Knowledge of deadly biological pathogens=good.

Crazy as it may sound, I actually do have a few "deep thoughts" when I am not trying to prevent my 9 month old from eating paper. The following is dangerous to your health if you have worked in an office or lab all day as it may cause you to fall to sleep from boredom. Or, it may wake you up! Nevertheless, it's not my usual blog about children, minimalism, travel, or life. It's my second favorite subject: SCIENCE!

I am, by nature, a believer in preventive medicine. I am a vegetarian who exercises, takes extra vitamins beyond the minimum, have added spirulina to my diet, and overall, attempt to take care of my health to prevent possible problems in the future. Therefore, I would have wholeheartedly supported the U.S. government in studying harmful biological pathogens. I believe that we would be crazy if we choose to blindfold our eyes, sit on our hands, and let the “other guys” in those other countries research these incredibly dangerous pathogens.

I vaguely recall when CDC in Bethesda, Maryland was under construction for a new building that was going to be for research. This occurred a few years after the “sniper” was in the area (after 9/11) and mysterious packages began arriving around the area at different offices. There was a lot of publicity about CDC’s new building and the amount of security that was being created just to enter and exit the facilities.  It was fascinating to look at as I drove by each day on my way to work.  I figured the security was to prevent unauthorized people from entering the building to swipe samples for their private collection and I was sure it was to keep that one employee from going “postal.” I guess CDC never considered creating internal security measures to prevent insiders from changing their mind about what to do with the pathogens in the future

According to Jeremy Patterson, the writer for Arms Control Association and author of Weapons Labs Biological Research Raises Concerns “...the labs will not be under the jurisdiction of any oversight mechanisms designed to ensure or publicize compliance with the BWC or U.S. laws governing its implementation other than internal Homeland Security Department review boards.” 

 I shouldn’t have read this late at night as it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up and will probably give me nightmares. I was okay with the idea that the United States government has a lab that tests new vaccines on horrible ‘freaks of nature’ such as anthrax, botulism, brucellosis, plague, Rickettsia, tularemia, and valley fever as I believe we should study how we could control an outbreak or create vaccines to protect people from these horrid deaths.  I hope that the Homeland Security Department review boards has many members who are intelligent, peaceful, open-minded, and not trigger-happy people.

In my opinion...

Knowledge of deadly biological pathogens=good.

Labs not under jurisdiction of any oversight mechanisms=bad.

My good friend Mark would disagree with me when I say this, but if we lay down our weapons, do you truly believe the “other guys” will, too? If you were at school and you didn't throw the first punch, will the bully not? There will always be bullies in the world. I know we don't want our country to be one, but even if we aren't, we should be prepared to protect ourselves. There just might be that “other guy” who is working in a secret lab on a nasty creation...planning for that day when he can deliver it to us. Anyone watch the 1995 sci-fi thriller, 12 monkeys? I mean, that particular bad scientist was truly anti-American or just crazy.