Re: Meeting public demand

["Michael Stabin" <michael.g.stabin@vanderbilt.edu>]

Jerry Cohen writes -



> My point is that

> NRC could have  saved much time, effort, and most of all, money if they

had

> just short-circuited the process by determining the public/political

climate

> in the first place and ignored the science which was apparently of little

> importance in this case. I am sure there are several other examples of

this

> sort of problem . Why bother with the science if it can have no impact in

a

> system pervaded by spin, politics, and PR.



This is indeed a bad situation. It is the supposed antidote to the other

extreme of the government ramming policies down the public's throat, because

"they know what's good for you". The antidote, however, has worked out to

be, in my opinion, almost as bad as the poison, and at times I refer to this

in fairly strong terms as a "failure of democracy". People in a democracy

don't want the government acting without the consent of the governed, and I

am one of them. But with our mass media driven culture, those with the best

skill in manipulating opinion, **often intentionally spreading

misinformation in direct contradiction to known scientific facts** have

successfully managed to control the debate on many scientific issues, of

which radiation protection is just one. By appealing to emotion and

repeating often absurd claims in drumbeat fashion, the public begins to

speak the mantras of those with the best PR engines, and fact and logic are

left as roadkill.



I agree that merely complaining about it on Radsafe is not the answer. Ruth

Sponsler's (and others') encouragement to be involved in schools is part of

the solution. Barbara Hamrick's call for help in influencing legislation is

another good example of how to actively participate in the remedy. Public

information activities in general are another. I'm quite pleased at the

astounding success of the HPS' Ask the Expert web site feature. Gen Roessler

is doing a marvelous job, and has assembled an Associate Editor team to

handle the very high volume of requests that are coming in there. I have

been able to interact with a number of people directly, sometimes

repeatedly, and try to calm some of their irrational fears, driven by

irresponsible antinuke groups and the media, about radiation doses from

simple medical procedures and the like.



This is one of my drumbeats - if you understand radiation, you have a

professional responsibility to be part of the voice in whatever communities

you are part of to help bring a rational perspective to these public policy

debates in our society. You can't do it all yourself, and it can't be done

in a day. But if we each do our part, write our letters, know our facts,

show respect to our opponents, and hold our ground, it can be done.



"First they ignore you; Then they laugh at you; Then they fight you; Then

you win."



Mike



Michael G. Stabin, PhD, CHP

Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences

Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences

Vanderbilt University

1161 21st Avenue South

Nashville, TN 37232-2675

Phone (615) 343-0068

Fax   (615) 322-3764

e-mail  michael.g.stabin@vanderbilt.edu







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