Inbox: Fluoride's Great Divide

In your recent interview with anti-fluoride activist Kim Kaminski ["Hotseat," WW, May 29, 2013], she mentioned Carl Sagan as her inspiration to become an environmentalist.

What she fails to mention is throughout his career, Sagan was a tireless champion of intellectual honesty and strong, empirical science. Among other things, he is remembered for uttering the wise words, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

When asked by WW to explain why after decades of fluoridation throughout the United States there is no evidence of any long-term harm, she completely sidestepped the question. She offered no extraordinary evidence to support her extraordinary claims that various peer-reviewed journals, as well as government bodies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and respected organizations such as the American Dental Association and the American Medical Association are all wrong when it comes to fluoridation.

When given a golden opportunity by WW to further explain her views using compelling evidence, she did not. Instead, she elected to respond using fear, doubt and faulty analogy.

While Kaminski's desire to fight for a healthy and sustainable environment is an admirable one, her astounding ignorance of science and reason does an incredible disservice to the spirit of Sagan and everything he stood for.

Mark Curnell
Southeast Portland

Well done, Kim! Your leadership was crucial. It was a classic case of a big-money lobby group (led by high-powered political PR man Mark Wiener) being defeated by the real people of Portland. We think for ourselves. Once one learns the dangers [of fluoride], there's no way to unlearn that.

Thank you to all the amazing volunteers who defeated Goliath by a landslide.

—"Mark Colman"


"The other side was well-funded and authoritative. Why do you think they failed?"

Simple. [The pro-fluoride side] failed because their entire campaign was fraudulent. There is no dental health crisis. And every time a lie was revealed, they would dream up yet another lie. It's a lot easier to win when you have truth on your side.

Why did WW never recognize this? Why was this interview not done before the vote?

—"Kenric L. Ashe"


DEVIL'S FOOL CAKE

As a pagan, I am insulted that a reporter didn't do enough research into what we call our religious symbol ["The Cake Wars," WW, May 29, 2013]. It's called a pentacle, not a pentagram. A pentagram is an upside-down pentacle and is a symbol of Satan worship. Maybe next time they can refer to a cross and a "t".

—"disqus"


God forbid you rotate the round cake.

—"Brian Riedel"

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