RFK Jr., Autism, Public Health and People Who Are Just Plain Wrong.

My Response to the Unreasonable.

The messages began flooding in shortly after I published my latest piece on RFK Jr. Some supportive, others angry—a few downright hostile. As I scrolled through them, sipping my morning coffee, I couldn't help but reflect on how we arrived at this strange moment where basic scientific principles have become political battlegrounds.

This isn't meant to be a "gotcha" post aimed at anyone. It's far too important for that kind of framing.

I remember my first week working on the HEALing Communities Study—an ambitious project designed to reduce opioid overdose deaths through evidence-based prevention and treatment. The morning briefing included sobering statistics: communities devastated, families torn apart, lives lost. I naively mentioned to a colleague, "At least everyone can agree that saving lives is important, right?"

She gave me a knowing look. "You'd be surprised."

She was right. Despite our focus on preventing deaths, we faced persistent pushback. Many viewed those suffering from addic…