Centers for Select Disease Control and Prevention

1  VULNERABLE

2  DIVERSITY

3  FETUS

4  TRANSGENDER

5  ENTITLEMENT

6  EVIDENCE-BASED

7  SCIENCE-BASED








The SEVEN banned words news story soon went viral as vulnerable people and those who care for their health and services were alarmed by the Washington Post Story. What might be the reason to identify people or their health needs by reference to transgender, diversity, or vulnerable?

Of course, HHS and CDC are entitled to their opinions about mischaracterization of the news story. As you read the response by Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald on twitter @CDCDirector you find a statement about "no banned words." However, she refers to the mischaracterization as related to budget formulation and discussion.

The murky clarifications of Dr. Fizgerald just made things worse. Why? Because she referred to budgetary language.

Government budgets make it clear what and who will and will not receive tax-payers' money.

What people say in their labs and scientific reports is important. But money controls what they get paid to investigate. Hence the title of this post "Centers for Select Disease Control and Prevention." If governments decide on a selection process that targets the health and well-being of a segment of the population then there is reason for all citizens to be concerned because you, your condition, or people you love, might be a target in the future.

The final solution to this problem is to replace elected government officials with compassionate leaders who care about all human beings.

Even if the HHS and CDC do not intend to harm anyone, without funds for certain conditions, they are limited by what they can do. If they misappropriate budgeted funds, then their off-budget programs for select people and conditions will be at risk or canceled and those responsible for diverting may lose their positions.

Words matter. Words in budgets are powerful weapons to control a population. So far it seems, the press was right to spread the word about the banned words.

Vulnerable persons are right to be alarmed. But every citizen connected to a vulnerable person should be alarmed until we have reliable evidence on which to base our efforts to keep calm and carry on.

And if the storm passes, we have a lesson in the power of words--especially when words are backed by money that guides the selection of some people and not others for some tax-funded privilege.