This post will be most definitely a departure from lovely garden pictures . It is a rant, and an angry one, but I will keep it short.
Those of us who work in any facet of communication and education know how difficult it can be to address controversial subjects. In my world Nativism, Colony Collapse Disorder of bees, pesticide safety and GMO’s are just a few of he issues i tend to shy away from open discussion on because they are just too contentious. There is science out there on all of the above issues, some good, some bad, and some that conflicts thus complicating the issues. NONE of these subjects is fully studied, understood, or simple. This complexity and a need to be able to read and understand scientific studies complicate the understanding for many lay people ( myself included) who then rely on bona fide scientists to interpret and explain results. Good communication skills are of the utmost importance for those who choose to share their knowledge with others as they are essentially translating a foreign language to those of us who last studied science and did lab work in high school or college before beginning careers in other vocations. I value their time and enjoy reading many of their public writings and following their podcasts to gain a better understanding of my chosen field.
Sadly, there is a huge group of people who enter into these discussions whose mission is not to think critically,, read research, participate in discussions and learn. Instead , they have an opinion already set in stone and follow ( usually) other lay people who support what they believe , and as a bonus they have the whole world wide web to seek out compatriots in their cause . Actually I do not have a problem with that, we are all entitled to our opinions and views of the world, and sometimes a differing view challenges me to really examine what I think I know and search out more information on a subject. I do however, have a problem with the ever growing rank of people who are neither scientifically literate or educated in a subject lashing out personally at someone who is.
In a discussion it is never alright to attack the other person ( called ad hominem) when you can’t attack the validity if their argument. .It is not civil, it is not productive and it often results in an argument mired in anger and slurs.
Kevin Folta ( professor and chair of Horticulture at The University of FL) is a brilliant scientist who is among those who care enough to try to enlighten the world. Over the past few months he has come under such personal attack that he has decided to bow out of his public discussions and will no longer be part of the greater community of learners. It is a sad, sad , day when civilized human beings can no longer participate in valuable discussions without fear of harm coming to their career ,family , or person. I hang my head and mourn for his loss and the future loss of those who either already are under attack or after witnessing others being attacked will refrain from enriching our world with their knowledge.
I also applaud Kevin and other scientists like him (there are MANY) who face such ad hominem attacks with grace and patience , answering back with data and questions trying to further the discussion even though they know they will be met with enmity and hate.
Be careful out there. Challenge what you read, look for data to support your beliefs, never ever rely on any web source without further fact checking and gain a solid understanding of an issue before entering a dispute with others. We can all add to the discussion, but allowing any person or group to silence a voice with the use of personal threats and unsubstantiated assaults against someone’s integrity brings us to a very scary place indeed.
A sad day indeed!