Where Is Truth?

In the news this past week was a fallacy so blatant, I thought it was a fake news story from one of those spoof sites. Unfortunately, it is a real story illuminating the chasm between party lines in our country. Here is a link so that you know it is real:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/05/health/health-care-open-letter-protests-coronavirus-trnd/index.html

There is a copy of the letter at the end of the article.

The story says that a group of “public health professionals, infectious diseases professionals, and community stakeholders” sent an open letter to the public concerning public protests over racial injustice and protests over the shutdown due to COVID 19. The letter was signed by over 1200 people and detailed health guidelines for protestors.

The group says, “We created the letter in response to emerging narratives that seemed to malign demonstrations as risky for the public health because of Covid-19.” They go on to say this:

However, as public health advocates, we do not condemn these gatherings as risky for COVID-19 transmission. We support them as vital to the national public health and to the threatened health specifically of Black people in the United States. We can show that support by facilitating safest protesting practices without detracting from demonstrators’ ability to gather and demand change. This should not be confused with a permissive stance on all gatherings, particularly protests against stay-home orders. (Simon 2020)

To summarize, the letter says that protesting racial inequality is justified and supported, but protests against stay-at-home orders are not allowed and condemned. In both protest scenarios, social distancing is impractical and most health suggestions to stop the spread of the virus are ignored. Yet, one protest is allowed and the other is not.

The fallacy begins with an inappropriate appeal to authority. This open letter is signed by 1200 people in the medical field, health professionals, and community stakeholders. This implies the letter was endorsed by health experts. There are many professionals in the list of people who signed the letter, but their advice is illogical, so their expertise is in question.

When a group puts their reputation on the line for a belief, especially health experts, the public is inclined to believe them. When that belief defies logic, they are suspect and so is their advice. Most people believe doctors and people with scientific jobs are intelligent and of superior knowledge. This article exploits that trust.

Another fallacy contained in this article is the false dilemma. “The fallacy of false dilemma reduces responses to complex issues to an either/or choice.” (Boss 154) The letter encourages protests that ideologically align with their cause. The letter condemns protests that do not align with their ideology. The false dilemma is that one ideology will promote justice and the other will spread a virus.

Both ideologies incorporate protests with people in close proximity, eliminating the effectiveness of social distancing and other measures. Either you protest for racial equality or you should stay home to reduce the spread of the virus. In the context of the letter, this makes no sense because protesting makes reducing the spread of the virus impossible.

References

Boss, J. (2010). Think (p. 154). McGraw-Hill Education.

Mallory Simon, C. (2020). Over 1,000 health professionals sign a letter saying, Don’t shut down protests using coronavirus concerns as an excuse. CNN. Retrieved 12 June 2020, from https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/05/health/health-care-open-letter-protests-coronavirus-trnd/index.html.