[Looking at history and our area’s unique political and religious attitudes.]

“For 20 years I’ve gotten up every morning on my knees and prayed that God would put me in a position where I can end the childhood chronic disease epidemic in this country. On August 23rd of last year, God sent me President Trump.” So began Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in his opening remarks after being sworn in as Health and Human Services Secretary.

Is that unusual for an oath of office? It definitely is for the past half-century, but not this year.

Kennedy, educated as an attorney and scion of a political family, is perhaps the most broadly knowledgeable and certainly the most outspoken on health issues facing society. He is on a mission with God to restore the health of children who now face issues unheard of prior to World War II, when the message became ‘better living through chemistry.’

He continued with “We need somebody who is willing to come in and has the spine and the guts and the strength to challenge orthodoxies, to stand in the way of vested interests, and to break institutions that have turned against our democracy.”

How did these two strong-willed, hyper-driven, men on a mission, become a team? The President gave the framework in his acceptance speech after his oath.

“My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal and all of these many betrayals that have taken place and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy, and, indeed, their freedom.

“Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear.  But I felt then and believe even more so now that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.”

It was at the time of this singular experience that President Trump called his political adversary, Presidential candidate Kennedy. The attempt was Saturday, July 13. Within hours, President Trump called Kennedy. They met on Monday, July 15, in Milwaukee before the Convention. Something happened to change two leaders to a common goal.

Many politicians make religious platitudes, while few live the line. The President signed an Executive Order Establishing a Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias. Multiple examples of harassment were delineated in his introductory paragraphs.

Many will see this alignment as the President and the Secretary stated, a divine intervention for the good of mankind. Some will dismiss it. The Founding Fathers affirmed it.

Just one example is President Jefferson. “And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.”

As a Research Scientist, let us clarify one thing about settled science.

In a recent article, we demonstrated that engineering is a way of approaching problems, not necessarily a degree program. Secretary Kennedy’s health inquiries have been challenged by those claiming the government influenced health care practices are ‘settled science.’ The mere statement reveals a gross misunderstanding.

The scientific method is a process of determining whether a hypothesis is valid. A person with the right education can get wrong results with improper investigation, particular from expectation bias.

One way of describing the scientific method is the NFPA seven steps. Recognize a problem, define the problem, gather data, analyze the data, develop a hypothesis. Then test the hypothesis against all known information. Repeat from gathering data until a final hypothesis is validated.

If there is different data or a different hypothesis, then by definition, the process is incomplete. And there is always more data.

If the scientific method is not followed, then the hyperbole is simply emotional opinion. Kennedy in many of his arguments seems to have the scientific method on his side, while his opponents retreat to ‘it’s true because I say so.’ Cicero described their error with the equivalent Latin phrase, ‘ipse dixit.’

Think about it. Is this a team ‘made in heaven?’ That does not imply they or we will agree on all things, but there is a basis for working together.