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My name is Constantine Hinds, and I live in Miami. I’m an administrative assistant at a church and a deeply concerned grandfather figure to the next generation. I’m writing because I discovered what I believe is a serious issue that involves the integrity of a major public health institution and its impact on all citizens.
While visiting the official home page of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), I found a banner at the very top that reads:
“The Trump Administration is working to reopen the government for the American people. Mission-critical activities of CDC will continue during the Democrat-led government shutdown.”
It gets even more disturbing. I was searching for the page specific to my concerns about early childhood development. I was there merely seeking information about milestones for my granddaughter who is just turning 2 years old and may possibly be autistic. However, at the very top of the page that provides that information, was with the following statement.
“The Trump Administration is working to reopen the government for the American people.
Mission-critical activities of CDC will continue during the Democrat-led government shutdown. Certain federal government activities have ceased due to a lack of appropriated funding. During the government shutdown, only websites supporting excepted functions will be updated. As a result, the information on this website may not be up to date and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries.”
That statement was even more direct than the one on the main CDC site. This language is explicitly political, naming one party as responsible for the shutdown and directing blame.
In my view, it is highly unusual and inappropriate for the homepage of a public health agency — an institution that should remain neutral, trusted, and focused solely on health and science.
What I believe is at stake:
• Public trust in health-agency guidance may be undermined when political attribution appears on what should be a science-based website.
• Individuals who visit the CDC for neutral health information may perceive bias and therefore question or distrust the source.
• If a major public institution starts including overt political framing, it sets a precedent that could degrade institutional neutrality for all Americans.
I believe this issue is both newsworthy and under-reported. A story exposing this could help public awareness, remind institutions of their duty to remain apolitical in health communications, and protect broader trust in our health system.
Constantine Hinds
Editor’s Note: This may be a violation of the Hatch Act which prohibits most federal government employees from engaging in partisan political activities while on the job. It may apply to government agency websites as well.
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