Monday, July 18, 2011

A Ph.D. In Biochem Doesn't Make You An Expert In Everything

Sean has a story about an opponent of HB 111 which would allow concealed carry - but not alcohol consumption - in North Carolina restaurants and eating establishments that serve alcohol. Dr. Art Kamm has his Ph.D. in biochemistry and had worked in the pharmaceutical industry in the development of drugs to fight cancer for a number of years before he retired.

If Dr. Kamm was opining on the efficacy of a certain cancer drug, I would listen to him. If he were talking about clinical trials and the lengthy regulatory process it takes to bring a drug to market, I'd be interested. If he said something about the inner workings of the FDA, I'd assume he had some first hand knowledge. However, if as Dr. Kamm says, that passing HB 111 will scare the tourists, I'd say stick to your area of expertise. Anecdotal stories about one group of visitors from Australia doesn't make you an expert on tourism or firearms policy.

Art Kamm reminds me of an old crank that lived in Haywood County years ago. Richard Suhre had been a scientist with the Atomic Energy Commission (the predecessor to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission). Suhre was a college educated man from a generation where few people had his level of education. He also thought that made him an expert in everything. He was constantly writing letters to the local paper giving his "learned" opinion on virtually everything. When he was talking about a potential nuclear waste dump in the mountains, he knew what he was talking about. On other things, not so much. So it is with Dr. Kamm.

Go to Sean's site and read the whole thing.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the link. He tries to cover his bigotry with a thin veneer of education. He failed.

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