Sunday, April 7, 2013

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibilities

Looking back, our society has progressed a long way in terms of equality. From times when everyone but white men were heavily discriminated against to current times when, under law, all races and genders must be treated justly. While we still aren’t perfect, we have finally reached a point in time when equality is something that our society prides ourselves on. Why, then, do we still continually discriminate against homosexuals? Putting aside the religious argument, the discrimination against gays, like all other historical discriminations, can be traced back to ignorance. We are not only ignorant about the culture but also the definition of homosexuality and the “causes” of it. The problem is that people in positions of power, like leading scientists or public figures, are not only not refuting the wrong information, but they are the ones endorsing it. Take prominent Italian scientists, Gian Paolo Vanoli, for example. He claims that homosexuality is a disease. Certain substances in vaccines, Vanoli says, inhibit certain brain pathways therefore causing a person to be gay. The scientist does not blame people for being gay, he just believes that it is something we must cure before it becomes an epidemic. Even though this claim has been proven wrong time and time again by several different studies, Vanoli and other scientists still support it. Sadly their support is much more influential than a typical persons. This is because they are scientists and scientists are supposed to only state the truth. Therefore when Vanoli and other Italian scientists say homosexuality is a disease, countless numbers of people believe it, resulting in the discrimination of gays. This example reinforces the fact that, as scientists, we have power over common knowledge. People do not only listen to our findings, but they accept them as the truth and act on them. Therefore instead of immediately releasing every potential finding, like Vanoli did, we must first examine the societal impacts. If these impacts are too negative, such as leading to the discrimination of an entire group of people, then the release of the findings should be reconsidered. This would then result in a more just and cohesive society.

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