Packers’ Quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Science and Freedom of Choice
“If science can’t be questioned, it’s not science anymore. It’s propaganda, and that’s the truth.”
That was Aaron Rodgers – quarterback of the Green Bay Packers – and the 2011 Super Bowl MVP has a point.
Science is all about empirical inquiry, measurement, and testing. To ensure authenticity, scientific studies need to be replicated by independent parties. Science is not a belief system or any kind of authoritarian construct. That invites comparison with White House adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, a medical doctor whose bio shows no advanced degrees in molecular biology or biochemistry.
A government bureaucrat since 1968, Dr. Fauci has headed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Since 1984. Since the dawn of the pandemic, Dr. Fauci has reversed himself many times but now claims “I represent science.” He doesn’t, but such an outlandish claim has consequences.
Aaron Rogers has been accused of spreading misinformation, being an anti-vaxer, and so forth. As the quarterback wonders, “when did science become this blind agreement and not have any debate over what can actually heal people and work for people? That makes no sense to me.” A record number of players had been added to the reserve/COVID-19 list, without open discussion of “the treatment I used to get better.”
Rodgers has no problem with those who choose to get vaccinated. “It’s your body, your choice,” he explains. “I made a decision that was in the best interest of my body and that’s what it should be. There should be the freedom to choose what’s in your best interest.”
For Dr. Anthony Fauci, it’s pretty much his way or the highway, with mandatory vaccinations and destructive lockdowns. As the authors of the Great Barrington Declaration note, such lockdowns have caused widespread suffering and damage. Dr. Fauci backed the school shutdowns and lied about funding dangerous gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, yet he retains his position of power. That marks another contrast with the world of Aaron Rodgers.
Players and coaches often violate the rules of football, but the game does not continue until the penalty has been marked off. On the other hand, government bureaucrats can repeat destructive mistakes, deceive the public, and still keep their position. These powerful bureaucrats demand blind obedience, with no debate about what works best for individuals’ health and safety. For embattled Americans heading into a new year, that makes little sense.
