Our New Jersey March for Science's Mission
The New Jersey March for Science affirms the guiding statement of the National March for Science:
"The March for Science champions robustly funded and publicly communicated science as a pillar of human freedom and prosperity. We unite as a diverse, nonpartisan group to call for science that upholds the common good, and for political leaders and policymakers to enact evidence-based policies in the public interest."
In the last year, America has seen
- national policy set in direct opposition to the best scientific evidence,
- environmental regulations rolled back and ignored,
- protections for public lands and resources eliminated,
- barriers erected that limit free travel,
- the undermining of public affordable education,
- career civil servants in scientific roles reassigned for partisan reasons,
- neglect of the government employees responsible for monitoring and protecting against public health threats,
- and wide-ranging cuts to funding for education and basic scientific research.
The experience of the last year only increases the urgency for a call for scientific advocacy and the March for Science.
We as scientists, students, teachers, doctors, engineers, and concerned citizens have chosen to March for Science to bring attention to important issues that we see as threatening the safety of our fellow citizens, our state, our national character, and the endeavor of scientific exploration.
Fact-Based Policies: We demand that our leaders take into account the best available scientific evidence when making their decisions, in particular in the areas of climate change, healthcare, energy policy, public safety, education, and resource management. We reject attempts to silence the voices bringing attention to scientific evidence of the serious problems faced by our society, and we reject politically-motivated attacks on scientific research in any field.
Free Inquiry: As scientific study requires open exchange of ideas and free association across ethnic, religious, and national lines, we demand that the right to speech, travel, and association be protected to the fullest extent, in keeping with the highest ideals and traditions of the United States. Beyond the damage done to our nation’s scientific and economic output, such policies are violations of our human rights, and should be opposed regardless of their impact on science.
Education: We demand that public education be protected and strengthened, to provide for our next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators, as well as for our future artists, writers, and musicians, whose contributions are equally critical for a healthy democracy. The lack of quality education for all American children robs them of opportunities and deprives all of us of the fruits of their talents.
For these reasons, we have chosen to March for Science. We march so that scientific evidence will be taken seriously. We march because our friends and colleagues are being targeted unjustly. We march because we are concerned about the next generation. We hope you will join us on April 14. And we hope you will join us afterwards, for all the work that needs to be done.
