Last week I received a FOIA request that all of my emails bearing certain terms were going to be obtained and turned over to an activist group. US-RTK, a San Francisco-based activist group, namely Gary Ruskin, wanted to know my ties to Big Ag and their PR arm.
The first thing I did was pick up a phone, call Gary Ruskin, and say, “What can I tell you?” We spoke for 10 minutes, he seems like a decent guy, but what’s the deal with assuming that I’m guilty of something before even talking? I’m not one to do things the hard way, the expensive way. I’m glad to talk openly about anything.
Those closer to the situation tell me I’m naive, and that US-RTK wants nothing more than to see me removed from the discussion on ag biotech.
These are not investigating specific impropriety, they are looking for something to cause harm to reputations of public scientists. It is a taxpayer-funded fishing trip for a “gotcha”, nothing more.
These are malicious intents aimed squarely at scientists that dare to teach and communicate peer-reviewed science.
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So what next? I’m fortunate to not be afraid of this. I stand by everything I have written. I’ve never received a penny for an answer on GMO Answers, or even coaching on what to say. Those are my words. I own them and I always will.
Somehow I’ll be portrayed negatively and they’ll use my words against me. Yes, I speak my mind, no, I don’t think of other interpretations. No, I don’t care either. I have a job to do that needs to be done, and the minute I’m wasting time re-thinking about how some goof with an axe to grind against Monsanto is going to use my language to harm me… I’m done. That’s not what I was hired to do.
Read full, original article: Silencing Public Scientists
