Where Is The Science?

When you have government leaders who put religion before science, somebody's gonna get hurt. Science is the methodical, logical approach to determining what is safe practice - religion is an unfaltering belief in something that is unproven and unknown.

There's a great editorial in the St. Petersburg Times that's worth a look.

It's an old story at this point: A federal agency within the Bush administration is embroiled in controversy over the manipulation of science. This time a group of scientists and physicians within the Food and Drug Administration has written Congress accusing top FDA officials of misconduct in the approval of medical devices. The scientists warn that unsafe or ineffective devices that were improperly approved may be threatening public safety, and the full extent of the danger may not be known for years.

In a blunt letter to Michigan Democratic Rep. John Dingell, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, professionals from the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health said that senior managers at the CDRH "ordered, intimidated and coerced FDA experts" into altering their scientific evaluations and conclusions regarding medical devices. The scientists say some within their ranks were told to use unsound evaluation methods and to make safety and effectiveness determinations that violated standards.