighbors plucked. Weldon has been “banned” by the Senate because he happens to hold some viewpoints that differ from those of Cassidy and Collins. It would be more accurate, I think, to say that it’s because he holds some viewpoints that are at odds with the pharmaceutical industry kingpins and lobbyists who have power over Cassidy and Collins (and many others). To confirm someone who would actually bring a fresh perspective to an agency owned by that industry - someone who could not be bought, and would not become a tool of the industry - was something they just couldn’t allow. And so, it’s back to the drawing board for President Trump and Secretary Kennedy. I pray for the best, but I have to admit I’m skeptical that anyone with Weldon’s tenacity and integrity can be confirmed, for one simple reason. If they didn’t allow Weldon to get in, why would they vote for someone who is an equal threat to their agenda? If they were going to do that, they could have just voted to confirm Weldon in the first place.

And that’s all I have to say for tonight. The hour is late, and I’m not solving any of these problems. But I do think it’s time we stopped to consider what we have to gain by fighting each other. It’s even more important that we consider what we have to lose. (Now how’s that for a Kumbaya moment?)