Example Letter 1
(added 31 January, 2017)
Dear [name]:
I was a Fulbright Scholar to the United States 1998-90 and fell in love with America in all its vibrancy and vitality. But I am very deeply disturbed by the current American administration’s policies around science, and the use of evidence. International collaboration is one of the bedrocks of good science, and sound science is the bedrock of good policy. I fully accept that an elected government has the right to set out its own policy priorities; but gagging government scientists because the evidence is challenging is antithetical to the fundamental principles of democratic governance. There is only so much that rogue park rangers can do: there are now thousands of committed scientists, including friends of mine, worried they will be required to advocate for un-evidenced policy commitments, be prevented from telling people about the important work that they do, or that their jobs will disappear altogether. In all your dealings with the administration, I urge you to use your influence to stand up for the scientists, for sound science, and for the process of scientific enquiry. I urge you to call out ‘alternative facts’ (or lies) as soon as you see them and refute them, in public. Our special relationship rests on respectful debate based on real facts and robust evidence, not on evidence made up on the spot and used to reinforce the divisions in American society. Yours sincerely
[Your name]:
(added 31 January, 2017)
please remember to edit details to fit yourself
[your address] [date]
I was a Fulbright Scholar to the United States 1998-90 and fell in love with America in all its vibrancy and vitality. But I am very deeply disturbed by the current American administration’s policies around science, and the use of evidence. International collaboration is one of the bedrocks of good science, and sound science is the bedrock of good policy. I fully accept that an elected government has the right to set out its own policy priorities; but gagging government scientists because the evidence is challenging is antithetical to the fundamental principles of democratic governance. There is only so much that rogue park rangers can do: there are now thousands of committed scientists, including friends of mine, worried they will be required to advocate for un-evidenced policy commitments, be prevented from telling people about the important work that they do, or that their jobs will disappear altogether. In all your dealings with the administration, I urge you to use your influence to stand up for the scientists, for sound science, and for the process of scientific enquiry. I urge you to call out ‘alternative facts’ (or lies) as soon as you see them and refute them, in public. Our special relationship rests on respectful debate based on real facts and robust evidence, not on evidence made up on the spot and used to reinforce the divisions in American society. Yours sincerely
[Your name]:
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