Need positive thoughts - public health under RFK

[Anonymous]

I work in health policy, and today’s hearing was gutting. I’m obviously up to date on the news at HHS given my job, but today’s hearing was something else- RFKs gaslighting, lies, misinformation, the fighting. I’m feeling really down and out, like my life’s work is not just meaningless, but it’s only getting worse and we can see it getting worse. I worry about my kids and the world they’re growing up in. A world where we look back and think, wow everyone used to get vaccines? I need a pick me up to help me start a fresh day tomorrow. Help?!

[Anonymous]

Your life's work is of course meaningful. One corrupt idiot does not change its meaningfulness.

[Anonymous]

Carry on. Don’t waste energy worrying about your kids. They will carry on as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your life's work is of course meaningful. One corrupt idiot does not change its meaningfulness.

This. If anything, the country needs honest, educated, science-minded people to rebuild our public health infrastructure and public understanding, and in the greater scheme of things, that time will soon come. Please hang in there. Do something for you to stay sane, and bide your time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your life's work is of course meaningful. One corrupt idiot does not change its meaningfulness.

This. If anything, the country needs honest, educated, science-minded people to rebuild our public health infrastructure and public understanding, and in the greater scheme of things, that time will soon come. Please hang in there. Do something for you to stay sane, and bide your time.

+1
Can you get involved in any shadow coalitions? Such as the CA-WA-OR one, we should have more of these.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your life's work is of course meaningful. One corrupt idiot does not change its meaningfulness.

This. If anything, the country needs honest, educated, science-minded people to rebuild our public health infrastructure and public understanding, and in the greater scheme of things, that time will soon come. Please hang in there. Do something for you to stay sane, and bide your time.

+1

[Anonymous]

hang in there – the country will survive this, and things will change under a new administration, Democratic or Republican.

[Anonymous]

I was somewhat heartened that the hearing was so contentious and is getting so much press. At least people aren’t just shrugging my off the crazy.

I’m more upset that people don’t seem to be focusing on the dismantling of medical research. I think that’s too complicated for most people to really get the issues.

My kid is in college interested in public health or medical research. I’m not discouraging them. I think sanity will return eventually and they will need to fill out these spots from the Gen X folks they pushed out prematurely. It seems like some people still have some ptsf from COVID shutdowns and are reacting irrationally (the vaccine backlash, for instance—but I have to think that will eventually fade. Maybe we’ll end up in some middle ground that is more like Europe (which I think has been historically under vaccinated, but is at least moderately rational in their approach).

[Anonymous]

OP, your work is more important than ever. Keep fighting. A lot of us will back you up. We cannot let these idiots destroy decades of progress on public health issues.

[Anonymous]

You are an employee, not the leader of HHS. This means you can personally disagree, but you must commit to the mission. If you can't do that, then leave HHS. Quiet "resistance" in performing job duties is both inappropriate and a potential breach of HHS code of conduct:

When a Department program is based on law, Executive Order or regulation, every employee has a positive obligation to make it function as efficiently and economically as possible and to support it as long as it is a part of recognized public policy.

Employees shall avoid any action whether or not specifically prohibited by this part, which might result in or create the appearance of: (c) Impeding Government efficiency or economy; (f) Affecting adversely the confidence of the public in the integrity of the Government

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in health policy, and today’s hearing was gutting. I’m obviously up to date on the news at HHS given my job, but today’s hearing was something else- RFKs gaslighting, lies, misinformation, the fighting. I’m feeling really down and out, like my life’s work is not just meaningless, but it’s only getting worse and we can see it getting worse. I worry about my kids and the world they’re growing up in. A world where we look back and think, wow everyone used to get vaccines? I need a pick me up to help me start a fresh day tomorrow. Help?!

Public health worker here too. Really having a hard time focusing at work, I think it's like stages of grief that I need to get through/ process before I can really focus again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are an employee, not the leader of HHS. This means you can personally disagree, but you must commit to the mission. If you can't do that, then leave HHS. Quiet "resistance" in performing job duties is both inappropriate and a potential breach of HHS code of conduct:

When a Department program is based on law, Executive Order or regulation, every employee has a positive obligation to make it function as efficiently and economically as possible and to support it as long as it is a part of recognized public policy.

Employees shall avoid any action whether or not specifically prohibited by this part, which might result in or create the appearance of: (c) Impeding Government efficiency or economy; (f) Affecting adversely the confidence of the public in the integrity of the Government

OP didn’t say they work at HHS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:hang in there – the country will survive this, and things will change under a new administration, Democratic or Republican.

No it will not.
Republicans are going to have Trump stay for a third term fool.

Dictatorship is not the same as the US of Am

Republicans are all in on a facist regime
Your DD are not safe moving forward.

Your children will die !
There will be no jobs.

Republican voters vote every election against their own interests this time they voted for the last time the morons, anti American idiots

[Anonymous]

Eventually people get tired of seeing children put in iron lungs and cemeteries filling up with tombstones for babies. Your skills will be needed again eventually, but until then there's always travel to Canada where they will at least still have childhood vaccinations available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are an employee, not the leader of HHS. This means you can personally disagree, but you must commit to the mission. If you can't do that, then leave HHS. Quiet "resistance" in performing job duties is both inappropriate and a potential breach of HHS code of conduct:

When a Department program is based on law, Executive Order or regulation, every employee has a positive obligation to make it function as efficiently and economically as possible and to support it as long as it is a part of recognized public policy.

Employees shall avoid any action whether or not specifically prohibited by this part, which might result in or create the appearance of: (c) Impeding Government efficiency or economy; (f) Affecting adversely the confidence of the public in the integrity of the Government

I'm pretty sure we're well past public belief in the integrity of the Government.