Resistance is Our Rx: Reflecting on Attending The Hands Off Rally April 15, 2025 Public Health, SFMMS 0 SF Marin Medicine Editor and SFMMS Past President, Dr. Michael Schrader attended the Hands Off Rally at Civic Center on Saturday April 5th, joined by several SFMMS colleagues. Read his reflections on his experience: I went to the Hands Off Rally at Civic Center on Saturday April 5th, joined by several of our SFMMS colleagues. Similar rallies were held across the country and in Europe. I wore my white coat and carried a sign that said “Protect our Patients” on one side and “Stop Healthcare and Research Cuts.” That was as succinct as I could get about opposing Trump/Musk Administration attacks on public health, world health, scientific research funding, vaccines, reproductive care, transgender medicine, Medicaid and Medi-Cal funding, insurance for pre-existing conditions, and generally comprehensive and affordable medical care everywhere. I engaged with many of the other protesters who carried signs protesting DOGE, tariffs, immigration policy, support for Ukraine, and healthcare cuts. There were caricatures and effigies that portrayed President Trump’s scowl-faced, combed over, corpulent and sour personal appearance. But I noticed that most of the signs attacked Trump’s anti-democratic and anti-constitutional policies and statements. Similarly Musk was vilified for his far right leanings and white supremacist salutes and dog whistles. Many of these attacks were personal and ad hominem rather than policy-based. While I totally understand the rancor directed toward Trump and Musk, SFMMS has always striven to make policy arguments that are supported by evidence and analysis. One of the problems with opposing the Trump/Musk agenda is that so much has changed so quickly. Every day is a different crisis. The second problem is that there is no rational counter argument to actions that are irrational and spiteful. They are not cutting back on vaccines, public health, access, and research because it will be an improvement or save money but rather to harass and punish their perceived enemies and fuel the culture wars. We can’t argue that their actions will harm the common good because harming the common good is the intent. They push policies that create economic upheaval, health care failure, government chaos, destruction of the social safety net, and environmental catastrophe. It is not that they believe it won’t happen: they want it to happen. But as we saw with the pull back of the tariffs Wednesday: there is no plan or strategy and the Trump administration can be frightened by the specter of massive failure. Resistance is Our Rx. Comments are closed.
