In the face of absurdity, scientists will find new terms that are truthful

It has been widely reported that representatives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently presented officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with a list of seven words and phrases to be omitted from budget documents. This directive is as absurd as it is meaningless.

The Trump administration declared war on the truth long ago. However, avoiding the use of seven words does not silence the truth. Scientists concern themselves with the pursuit of pure knowledge for the betterment of humanity. Terminology is secondary to that pursuit. Censoring the words of scientists only serves to make them reach for a thesaurus. Therefore, I propose the following new terms to replace those that HHS would like to ban:

“Hypothesis-and-datadriven” in place of “sciencebased.”

“Supported by structured observation” in place of “evidence-based.”

“Post-embryonic products of conception” in place of “fetus.”

“Non-cisgender” in place of “transgender.”

“Susceptible” in place of “vulnerable.”

“Variety” in place of diversity.”

And, depending on context, “dispensation” or “right” in place of “entitlement.”

These substitutions should fulfill the requirements reportedly imposed by HHS on the CDC. MICHAEL WOLF, M.D.

Squirrel Hill