Twitter has permanently suspended Dr. Robert Malone for allegedly “spreading misleading and potentially harmful information” about coronavirus vaccines. He did pioneering work on the mRNA vaccines before turning critic. He has serious medical credentials and experience. He was trained at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, the University of California San Diego, the Salk Institute Molecular Biology and Virology laboratories, served as associate professor of pathology and surgery at the University of California at Davis, the University of Maryland, and the Armed Forces University of the Health Sciences, and did research at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. He is the “original inventor of mRNA vaccination as a technology, DNA vaccination, and multiple non-viral DNA and RNA/mRNA platform delivery technologies.” Yet he warns of “the many short-cuts, database issues, obfuscation and frankly, lies told in the development of the Spike protein-based genetic vaccines for SARS-CoV-2.” He says that the “authoritarian control by governments that are being manipulated by large corporations (big finance, big pharmaceutical, big media and big technology) influenced my changing world view” (rwmalonemd.com). There can be no doubt that this fallen world is rife with despotism and lies and covetous practices. I only have to read the Bible to know that is true. As for Dr. Malone’s warnings on the science of the vaccines, I don’t know if he is right or wrong; I haven’t even read his warnings; but he has far more authority to speak on the subject than any little Twitter checker. I don’t have a lot of interest in the vaccine debate, candidly. There are other things I consider far more important. What I do have a keen interest in is free speech. We need free, open debate on all subjects. I am extremely wary of quacks and conspiracy nuts and don’t give them the time of day, but I don’t believe in banning even quacks and conspiracy nuts. Who is to be the Chief Arbiter? We don’t need little Twitter checkers. They need to relocate to China, where checkers are in big demand. Dr. Malone nailed it when he called them “a constant clown show.” Dr. Malone joined Gettr, the new social media platform founded by former Donald Trump adviser Jason Miller to “embrace free speech.” It reached one million users only three days after launch in July, an unprecedented achievement. Miller says, “I think what this shows is just the appetite that is there for a platform that doesn’t censor for political beliefs.” Indeed. The citizens of China, North Korea, Iran, and Afghanistan would vote for free speech if they could.
(Friday Church News Notes, January 7, 2022, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)