It’s no secret that we’re a STEM town. From the STEM strength in our public schools to the roughly 30 biotech companies in Lexington (1) to the numerous faculty and doctors that live here, the sciences are a field that many Lexington residents hold near and dear to their hearts. As a college student hoping to become a doctor, it was Lexington that gave me the drive to study the Krebs cycle late into the night and get splashed in salt water during my experiments. 

With the actions of the current administration, it’s no secret that we have a lot to lose. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK) has initiated an onslaught against the integrity of science. Many Lexington residents working in the sciences are likely impacted by funding cuts. As a young person in Lexington, my future is uncertain. I want to get a job doing research after I graduate. I don’t know if these jobs will still exist.

This won’t just affect people who actively work in the STEM field. Last fall, I contracted pneumonia. I went home from college with a burning fever that reached as high as 106-107 °F. For weeks afterwards, I was too tired to focus in class, go to work, or maintain a social life. My life was put on hold for almost a month. It was antibiotics that brought me back to my normal self—Antibiotics that were developed with stringent research to make sure what went in my body was safe and effective. 

So many of us in Lexington hold jobs supported by or directly funded by federal grants. It’s hard to think of what funding cuts would do to our economy. But even so, we are in a unique position as one of the wealthiest towns in Massachusetts. Unlike many other communities, we have more resources to organize, resist, and weather the storm.

I am young and I want a future. Our representatives are wonderful. Call or write to them to emphasize what science means to you, and encourage them to keep fighting to protect the integrity of science. Additionally, please fill out the Citizens for Science Pledge at tiny.cc/sciencepledge. 

Sources (1): https://www.lexingtonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/885/Life-Science-Outlook-2020-

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1 Comment

  1. We must continue to fight this administration’s attacks on science, education, the rule of law, free speach, and all of the fundamental building blocks of our democracy and our way of life. When we accede to the erosion of our fundamental beliefs and morality, we participate in the demise of our society and our democracy.

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