Appreciate you have taken this guest on in hopes of an objective discussion with someone working within the university system for sometime who appeared to have one negative view of "overzealous" DEI, to coming out on the other side due to this administration's aggressive approach in the reverse. However, his cold comments in terms of your question about literal cruelty in latest executive orders, and his final statement of generalization and blame on overzealous approach of Progressives being responsible for us getting Trump again tells me he lives in an ivory tower. (I do believe you don't agree with him on this.} We have 2 white, heterosexual able-bodied males making commentary on anti-discriminatory practices. As a person who is female and disabled, even I got frustrated with those (younger, often) folks within my disability rights groups telling me that I must always in writing and speech "put the person before the 'disability'". Which in theory, I agree with, but in practice adds unnecessary language with limited speaking and writing times. If I'm seeking allies among the able-bodied with genuine intention to support those of us disabled, I will lose them if they are walking on eggshells all the time. It must be done in balance. But the bottom line for me is we do have enormous discrimination still in this country and it is pervasive in the medical field of both practice and research. (Which I know you believe as well.) For instance: People who are disabled are the largest marginalized group in the world (WHO), the country (CDC), and state of MA (US Census). We are also the most diverse since if you are Black, Latino/Latina, Indigenous American, and/or LGBTQ+, you are more likely to be disabled. And not because of biology, but because of systemic discrimination. So, yes, we must be vigilant in supporting protection against discrimination in med research.
Thanks for this interview. I respect Dr. Flier a lot, but blaming Trump on progressives is not reasonable. The right wing controls a vast empire of biased news (Fox, WSJ et al), vast financial resources (Musk et al), and besides that they cheat and lie in their self-interest (I don't think I need to elaborate). Have progressives ever dropped an atomic bomb? I am reminded of Bill Mauldin's cartoon in the 1960s of a Black man, torn and ragged, struggling up a thorny rosebush toward the lone flower of freedom, asking :"What do you mean, not so fast?" Trump is not a product of the left. He is a product of the right and those in the center who have failed to take a moral stance.
Thank you Jeremy and Professor Flier! Responding to the concluding remarks I am reminded of a passage from Proverbs 4:25-27, "Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths of your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil."
Appreciate you have taken this guest on in hopes of an objective discussion with someone working within the university system for sometime who appeared to have one negative view of "overzealous" DEI, to coming out on the other side due to this administration's aggressive approach in the reverse. However, his cold comments in terms of your question about literal cruelty in latest executive orders, and his final statement of generalization and blame on overzealous approach of Progressives being responsible for us getting Trump again tells me he lives in an ivory tower. (I do believe you don't agree with him on this.} We have 2 white, heterosexual able-bodied males making commentary on anti-discriminatory practices. As a person who is female and disabled, even I got frustrated with those (younger, often) folks within my disability rights groups telling me that I must always in writing and speech "put the person before the 'disability'". Which in theory, I agree with, but in practice adds unnecessary language with limited speaking and writing times. If I'm seeking allies among the able-bodied with genuine intention to support those of us disabled, I will lose them if they are walking on eggshells all the time. It must be done in balance. But the bottom line for me is we do have enormous discrimination still in this country and it is pervasive in the medical field of both practice and research. (Which I know you believe as well.) For instance: People who are disabled are the largest marginalized group in the world (WHO), the country (CDC), and state of MA (US Census). We are also the most diverse since if you are Black, Latino/Latina, Indigenous American, and/or LGBTQ+, you are more likely to be disabled. And not because of biology, but because of systemic discrimination. So, yes, we must be vigilant in supporting protection against discrimination in med research.
Thanks for this interview. I respect Dr. Flier a lot, but blaming Trump on progressives is not reasonable. The right wing controls a vast empire of biased news (Fox, WSJ et al), vast financial resources (Musk et al), and besides that they cheat and lie in their self-interest (I don't think I need to elaborate). Have progressives ever dropped an atomic bomb? I am reminded of Bill Mauldin's cartoon in the 1960s of a Black man, torn and ragged, struggling up a thorny rosebush toward the lone flower of freedom, asking :"What do you mean, not so fast?" Trump is not a product of the left. He is a product of the right and those in the center who have failed to take a moral stance.
Thank you Jeremy and Professor Flier! Responding to the concluding remarks I am reminded of a passage from Proverbs 4:25-27, "Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths of your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil."
Excellent interview
Very interesting that Jeffrey Flier thinks that DEI went too far a few years ago. I would beg to differ. Case in point: COVID Data. For those of us disabled and/or Black, Latino/Latina, Indigenous American during COVID, we are still shell-shocked as to how little we were protected or included in data. Let alone not allowed access to vaccines for sometime even though highly immune compromised and not likely to be prioritized for scarce ventilators. Lots of promises from MA Health Dept under Gov Baker, but no application. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7373402/ and https://www.masslive.com/coronavirus/2020/10/massachusetts-isnt-complying-with-covid-19-data-collection-law-gaps-in-job-primary-language-and-disability-data-persist-nearly-4-months-later.html