Science, Anti-Science On Display Nationally, Moorestown Man Says

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown resident Edwin Begg looks at the science of the recent SpaceX launch and return and what he calls the “anti-science” being touted by President Donald Trump amid the coronavirus pandemic. His letter to the editor can be found below.

To the Editor:

What a stark contrast: science and anti-science — a successful splashdown of two NASA astronauts and voodoo witchcraft touted by President Trump.

SpaceX, a space and rocket company founded by Elon Musk (of Tesla automobile fame) introduced us to the wonders of science with the recent successful splashdown of the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule containing two NASA astronauts, Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, in the Gulf of Mexico.

They were launched in May on a SpaceX rocket, which connected their module to the International Space Station, an earth-orbiting laboratory cooperatively used by various nations, including the USA, Russia, Japan, Canada and European countries.

Then we have anti-science President Trump. First, he revealed that injecting disinfectant would cure COVID-19. Now he is into voodoo witchcraft. His new favorite is Dr. Stella Immanuel, a Houston-based physician.

“I don’t know which country she comes from, but she says she’s had tremendous success with hundreds of different patients,” he said. Via social media, Dr. Immanuel has expressed some of her ideas: having sex with “tormenting spirits” is responsible for gynecological problems, miscarriages and impotence; scientists are developing a vaccine to make it impossible to become religious; wearing a mask is unnecessary and taking the same anti-malarial drug touted by Trump will cure COVID-19.

What’s the connection between science and Trump’s anti-science ideas? Death. The COVID-19 death toll is over 160,000 (and climbing). Trump stated in a recent TV interview, in relation to these deaths, “It is what it is.” A real leader.

Edwin F. Begg
Moorestown